While the exact impact of the automatic spending cutback (“sequestration”) on visa processing at U.S. consular posts is unknown, it can be fairly said that sequestration will result in diminished consular services, including visa adjudications. The Department of State has already warned that the number of officers processing visa applications will be reduced. When asked about the impact of sequestration on the visa application process, the Department of State expressed the concern that “we could have major setbacks in really the herculean effort we’ve made to reduce wait times.” And that “one of the areas that there’ll be an impact on, obviously, is our ability [to] provide consular services.”
From “AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 13030141 (posted Mar. 1, 2013)”