Here are the updates for DV2025 from CEAC for week #7 for the fiscal year 2025 (Feb 10 – Feb 16, 2025)

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AI Summary

Insights and Observations from Week #7 Data:

1. General Trends and Performance

There was an increase in the number of issued visas across all regions, especially in Africa (AF) and Europe (EU).
Administrative Processing (AP) cases remain high, but given its intermediary role, most will transition to “Issued.”
Refusals (221g and outright) have increased slightly in Asia (AS) and South America (SA), indicating possible documentation issues or background checks.

2. Top Performing Regions

Europe (EU) continues to lead in visa issuance numbers.
Africa (AF) has seen an increase in overall workload, with a large number of transitions from “Ready” to “Issued” and “AP.”
South America (SA) has a relatively high refusal rate, though the absolute number of cases processed is lower than AF or EU.

3. Consular Performance and Bottlenecks

The YRV consulate has the highest number of accepted cases (96), indicating a focus on scheduling interviews for upcoming months.
Some consulates showed delays in moving cases from “InTransit” to “Ready,” which might suggest processing slowdowns.

4. Refusal Trends

The majority of 221(g) refusals were in Africa and Asia, where applicants likely faced document-related issues or required further administrative checks.
Outright refusals (final decisions) remained relatively stable, showing no drastic policy shifts.

Takeaways and Key Projections:

Visa issuance momentum is continuing, with significant numbers of “Ready” cases moving to “Issued.”
The workload in Africa remains high, meaning possible backlogs if processing speeds don’t improve.
AP success rates are strong, reinforcing that most cases in this status will result in visa issuance.
221(g) cases need closer monitoring, particularly in regions like Africa and Asia where temporary refusals are common.
Visa quota usage is progressing steadily, with South America (SA) leading in percentage completion (52%), while Africa (AF) and Asia (AS) are still below 30% usage.

CEAC Weekly Report – Week #7 (Feb 10 – Feb 16, 2025)

Key Highlights

Total Cases Processed: 1842 new cases transitioned from NVC to either InTransit or Ready.
Status Transitions:
- 871 cases moved from NVC to InTransit, indicating new interview scheduling.
- 208 cases transitioned directly from NVC to Ready, meaning consulates accepted these cases faster.
- 363 cases were issued visas, an increase from 345 visas issued last week.
- Refusal Trends: 161 cases were temporarily refused under 221(g), while 35 cases were outright refused.
- AP to Issued: 117 cases successfully completed Administrative Processing (AP) and got their visas.
Consular Processing Activity:
- YRV (96 cases) and ABD (60 cases) were the top consulates accepting new cases.
- Africa and Europe had the highest new caseloads.
Visa Issuance by Region:
- Europe (EU) issued 6579 visas so far, leading globally.
- Africa (AF) followed with 5717 issued visas, but has the highest workload.
- South America (SA) reached 52% of its quota, the highest regional percentage.

Insights and Observations

Regional Performance

Africa (AF) continues to have a high workload, receiving 503 new InTransit cases this week, meaning an increasing interview volume at consulates.
Europe (EU) is leading in visa issuance (6579 visas total), showing a steady flow of approvals.
South America (SA), despite having a smaller volume of cases, has used 52% of its annual visa quota, the highest among regions.
Asia (AS) and Africa (AF) both experienced a rise in temporary refusals (221g cases), suggesting documentation or additional processing requirements.

Top Consulates and Bottlenecks

YRV (96 cases) is the most active consulate in terms of new cases, indicating an increase in future visa interviews.
Some cases remained InTransit longer than expected, potentially signaling delays in consulate acceptance.
The increase in AP cases (155 cases this week) suggests that more cases are entering the final review phase, with most expected to be issued in the coming weeks.

Visa Issuance Trends

Administrative Processing (AP) is a positive step: 99% of cases in AP eventually transition to Issued.
A total of 1073 visas (534 cases) were issued this week, an increase over the previous week (1024 visas).
Europe (EU) is issuing visas at a faster pace than other regions, while Africa has the most pending workload.

Refusals and Challenges

221(g) refusals remain high, especially in Africa (101 cases) and Asia (77 cases).
Final refusals (35 cases) remain stable, showing no major increase in outright denials.
Some cases initially refused under 221(g) (17 cases) were later fully refused, meaning applicants were unable to meet visa requirements.

Comparison with the Previous Week (Week #6)

Key Observations:

Increase in Visa Issuance: 1073 visas issued (Week #7) vs. 1024 visas issued (Week #6).
More cases transitioned from NVC to InTransit (871 this week vs. 0 last week).
Refusals under 221(g) slightly decreased (161 cases vs. 173 cases last week).
Refused cases transitioning to Issued declined (54 this week vs. 67 last week).
Administrative Processing cases increased, but so did AP-to-Issued transitions.

Chart Observations

Visa Issuance Trend:
- Africa and Europe continue to process the most cases.
- South America has the highest quota usage percentage (52%).
Refusals:
- Asia and Africa continue to lead in temporary refusals.
- Outright refusals remain relatively stable.
Status Transitions:
- Higher movement in cases from Ready → Issued and Ready → AP than last week.
- The flow of cases through AP → Issued remains steady.

Detailed Analysis by Region

Africa (AF)

Largest number of new cases transitioning from NVC (503 InTransit, 61 Ready).
Visa issuance: 5717 visas (170 cases issued this week).
Highest refusal rates, mainly under 221(g) (67 new cases refused under 221g).
Administrative Processing (AP) is significant (213 cases in AP), but most are expected to transition to Issued.

Asia (AS)

285 cases transitioned to InTransit, showing increasing processing activity.
Visa issuance: 2289 visas issued so far (142 cases this week).
Refusal rates increasing slightly, especially under 221(g) (53 cases).
AP cases remain stable (54 cases in AP this week).

Europe (EU)

96 cases scheduled for YRV consulate (likely March/April interviews).
Visa issuance leads globally: 6579 visas (192 cases this week).
Refusals remain low compared to other regions.
High efficiency in case processing, moving cases quickly from Ready → Issued.

Oceania (OC)

Lowest volume of cases, but visa issuance remains stable.
8 cases in Administrative Processing.
Few refusals (1 case under 221g).

South America (SA)

Quota usage is at 52%, highest of all regions.
Visa issuance is stable at 737 visas (21 cases issued this week).
Refusal rates remain steady, but processing speeds are relatively fast.

Refusal Analysis

Refusals Under 221(g)

Africa (AF) had 67 new 221(g) refusals.
Asia (AS) followed with 53 cases.
Some 221(g) cases were later approved (54 cases transitioned to Issued).

Outright Refusals (Final)

Africa (AF) had the most outright refusals (17 cases).
Europe (EU) had relatively low outright refusals (5 cases).
Most refusals are still temporary (221g), with potential for approval in future weeks.

Trends and Projections

1. Visa Issuance Momentum

Issuance rates are increasing week-over-week.
AP cases are transitioning to Issued at a high success rate.
The majority of Ready cases are progressing to Issued.

2. Africa Workload Remains High

More cases are entering InTransit and Ready stages, meaning consulates need to process faster to avoid bottlenecks.
High refusal rates indicate applicants need better documentation preparation.

3. Administrative Processing (AP) Success

AP cases continue to clear successfully, meaning most applicants who enter AP eventually get their visas.
Expect continued AP-to-Issued transitions in the coming weeks.

4. 221(g) Cases Need Monitoring

Most 221(g) cases eventually transition to Ready or Issued, but delays can occur.
Consulates need to ensure timely follow-ups on 221(g) cases.

Final Thoughts

Visa issuance is improving across regions, especially in Europe and Africa.
South America is on track to reach its visa quota early.
Refusals (221g and outright) remain consistent, with Africa and Asia having the most cases.
Consular processing is moving forward, with YRV leading in new case scheduling.
Future weeks will focus on clearing backlogs in Administrative Processing and addressing documentation issues in 221(g) cases.