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Embassies and consular offices are short-staffed as the demand for travel rises following the Covid-19 pandemic, which has contributed to unprecedently long wait times and challenges renewing and obtaining visas. Despite the State Department's measures to reduce these issues, such as interview waivers for certain visa holders, lengthy wait time for visas have persisted throughout the year. For companies, this has posed difficulties bringing in critical new hires and for their workers to return to the US after traveling abroad. For workers with expired visas that can only be renewed at consular offices outside the US, there is an increased risk of getting stuck in their home country for months before they can return to work in the US. However, the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs reports that the industry is recovering faster than expected after the near-complete shutdown of visa services during the pandemic.