State Department Computer Crash Stalls Inbound Travel

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A crash in the U.S. State Department’s global database could cause delays for people around the world who have applied for passports or visas. The problem took place over the last few days, according to Marie Harf, a spokesperson for the State Department, and the department is “working to correct it” and “it should be fully operational soon.”

The system is currently operating, she said, but at limited capacity. She suggested waiting to make applications to avoid overloading the system as it comes back into operation.

The crash took place after some routine maintenance was performed, which led officials to believe it was not the result of any malicious action. The cause of the problem was not known.

The malfunction did cause a backup in processing of applications, according to Harf, which the department is now “working through.” The repair is “going to take a little while.”

When asked if she had a rough estimate for the time it would take to be fully operational, Harf replied, “We don’t. I don’t have one.”