The U.S. Department of State has announced that the worldwide "Visa Freeze" is over, and U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world are able once again to schedule visa interviews and issue U.S. visas.
The State Department expects that the backlog of cases should be cleared by this week.
The separate problems with the online fee payment system and the online application for immigrant visas have not been resolved.
The State Department's Newsroom Alert is available here.