President Trump has nominated Mora Namdar—owner of a Texas salon chain and a former State Department adviser—as Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, the bureau that oversees global visa issuance, passport production and the 24/7 duty office that assists Americans overseas. The appointment, announced just after midnight on December 27, puts a non-career businesswoman in charge of a 13,000-employee operation handling more than 20 million travel-documents annually.
Supporters note that Namdar previously served as a senior adviser under Secretary Mike Pompeo and helped launch the Abraham Accords working group. Critics question her limited consular management background and point to reported links with “Project 2025,” a transition blueprint aimed at reshaping federal agencies along conservative lines.
![Beauty-salon entrepreneur Mora Namdar tapped to run U.S. passport and visa operations]()
Travelers and businesses monitoring these developments can streamline their own document logistics through VisaHQ, which offers expedited passport renewals, real-time visa processing updates and destination-specific checklists for U.S. citizens and residents. Its easy online interface at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ helps applicants stay ahead of any policy shifts that may affect processing times.
From a global-mobility perspective, the post matters: the bureau sets adjudication policy, country-specific visa prioritization and emergency passport guidelines. Recent backlogs have already stretched routine passport turnaround to 8–11 weeks; stakeholders will watch whether Namdar accelerates digitization efforts or tightens vetting in alignment with the administration’s security focus.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to schedule confirmation hearings in early February. Until confirmed, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie Stufft will serve in an acting capacity.
Supporters note that Namdar previously served as a senior adviser under Secretary Mike Pompeo and helped launch the Abraham Accords working group. Critics question her limited consular management background and point to reported links with “Project 2025,” a transition blueprint aimed at reshaping federal agencies along conservative lines.
Travelers and businesses monitoring these developments can streamline their own document logistics through VisaHQ, which offers expedited passport renewals, real-time visa processing updates and destination-specific checklists for U.S. citizens and residents. Its easy online interface at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ helps applicants stay ahead of any policy shifts that may affect processing times.
From a global-mobility perspective, the post matters: the bureau sets adjudication policy, country-specific visa prioritization and emergency passport guidelines. Recent backlogs have already stretched routine passport turnaround to 8–11 weeks; stakeholders will watch whether Namdar accelerates digitization efforts or tightens vetting in alignment with the administration’s security focus.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to schedule confirmation hearings in early February. Until confirmed, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie Stufft will serve in an acting capacity.
