Richard Haass, director of policy planning at the State Department, is to visit Dublin, Belfast and London next week.
A White House official said the visit was routine and that there was no "special urgency" to the trip.
Haass yesterday met with Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams at the State Department ahead of his departure to discuss the situation in Northern Ireland.
Haass and Adams, meeting at the State Department, "reviewed the political situation in Northern Ireland, examining the full range of outstanding issues," he said.
"The discussion revolved around finding a way forward toward restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland and achieving full implementation of the Good Friday agreement," the official added.
The Good Friday peace agreement of 1998 set up an arrangement for sharing power in Northern Ireland between the Protestant majority in the British-rule province and the Catholic minority.
Britain re-imposed direct rule from London last month following Ulster Unionist threats to withdraw from the executive and allegations that the IRA was running a spy ring at the heart of the Northern Irish government.