diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/manual_verifications.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/manual_verifications.py
index 3dcdf98ad8..e289fa1198 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/manual_verifications.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/manual_verifications.py
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             help='Single email to verify one user',
             type=str,
         )
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--batch-size',
+            default=None,
+            help='(Optional) Maximum records to write in one transaction.',
+            type=int,
+        )
 
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
 
@@ -51,12 +57,13 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             return
 
         email_ids_file = options['email_ids_file']
+        batch_size = options['batch_size']
 
         if email_ids_file:
             if not os.path.exists(email_ids_file):
                 raise CommandError('Pass the correct absolute path to email ids file as --email-ids-file argument.')
 
-        total_emails, failed_emails = self._generate_manual_verification_from_file(email_ids_file)
+        total_emails, failed_emails = self._generate_manual_verification_from_file(email_ids_file, batch_size)
 
         if failed_emails:
             log.error('Completed manual verification. {} of {} failed.'.format(
@@ -67,28 +74,42 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         else:
             log.info(f'Successfully generated manual verification for {total_emails} emails.')
 
-    def _generate_manual_verification_from_file(self, email_ids_file):
+    def _generate_manual_verification_from_file(self, email_ids_file, batch_size=None):
         """
         Generate manual verification for the emails provided in the email ids file.
 
         Arguments:
             email_ids_file (str): path of the file containing email ids.
+            batch_size (int): limits the number of verifications written to db at once
 
         Returns:
             (total_emails, failed_emails): a tuple containing count of emails processed and a list containing
              emails whose verifications could not be processed.
         """
-        failed_emails = []
-
         with open(email_ids_file) as file_handler:
-            email_ids = file_handler.readlines()
+            email_ids = [line.rstrip() for line in file_handler]
             total_emails = len(email_ids)
-            log.info(f'Creating manual verification for {total_emails} emails.')
-            for email_id in email_ids:
-                successfully_verified = self._add_user_to_manual_verification(email_id)
-                if successfully_verified is False:
-                    failed_emails.append(email_id)
-        return total_emails, failed_emails
+
+        log.info(f'Creating manual verification for {total_emails} emails.')
+        verifications_to_create = []
+        users = User.objects.filter(email__in=email_ids)
+        user_existing_verification = {v.user.id for v in ManualVerification.objects.filter(
+            user__in=users,
+            status='approved',
+            created_at__gte=earliest_allowed_verification_date(),
+        )}
+        for user in users:
+            if user.id not in user_existing_verification:
+                verifications_to_create.append(ManualVerification(
+                    user=user,
+                    name=user.profile.name,
+                    status='approved',
+                ))
+            else:
+                log.info(f'Skipping email {user.email}, existing verification found.')
+        ManualVerification.objects.bulk_create(verifications_to_create, batch_size)
+        failed_emails = set(email_ids) - set(users.values_list('email', flat=True))
+        return total_emails, list(failed_emails)
 
     def _add_user_to_manual_verification(self, email_id):
         """
@@ -101,7 +122,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             (success): boolean to show if the user has been successfully verified.
         """
         try:
-            email_id = email_id.strip()
             user = User.objects.get(email=email_id)
             ManualVerification.objects.get_or_create(
                 user=user,
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/tests/test_manual_verify_student.py b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/tests/test_manual_verify_student.py
index 578573d53a..9edcb6ab49 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/tests/test_manual_verify_student.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/verify_student/management/commands/tests/test_manual_verify_student.py
@@ -89,10 +89,6 @@ class TestVerifyStudentCommand(TestCase):
              'INFO',
              'Creating manual verification for 4 emails.'
              ),
-            (LOGGER_NAME,
-             'ERROR',
-             'Tried to verify email unknown@unknown.com, but user not found'
-             ),
             (LOGGER_NAME,
              'ERROR',
              'Completed manual verification. 1 of 4 failed.'