As we discussed on Friday, President Obama issued an executive order aimed at improving visa and foreign visitor processing and travel promotion in order to create jobs and spur economic growth in the U.S. In conjunction with this announcement, the Department of State (DOS) released a fact sheet to further expand on the pilot program which will expedite the visitor visa application process for certain eligible applicants.
Under the new initiative, qualified foreign visitors who were interviewed and thoroughly screened in conjunction with a prior visa application may be able to renew their visitor visas without undergoing another interview. Additionally, the pilot program will attempt to streamline visa processing for certain low-risk applicants, such as individuals renewing expired visas, or some categories of younger or older first-time applicants.
DOS thinks that consulates in China and Brazil will experience improved processing times due to this poilcy. Over the course of the year, DOS claims the policy could open as many as 100,000 interview appointments for Chinese travelers applying for visas for the first time. The Department of Commerce estimates that Chinese visitors spend more than $6,000 per person, per trip. As President Obama indicated in his speech, increased tourism will create jobs and benefit the U.S. economy.
However, the new initiative does not eliminate the ability of Consular officers to to use their authority to interview any visa applicant as required for national security.
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