‘Outrageous’ visa waits could cost US tourism billions

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Long wait times to process visitor visas could cost the US tourism sector billions in lost revenue.

The U.S. Travel Association says wait times are ‘outrageous ’and are putting off visitors.

The U.S. Department of State’s ‘low prioritization of B-1/B-2 visitor visas is severely hindering the U.S. economic recovery’

“Wait times send a message to travelers that the United States is closed for business, Unacceptable visa delays are harming the American workforce and it is long past time for the Biden administration to solve the problem,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman.

It could result in a loss of $11.6 billion in projected spending, according to new analysis released today by U.S. Travel Association economists.

Wait times for visitor visa interviews exceed 400 days for first-time applicants.

“Excessive visa delays are essentially a travel ban—no one is going to wait 1-2 years to interview with a US government official to gain permission to visit the United States,” Freeman added.

“Our new research shows that millions of potential visitors will simply choose other destinations.”

USTA says first-time applicants for visitor visas are being neglected by the agency.

“With a recession looming on the horizon, the United States simply cannot afford to turn away billions of dollars in visitor spending”.

source: Travel Mole