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Retail, travel groups push Congress to ease visa waits for China, Brazil
Retailers, travel and trade advocates are pushing Congress to pass legislation that will give federal agencies the tools they need to reduce wait times and clear the backlog of visas for foreign tourists.
The National Retail Federation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Travel Association argue that eliminating delays and barriers, especially for tourist visas for China and Brazil, where demand is especially high, could bolster the struggling economy.
"Improving the visa process is the quickest way to stimulate the U.S. economy," he said.
The average tourist traveling to the United States spends $4,000 whereas a tourist from China spends $6,000. With the Chinese middle class expanding to nearly the size of the U.S. population, French argues the U.S. is missing out on attracting high-end travelers.
Spending by Chinese visitors is expected to grow 232 percent to $16.6 billion by 2016. That would make Chinese tourists the seventh largest tourist market for the U.S.
Improving wait times for visas is an example of a "low hanging fruit" that could boost the economy, French said. "The problem isn't luring tourists, it is getting them here," he said.
Travel groups for years have complained about long waits for visas and invasive procedures in airports that have turned foreign travelers away from the U.S.
With President Obama in an all-out push to focus the nation on the importance of economic ties to Asia, a push to eliminate hurdles to Chinese travelers is well timed.
French said he met with the White House jobs council in July and that there was a "whole-hearted agreement and everyone "wants to move forward."
Tourism is a $700 billion industry providing 7.4 million American jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber. The business group's president, Tom Donohue, said tourism pumps more money into public coffers and doesn’t add to the deficit.
The business groups are promoting several bills that would help the State Department hire more employees and expand their offices to expedite visas in the growing tourism markets including Brazil, China and India, while maintaining high entry standards.
Provisions in the Senate Foreign Operations bill, which Congress hasn't considered yet but will probably be included in a larger omnibus measure before the end of the year, would require the State Department to process visa applications in no more than 30 days. Chinese travels now can wait as long as 120 days, while it can take 145 days for a Brazilian traveler to get a visa.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), also would direct the State Department to provide sufficient resources to significantly reduce the wait times and develop a plan to meet demand for visas over the next five years.
Another measure, sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.), would require applications to be processed in no more than 12 days and would raise fees for visas, which could pay for adding staff.
The U.S. Travel Industry Association says the change could mean 1.3 million jobs and $859 billion in additional economic activity by 2020 with virtually no cost to taxpayers.
“Accelerating visa reform means accelerating U.S. job creation,” said Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association.
Overall, 7.5 million visas were issued for foreign travelers to enter the United States in 2011, a 17 percent increase over the previous year.
A third measure, sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) would give the State Department incentives to shorten the delays.
Meanwhile, State Department officials are making inroads where they can without congressional approval.
Earlier this month, the State Department announced a plan to hire 100 more officers in China and Brazil — 50 in each country — in the coming year while vowing to double the number of visas over two years, according to Managing Director for Visa Services Ed Ramotowski.
The plan will allow U.S. officials to expand the number of visas to more than 2.2 million in China by 2013 — up from 1 million in fiscal year 2011 or a 34 percent increase over last year, Ramotowski said.
There aren't any quotas or limitations on the number of visas for Chinese applicants and they are issued to nearly 90 percent of all Chinese applicants who apply, he said.
In 2011, 820,000 visas were issued in Brazil, an increase of more than 42 percent over the previous year.
In October, more than 90,000 visas were cleared in Brazil, 67 percent more than October of last year, State Department officials said.
In addition, to keep wait times down, the State Department added temporary staff and extended hours during the past three summers in Beijing and Shanghai. They also are looking to further expand interview operations in several large Chinese cities.
"Let me just say that skyrocketing visa demand in China and Brazil is a good news story," Ramotowski said recently during a conference call. "That has a tremendous impact on the U.S. economy and job growth."
Still, U.S. officials say some changes are easier to make than others.
They want to issue longer validity visas for Chinese tourists and business travelers, but U.S. law requires reciprocal treatment for U.S. citizens.
Right now, U.S. citizens receive Chinese visas that are valid for just 12 months. U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke recently addressed the issue at senior levels to the Chinese Government.
"The State Department is willing to move in the right direction," French said.
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