US, Brazil leaders push expansion of visa waiver program

Top leaders of the United States and Brazil agreed Monday to work together to ensure the South American nation meets requirements to join a program that makes it easier for tourists and business travelers to visit here. 

President Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Monday that they are committed to make sure Brazil meets the requirements for entrance into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as well as speeding up the current visa process. 

The United States will open two more consulates in Brazil — Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre — in an effort to reach the president's goal of processing 40 percent more visas. 

"We have drastically cut down on visa wait times for Brazilian visitors to the United States, and are opening up two new consulates," Obama said Monday.  

"We want to continue to make progress on that front," he said. 

"We're going to have the opportunity to meet with business leaders from both Brazil and the United States to get their recommendations on how we can further enhance trade and investment relationships between our two countries."

Brazil is one of the fastest growing markets for travel to the United States, with about 1.2 million travelers and year and growing who spend more than $4,000 per person. 

“We applaud Presidents Obama and Rousseff for their commitment to facilitating visa-free travel, and we are greatly encouraged to hear the State Department is opening two new consulates in Brazil,” said Roger Dow, president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Association.

“Brazilians who come to the U.S. are walking stimulus packages, and today’s announcement positions the U.S. for additional jobs and economic growth," Dow said. 

On Monday, Obama announced that his Export Council will travel to Brazil in September. 

The visa waiver program allows travelers in designated countries to visit the United States for 90 days without obtaining a non-immigrant visitor visa.  

To participate, countries must meet requirements set out by the Homeland Security Department. 

To match increasing demand, the State Department has successfully worked to reduce visa interview wait times in Brazil. It has also committed to adding processing capacity by investing $40 million in existing facilities in Brazil, increasing consular staffing and streamlining the visa process.

A bipartisan group of senators is pushing a package of bills that would speed up visa wait times in countries like Brazil, among other initiatives that would streamline visa rules to bolster international tourism and grow the economy.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said recently he wants to move the legislation by the summer.

While there is broad support for the bill, some lawmakers have raised concerns about security issues, including the ability of U.S. officials to keep tabs on foreign travelers who might over stay their visa. 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Travel and National Retail Federation are among the business groups that support the measure.