Having repeatedly petitioned the State Department in recent weeks to prioritize improvements in visa processing, citing the detrimental effect that delays having on the nation's tourism economy, The U.S. Travel Association today issued an official reaction to the news that a "Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act" (H.R. 9141) has been introduced to the legislature.
U.S. Travel's Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy, Tori Emerson Barnes, released the following statement:
"We must stop turning away international travelers due to 400-plus day wait times that visitor visa applicants are facing worldwide. It is absolutely unacceptable and a significant deterrent to our national economic recovery. We applaud the bipartisan legislative action introduced by Reps. Salazar (R-FL) and Lee (D-NV) that directs the U.S. State Department to address this urgent problem. Spending by international travelers is critical to getting the U.S. economy back on track, and reducing visa wait times and welcoming these visitors should be a focused national priority."
The U.S. Travel Association made sure to thank those who co-sponsored the bill: Representatives Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Trone (D-MD), Gimenez (R-FL), Wild (D-PA), Titus (D-NV), Malinowski (D-NJ), Newhouse (R-WA), Horsford (D-NV), Larson (D-CT), Swalwell (D-CA), Case (D-HI), Kuster (D-NH), Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Plaskett (D-USVI).
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