Wait Times for U.S. Visas Are So Crazy, You Wouldn't Believe them if they Weren't Published by the State Department
Would you believe that foreigners wishing to vacation in the U.S. must sometimes wait for as long as 128 days for an appointment to be interviewed with respect to their application for a U.S. visa? Mind you, they are not required to wait 128 days for the visa to be issued, but 128 days for an appointment to discuss their application for such a visa.
Before I prove that outlandish figure, let me first discuss why it is important.
Incoming tourism is the largest export industry of the United States. It has the same economic impact as the manufacture of a machine within the U.S. to be sold to a foreign purchaser; it brings money into the United States. It has been estimated by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) that the difficulty in obtaining visit-U.S. visas by would-be incoming tourists every year robs the U.S. of $860 billion and nearly 1.3 million tourist-associated jobs (in hotels, restaurants, sightseeing buses and attractions, shops).
The U.S. State Department actually publishes a list of the wait times at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas, for an interview to apply for such a visa (in those countries where the requirement of a visa has not been waived). I pulled up several samples a few days ago. You can access the same ("Visa Wait Times Results Page") at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/wait_4638.html
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the "Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Application" is 128 days. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the "Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Application" is 121 days.In Sao Paulo, Brazil [a city larger than New York], the "Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Application" is 117 days.In Shanghai, China, the similar time is 51 days. In Beijing, China, it is 49 days.And I could cite many more such examples.
In other words, we erect an obstacle of time against foreigners seeking to visit the United States. We impose barriers that none of us would tolerate in making our own plans for international travel.
We also routinely reject the applications for a visa made by perfectly suitable would-be tourists whom we suspect might possibly overstay their time here. I wrote last year about meeting a young woman in Panama City, Panama, who has been utterly unable to obtain a visa to visit her sister who lives in Los Angeles because, as an unmarried single, she is suspected of possibly wanting to become an illegal immigrant. The person in question is a highly-successful businesswoman gainfully and well-employed in Panama City, who has no such intention.
The failure to properly staff our embassies and consulates where visa applicants face absurd waiting times, is a national scandal. It is an example of how the failure of our government to spend money, reduces our national income. You might mention this anomaly when in contact with your representative in Congress.
Before I prove that outlandish figure, let me first discuss why it is important.
Incoming tourism is the largest export industry of the United States. It has the same economic impact as the manufacture of a machine within the U.S. to be sold to a foreign purchaser; it brings money into the United States. It has been estimated by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) that the difficulty in obtaining visit-U.S. visas by would-be incoming tourists every year robs the U.S. of $860 billion and nearly 1.3 million tourist-associated jobs (in hotels, restaurants, sightseeing buses and attractions, shops).
The U.S. State Department actually publishes a list of the wait times at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas, for an interview to apply for such a visa (in those countries where the requirement of a visa has not been waived). I pulled up several samples a few days ago. You can access the same ("Visa Wait Times Results Page") at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/wait_4638.html
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the "Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Application" is 128 days. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the "Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Application" is 121 days.In Sao Paulo, Brazil [a city larger than New York], the "Typical Wait Time (Calendar Days) for a Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Application" is 117 days.In Shanghai, China, the similar time is 51 days. In Beijing, China, it is 49 days.And I could cite many more such examples.
In other words, we erect an obstacle of time against foreigners seeking to visit the United States. We impose barriers that none of us would tolerate in making our own plans for international travel.
We also routinely reject the applications for a visa made by perfectly suitable would-be tourists whom we suspect might possibly overstay their time here. I wrote last year about meeting a young woman in Panama City, Panama, who has been utterly unable to obtain a visa to visit her sister who lives in Los Angeles because, as an unmarried single, she is suspected of possibly wanting to become an illegal immigrant. The person in question is a highly-successful businesswoman gainfully and well-employed in Panama City, who has no such intention.
The failure to properly staff our embassies and consulates where visa applicants face absurd waiting times, is a national scandal. It is an example of how the failure of our government to spend money, reduces our national income. You might mention this anomaly when in contact with your representative in Congress.
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