Fresh $50 Million Spending To Reduce US Visa Processing Time

WASHINGTON – A $50 million allocation has been designated by the US government to the U.S. Department of State with the aim of decreasing waiting times for visas for incoming international visitors.

This allocation was approved by Congress on March 23 and subsequently signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday. In addition to addressing visa wait times, the funding is also intended to alleviate the backlog of passport applications.

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The law provides some flexibility to the State Department in terms of how the funds are utilized. For instance, it does not specifically dictate the allocation of funds to particular visa categories, such as business, leisure, or education.

Furthermore, the legislation does not specify any particular countries for which visa wait times will be reduced. The decision to allocate funding follows extensive lobbying efforts by travel organizations nationwide, citing wait times of up to 400 days for certain visa categories.

Despite previous efforts by the US government to reduce wait times, such as waiving interviews for low-risk visa applicants, relocating staff to countries with significant backlogs, and increasing processing personnel, these measures have not adequately addressed the issue for many applicants.

The prolonged wait times have led some applicants to reconsider their plans and opt for countries with faster visa processing, resulting in a loss of opportunity for the US government.

The specific measures to be taken by the State Department following the approval of funding, as well as the beneficiaries of reduced wait times, have not yet been outlined. However, it is anticipated that the overall situation will see improvement with the implementation of these measures.