It may soon get easier for meeting planners to recruit international attendees, as two U.S. Senators — Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) — have introduced legislation that would stimulate international travel to the United States by making it easier for overseas travelers to secure U.S. visas, the U.S. Travel Association announced last week.
Known as the Visa Improvements to Stimulate International Tourism to the United States Act, or VISIT USA Act, the legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make improvements to the U.S. visa process, making it easier for business and leisure travelers to travel to the United States.
"Increasing the amount of business and leisure travelers to the U.S. brings significant economic benefits to the U.S. economy, and the VISIT USA Act is comprehensive legislation that makes America competitive once again in the $1.1 trillion international travel market," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. "We commend Sen. Schumer and Sen. Lee for this innovative bill, and we urge their Senate colleagues to quickly support this bill to create much needed U.S. jobs."
The VISIT USA Act includes several key provisions. For instance, it would:
• Create five-year multiple-entry visas for Chinese nationals, who currently must apply for new U.S. visas annually, as opposed to travelers from other countries who can receive up to 10-year, multiple entry visas.
• Establish a premium visa process allowing travelers the option of paying a higher visa processing fee in order to receive a visa interview within three business days. Currently, the State Department fails to meet its goal of processing visas within 30 days of an application submission in critical travel markets, with wait times reaching upwards of three months in countries like Brazil and China.
• Expand the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to new countries, citizens of which would be allowed to travel to the United States under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program, rather than go through the more lengthy and complicated U.S. tourist visa application process.
• Create a videoconference pilot program authorizing on a trial basis the use of videoconferencing for visa interviews. Currently, an in-person interview is required of each applicant seeking a U.S. visa, although millions of potential travelers do not live in a city where a U.S. Embassy or Consulate is present.
• Encourage Canadian tourism to the United States by creating a new "Canadian retiree visa" that lasts 240 days and is renewable every three years for Canadians who are over age 50 and own a residence — or have purchased rental or hotel accommodations — in the United States for the duration of their stay.
• Establish low peak season incentives that lower visa application fees during off-peak visa demand seasons, giving travelers the incentive to apply for visas when demand is lower.
• Create a non-immigrant visa, renewable every three years, for an individual who spends at least $500,000 to purchase single-family homes in the United States.
The Schumer-Lee bill has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Travel Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee.