The United States government is allocating $50 million towards addressing its prolonged visa wait times and passport backlogs, with hopes of achieving substantial improvements. Recently signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden, Congress has earmarked this funding for the U.S. State Department to aid in reducing visa wait times and passport processing delays.
This legislation, which is part of a broader package of appropriations to fund select federal agencies through September, has garnered praise from the travel industry. The U.S. Travel Association commended the bill’s passage, emphasizing the critical need for reducing visa wait times, particularly given that the average wait time for a first-time visitor visa from the U.S.’s top inbound markets currently stands at approximately 400 days.
While the law provides the State Department with discretion in allocating these funds, it does not specify any particular visa category or country for prioritization. Tori Emerson Barnes, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy for U.S. Travel, urged the State Department to swiftly deploy these resources to alleviate wait times and stimulate growth in inbound visitation.
According to Julie Stufft, the State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, visitor visa wait times are expected to remain lengthy in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and India due to high demand for travel to the U.S.
The urgency to address visa wait times has intensified within the travel industry, particularly with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the U.S. Over 300 travel industry professionals recently lobbied federal lawmakers to prioritize this issue. Additionally, President Biden has directed specific attention to reducing the visa backlog, as highlighted by U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.
Visa wait times have been persistently long in embassies across key markets such as Brazil, Mexico, India, and Colombia, resulting in substantial losses for the U.S. travel sector. To mitigate this backlog, the State Department has implemented measures such as waiving interviews for low-risk applicants, relocating staff to countries with significant backlogs, and hiring additional processing personnel. Despite these efforts, prolonged wait times pose a risk of diverting travelers to alternative destinations, underscoring the critical need for swift and effective action.
Author and Full article by: Dawit Habtemariam, Skift