Highlights: Record-breaking 11.5 million visas issued by the US in 2024 - State Department
- The US State Department reported issuing 11.5 million visas in 2024.
- The American tourism industry grew unprecedentedly in 2024, with 8.5 million visitor visas issued.
- The waiting time for US visitor visas has been reduced to 60 days from 400 days.
- The US is willing to increase visitor visa appointments by 8.7% in 2025.
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Surge in US visitor visas issued in 2024
According to a recent report by the US State Department, as of September 30, 2024, around 11.5 million visas had been issued. The country used around 8.5 million visitor visas, demonstrating significant US travel and tourism industry growth.
The average waiting time for visitor visa interview appointments has been reduced to 60 days instead of 400 days. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the country plans to increase visitor visas to 1 million in 2025.
Reduced waiting times are expected to boost the US travel and tourism sector. The country aims to issue 90 million visitor visas by 2026, creating a benchmark that the government did not anticipate until 2027.
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The rebound of the US Travel and Tourism sector
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expects a strong comeback of the US travel and tourism sector. Many upcoming sports events are in the US, which Blinken calls the "mega-decade" for sporting events.
The US will jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico, which is expected to attract a huge number of visitors. The US will also be the first North American Country to host the Rugby World Cup in 2031.
The US Secretary of Commerce highlighted that these games represent a substantial economic activity and provide additional support to the country's employment. The Biden administration is taking significant steps to welcome international visitors to the US. Reducing visa processing times is expected to make the US more competitive in terms of global immigration in the coming years.
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