Can travel visa backlogs for the World Cup and Olympics hurt the US?

The first FIFA World Cup match in the U S to take place in California Mexico and Canada may be more than months out but several members of Congress are concerned that time is running out to approve visas for all of the millions of athletes and tourists planning to passage to the United States Failure to process all visa requests on time would end in a hit to the United States reputation mentioned the concerned House members in a letter to U S Secretary of State Marco Rubio In the letter they raised issues over backlogs in visa applications and recommended changes to expedite the processing of such requests The letter dated Wednesday May was co-led by two Southern California House members Reps Sydney Kamlager-Dove D-Los Angeles and Young Kim R-Anaheim Hills It was signed by members of Congress from both red and blue states including from L A and Orange counties as well as the Inland Empire The success of these games hinges on the State Department s ability to efficiently process the visa applications of spectators athletes and media including having enough visa appointment availability and waiving certain interviews where appropriate the letter announced Disruptive visa backlogs that prevent athletes from participating or fans from attending could damage our global image for generations the letter went on to say View this document on Scribd Lawmakers explained the World Cup could attract millions of visitors to the U S and development in approximately billion in economic revenue Similarly the Olympics in could bring up to million travelers to the U S and generate about billion in economic impact Between FIFA and LA Olympics Southern California will be on full display for millions of visitors and billions more people on television screens around the world Failure to meet the moment for these historic events that can bring in billions in revenue for our local economies is totally not an option especially due to visa backlogs Kim disclosed in a declaration During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday Kamlager-Dove sought the secretary of state if he was committed to ensuring that visas sought by participating athletes and tourists attending the World Cup and Olympics would be provided Rubio responded In an emailed declaration afterwards Kamlager-Dove stressed that the World Cup and Olympic Games are projected to generate about billion in economic activity for the U S However these dollars will not materialize if our stadiums are empty due to bureaucratic red tape she announced adding that she plans to hold Rubio to his promise According to Kamlager s office there are six countries with at least one U S diplomatic post where the wait time for a visa appointment extends past the date of the first World Cup match in the U S which is set for June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood Those countries are Canada Colombia Honduras India Turkey and the United Arab Emirates Although majority of of those countries have other locations with shorter wait times Honduras and Colombia have no diplomatic posts with wait times of less than months for interviews for those seeking a B or B visa to enter the U S Kamlager-Dove s office explained In the letter to Rubio legislators urged the Trump administration to update its visa process including strategies to Develop a visa issuance process that maintains necessary assurance protocols while expediting processing for accredited individuals and entities participating in the games Ensure Consular Affairs has the guidance to advocacy visa processing offices overseas and to handle increased demand for visas Establish protocols for visa issuance and entry from countries that are sanctioned or don t have U S consular offices so that eligible athletes and aid staff can participate in the games and Consider regulatory adjustments or other measures to reduce visa appointment wait times Among the Southern California functionaries who added their names to the letter were Reps Pete Aguilar D-San Bernardino Nanette Barrag n D-San Pedro Julia Brownley D-Thousand Oaks Ken Calvert R-Corona Laura Friedman D-Glendale Robert Garcia D-Long Beach Gil Cisneros D-Covina Ted Lieu D-Torrance Jay Obernolte R-Hesperia and Luz Rivas D-Pacoima