US Embassy expects 14% rise in visa applications

The US is expecting nearly 14% annual increase in visa applications from the country following implementation of streamlining of the application process as part of President Barack Obama's strategy to boost tourism from emerging countries like India and China.

"We expect 14% year-on-year growth in visa processed between now and 2020. We expect visa application process to reach 2.1 million by year 2020," Minister-Counsellor for Consular Affairs in the US Embassy, James W Herman told reporters here.

He said rise will particularly come in tourist visas.

Last week, Obama had signed an Executive Order to make it easier for foreign travellers to visit the US and directed agencies throughout the US government to design a programme to make it easier for tourists to visit America.

"President Obama's executive orders is quite exciting for us. It's a challenge to us to continue to innovate and find creative solutions. We have been very successful over the past five years in keeping visa waiting time down. We also minimise the time people spend in the counsellor. We want to make it easier for travellers to apply for a visa to visit the United States," Herman added.

According to US Embassy Consular fact sheet of the last five years, the US mission increased staffing by over 60% and opened two new consulates in Hyderabad (in 2009) and Mumbai (in 2011).