The unprecedented delay in approval of visitor/tourist visa could stop a whopping 6.6 million people from visiting the USA in 2023. This would mean that the USA would be losing an estimated $11.6 billion.
Citizens of India, Brazil, and Mexico don’t come under USA’s Visa waiver program so they will have to apply for B1 and/or B2 visa. But with the delay in approvals, the visitor count could be going down drastically.
A media outlet surveyed 1000 Indians who are interested in visiting the USA on tourist visa, 66% of them said they would look for other countries to visit if the delay in visa approval continues.
This comes as a big blow to the travel industry which has been showing ample signs of resurgence after the pandemic. The travel industry is now said to be fuming on the State Department over the delays and the consequent loss of revenues.
The unusually high wait times could send a single globally that the USA is shut for interventional travel and that could lead to a huge dent in the country’s tourism revenues, the report states.
