Faster US tourist visa processing a boon to Nevada tourism

A faster US tourist visa process will improve Nevada’s tourism and will eventually create jobs for local residents, US Senator Harry Reid said.

“President Obama’s announcement is a shot in the arm for Nevada’s largest industry: tourism. This incredibly important initiative for Nevada will take the necessary steps to increase travel and tourism in the United States,” he said in a statement.

Obama announced last week the government will make visa processing quicker in a bid to attract more tourists to the US.

“As our economy continues to recover, the President’s plan to boost tourism will create thousands of new jobs in Nevada’s leading industry,” Reid added in his statement.

Nevada’s budget relies heavily on revenues generated from the tourism industry, given that it has no state income tax. More than 230,000 local jobs in the state also depend on tourism.

Nevada is home to some of the world’s premier travel destinations. From Lake Tahoe to the Las Vegas Strip, tourists from around the world enjoy the state’s hospitality. As the economy continues to recover, the President’s plan to boost tourism will create thousands of new jobs in Nevada’s leading industry.

In 2010, more than 18 percent of all visitors to Las Vegas were from foreign countries. These visitors helped support more than 96,000 jobs, Reid said.

“Increasing foreign travel will create jobs throughout Nevada and our nation because international visitors spend more, on average, than their domestic counterparts,” he added.

“I am pleased that the administration will focus on growing our nation’s share of foreign travelers,” he also said.

The Department of State launched last week a pilot program that will “streamline visa processing for certain low-risk applicants, such as individuals renewing expired visas, or some categories of younger or older first-time applicants.”

“We expect that this will benefit tens of thousands of applicants in Brazil and China; saving them time and money, and encouraging them to choose to visit the United States again,” a statement from the department said.

The government estimates that a typical Chinese tourist to the US spends more than $6,000 per trip, making this group a valuable group who will have a large impact on the nation’s tourism industry.

The US Department of Commerce estimates that an improved visitor visa policy could open as many as 100,000 interview appointments for Chinese travelers applying for visas for the first time.

“That increase in tourism could support as many as 1,500 travel and tourism-related jobs,” the US Department of State said.

Under the new initiative, qualified foreign visitors who were interviewed and thoroughly screened in conjunction with a prior visa application may be able to renew their visas without undergoing another interview.

Eliminating interviews for these applicants will save them time and money and encourage them to choose the United States again as their tourism destination, the Department of State said.

“It will also free our resources to interview more first-time applicants,” it added in its statement.

But given that national security remains the top priority, individuals identified as higher-risk will still remain subject to interviews in addition to the full screening and review all visa applicants receive.