On January 20th, 2012 the White House unveiled new initiatives to promote the United States as a premier destination for international travelers by making our processes for moving people and goods more secure and more efficient.
In a manner consistent with our high responsibility to protect America’s borders, the Department of State has taken steps to improve the visa process for all legitimate travelers who wish to visit our great nation. The Department of State has devoted significant resources to increase efficiency and capacity in the visa process, deploying additional personnel, expanding visa sections, and utilizing new systems and technologies to facilitate legitimate travel without compromising national security. These advances allowed the Department of State to issue more than 7.5 million visas in the last fiscal year, a 17% year-on-year increase. For more information, visit the Capitalizing on Visa Demand to Spur U.S. Economic Growth webpage.
