WASHINGTON, D.C.
The U.S. Travel Association has commended the newly-introduced House and Senate versions of the Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act of 2012. The legislation will create jobs and improve national security through provisions that make long-term reforms to the visa system, improve the entry process and expand the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
"The JOLT Act reforms significant difficulties in our current visa and entry process while at the same time increasing safeguards and making it more attractive for millions of people around the world to visit the United States," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "The U.S. travel industry appreciates the bipartisan work of Congress in coming up with critical legislation that will remove barriers, improve security and provide a great economic boost to our economy."
The new JOLT Act accomplishes several goals of the travel community. It amends the VWP to allow additional countries to be considered for admission, once they meet stringent security and law enforcement requirements;permits Canadian visitors to stay in the United States for an additional 60 days per year; develops a pilot program for premium visa processing;increases transparency by making historical data on visa processing wait times available to the public; allows Customs and Border Protection to add foreign nationals to Global Entry after it has signed a bilateral agreement with their government; and it sets a goal to conduct 80 percent of all nonimmigrant visa interviews within 15 business days of requesting an appointment.
The JOLT Act also is supported by the Discover America Partnership, a nationwide coalition of organizations and companies formed to advance visa system and U.S. entry reforms. The Partnership sent letters of endorsement to the House and Senate.
