Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals and the Task Force On Travel and Competitiveness

Impact dates

1. Jul 17, 2012

   First joint progress report on visa goals to President

2. Apr 18, 2012

   National Travel and Tourism Strategy delivered to President

3. Mar 19, 2012

   Implementation plan from State and Homeland Security on visa processing goals

Key directives

• Maintain interagency process for visa regulatory improvements and legislative evaluation
• Develop implementation plan within 60 days to increase nonimmigrant visa processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40% over the coming year
• Ensure 80% of nonimmigrant visa applicants interviewed within 3 weeks of application receipt
• Expand Visa Waiver Program and Global Entry reciprocal programs
• Establish public website with travel industry metrics and visa statistics
• Create Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness co-chaired by Commerce and Interior
• Develop National Travel and Tourism Strategy within 90 days targeting Brazil, China, and India long-haul travel
• Submit joint progress report at 180 days and periodically thereafter

Who is ordered

• Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism · White House
• Secretary of State · State Department
• Secretary of Homeland Security · Department of Homeland Security
• Director of the Office of Management and Budget · Office of Management and Budget
• Secretary of Commerce · Commerce Department
• Secretary of the Interior · Interior Department
• Secretary of the Treasury · Treasury Department
• Secretary of Agriculture · Department of Agriculture
• Secretary of Labor · Labor Department
• Secretary of Transportation · Department of Transportation
• Chief of Engineers · Army Corps of Engineers
• United States Trade Representative · USTR
• President of the Export-Import Bank · Export-Import Bank

Timeline

Risks & tensions

• Security-economy tension: explicit mandate to expedite visa processing 'consistent with national security requirements' creates inherent institutional friction between State/Homeland Security and economic goals
• Resource constraints acknowledged: 3-week interview target includes exceptions for 'resource and security considerations' and consular services to U.S. citizens, potentially diluting accountability
• 40% capacity increase in China/Brazil is a goal without binding enforcement mechanism; EO includes standard disclaimer that it creates no enforceable rights (Sec. 4(c))
• Subject to appropriations availability (Sec. 4(a)), making funding-dependent goals vulnerable to congressional action
• Coordination complexity: Task Force includes 10+ agencies plus external entities (Brand USA, Tourism Policy Council, Advisory Board), risking bureaucratic inefficiency