Personnel and Process Improvements in China drop wait time for visa interview appointments

In 2010, the Department of Commerce reported that more than 800,000 Chinese visitors contributed $5 billion to the U.S. economy. Ambassador Gary Locke has been emphasizing the importance of travel and trade between United States and China. He presented the one millionth visa adjudicated in China on December 14, 2011. The average wait time for visa interview appointments have dropped to less than one week. The United States is encouraging the Chinese government to extend visa reciprocity to provide both U.S. and Chinese travelers with visas with longer validity periods. An increase in Chinese visitors will create more jobs and opportunities in the U.S. travel and tourism industries.