ORLANDO, Fla. – Jan. 19, 2012 – President Barack Obama is in Orlando today to announce new international travel policies. He will issue executive orders, according to The Orlando Sentinel, that make it easier for foreign visitors to travel to the U.S. Obama will specifically target growing economies, such as China, Brazil and India.
“The more people come to the country, the more money they are spending … and obviously this has a stimulative effect on the economy,” a White House official said.
While the changes do not directly impact foreign homebuyers, certain changes could make the U.S. and Florida more appealing. According to a copy of the executive orders received by The Orlando Sentinel, they include:
• 100 more consuls dispatched to Brazil and China to reduce visa processing times. It currently takes weeks for a visa approval in those countries.
• Faster airport checkpoints for “low risk” visitors. A program already in place will be expanded.
• Taiwan added to no-visa countries. Once finished, visitors from Taiwan will be able to visit the U.S. without prior approvals.
• A national tourism strategy.
• A new website for foreign visitors. Development would fall under the Commerce Department.
“Every 35 international visitors we welcome to the U.S. generates one American job that can’t be outsourced,” according to a statement from Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.
Source: The Orlando Sentinel, Jan. 19, 2012, Mark K. Matthews, Orlando Sentinel Washington Bureau
© 2012 Florida Realtors®
