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Office of Governor
Scott Walker 
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IMPORTANT: As of July 1st, 2011, functions once performed by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce have been moved to other state agencies and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The former Commerce web site will continue to exist for the next several months as resources are moved to new web site locations. We will make every attempt possible to direct our users to the new locations as web resources are moved.
Tips on Obtaining a U.S. Business Visa
A company can provide information to the State Department regarding upcoming events/conferences/trade shows by sending an e-mail to businessvisa@state.gov. This information is then available to visa officers around the world who may be reviewing visa applications for travelers seeking to attend the event. These should be larger events, not small company sales meetings, for instance. The invitation letters provided by U.S. companies can be helpful, but are only one small piece of the visa application process. It helps to stress to your potential visitors that they should be prepared to be very clear to the visa officer regarding purpose of the visit and intent to return to the home country. Proof of business and family responsibilities that ensure that they will not overstay their visa are useful. Most visa interviews are only three to five minutes long, so the applicant has very little time to clearly state his/her case. Visa officers will attempt to expedite visas for the "legitimate, urgent, and last-minute" business traveler. Many of the American Chambers of Commerce abroad (AmChams) have visa facilitation programs. You can encourage your foreign business partners to become active with their local AmCham. More information on U.S. business visas is available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_2664.html. -- Stanley Pfrang |
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Wisconsin exporters are often surprised by the intricacies of obtaining a visa for customers, distributors, or employees from other countries in order for them to be admitted into the United States. The State Department issued 6.3 million non-immigrant visas in fiscal year 2008. During that time there was an increase over the previous year of 13.5 percent to Chinese visitors, 60 percent to Indian visitors, and 30 percent to Brazilian visitors. The State Department attempts to process all visa applications within 30 days, but it is recommended that visitors apply for a visa three months before the date of travel. There are several additional steps that a Wisconsin firm can take to make the process more hassle-free for its international visitors.