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Division
of Investment and Export
PO Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707-7970
USA
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Vol.
8 #3, January 2009
Tips on Obtaining a U.S. Business Visa
 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.
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 one the State Department website.
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