STATE 225608

OCTOBER, 20 2004

SUBJECT: FACILITATION OF BUSINESS TRAVEL

REF: (A) STATE 170771  (B) STATE 166108

1.  M/R (SEP) cleared for action by SEP posts as able.

2.  I'd like to thank all posts that responded to our request for a summary describing efforts to facilitate business travel.  Ref B provided guidance on a new initiative to facilitate business travel in support of U.S. commerce abroad, and instructed posts to report back on their plans and efforts.  Your responses demonstrate that, in addition to your strong commitment to enhance border security, posts worldwide are making significant efforts to expedite visa applications of legitimate business travelers.  We will continue to work to ensure that posts have the resources necessary to achieve Secretary Powell's goal of "Secure Borders, Open Doors."

3.  Public outreach continues to be the key component of our efforts to facilitate business travel and educate the American and international business community about the visa process.  CA is working constructively with American businesses to identify areas of the visa process that can be improved, and recently has introduced some significant changes to help facilitate travel and make the visa process more transparent.  For instance, interagency discussions recently yielded a much improved Visas Mantis SAO process; processing times have shortened considerably, and the process is more predictable.  Also, we have greatly increased the amount of visa data published on our websites, and are exploring the feasibility of making yet even more data available to the public.

4.  I'd like to highlight some of the most common and effective facilitation initiatives in place worldwide, and urge posts to draw on these initiatives when crafting their own business facilitation programs.  It is important that posts initiate and/or expand business facilitation programs quickly to help counter impressions that the U.S. no longer welcomes foreign travelers.  Posts interested in obtaining more details of any of the various initiatives are encouraged to contact CA/VO/F/P for additional information.

Formal Programs

5.  Many posts have established formal facilitation programs that enroll major companies and permit their employees to obtain expedited appointments, and/or expedited processing on day of interview.  Typically, companies must meet strictly established criteria in order to be enrolled, and must adhere to strict standards to stay in the program.  Site visits are often critical to determine a company's eligibility.  While membership in these programs commonly is limited to companies that are members of host country's AmCham, many posts enroll non- AmCham companies as well.  Variations of membership include only allowing participation by employees of companies that have been members of AmCham for at least 1 year, or limiting it to individuals applying for visas for business purposes, as opposed to those applying to visit the U.S. for tourism.

6.  Common characteristics of formal programs include:

 --  Collecting exemplars of each company's letterhead and the signatures of authorized company representatives for comparison purposes.  Some posts make available to officers at their desktop an electronic database of member companies' profiles, including scanned images of its letterhead and signatures.

--  Allocating a specific number of visa appointments daily to businesspeople applying through the program.  One mechanism to trigger expedited appointments is assigning companies specific codes, and requiring applicants to indicate such code when scheduling an appointment.  Posts allowing walk-ins usually require applicants to present a letter issued by an authorized representative of their company.

Group Appointments

7.  Many posts expedite appointments for groups and/or schedule group appointments, and establish specific time blocks when business groups may appear for interview.

Time Block Set-Asides

8.  Specific time blocks may be set aside weekly to allow certain categories of applicants to appear without an interview.  Categories may include all petition-based applicants, applicants with B visa referrals, individuals traveling on USG-sponsored trips, government and military officials of a certain rank, and more.

Business Facilitation Units

9.  Many posts assign specific officers and/or establish business facilitation units to serve as a point of contact for the business community.  This may include establishment of special e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers to address questions from the business community and dispense information on the visa process.

Training

10.  Regular business visa training for consular officers that addresses a country's economic conditions, provides info on the structure of the country's business community, and discusses business-interviewing techniques.  The training usually is coordinated by the consular and economic or commercial sections, and may also include representation from the front office and public diplomacy section. 

11.  While we encourage posts to employ one or more of the initiatives described above, all posts must at least retain the flexibility to accommodate urgent requests for appointments when appropriate.  We also recognize that certain posts' ability to facilitate business travel is impacted by larger foreign policy issues such as economic sanctions, etc., and appreciate these posts' efforts in reaching out to legitimate business travelers despite these constraints.

Other Improvements

12.  Although this message focuses on things posts in the field are already doing, we are also working on improvements to the process of a more global nature.  For example, building on the success of the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) we continue to explore ways to use automation to further rationalize and expedite secure visa processing.  We are also looking at ways to more effectively provide information and assistance to American businesses, possibly through a dedicated hotline in CA or other arrangements.

13.  The critical point in this effort, and in all efforts you make to improve visa processing, is that we must continue to make border security our paramount concern while doing everything we reasonably can to remind the traveling public that American remains a welcoming destination for international business, study, medical treatment, tourism and cultural exchange.  We look forward to hearing more about your efforts and will be in touch soon with further initiatives.

14.  Posts that have not yet responded to Ref B are urged to respond as soon as possible, either via e-mail or by cable to VO/F/P.

15.  Minimize considered. 

POWELL

Courtesy of AILA

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