- April 8, 2021
- Posted by: medium
- Category: National
Diplomatic mission processes more than 200,000 business and tourism visa applications annually
The United States has several types of visas that are issued to migrants and non-migrants. Within this last category, tourist and business visas are among the most required in Ecuador.
The American Government announced days ago that these two types of visas will have a longer validity for Ecuadorians as of April 8, 2021,by going from 5 to a maximum of 10 years of validity.
This is because Ecuador met some requirements such as issuing biometrically improved electronic passports in 2020, strengthening its own immigration policies, data exchange and border security.
In travel agencies, it is considered that although the extension of the period of tourist visas will affect the income they obtain when they advise clients to fill out the forms, on the other hand, it opens the possibility of more movement of packages to visit the United States once there is a better scenario after the pandemic.
At the momentThere are six North American airlines flying in the country with routes toNew York, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston and Atlanta. Some have asked to increase their frequencies.
Juan Pablo Proaño, president of the Association of Travel Agencies, Tourism Operators and Wholesalers,He maintains that the visa extension is favorable for tourists and businessmen, because they will not have to constantly renew the document and pay the fee.
“It is less income for the American consulate, but that country guarantees tourists for ten years, something that will give them more income than what they obtain from issuing visas,” says Proaño.
Businessmen also believe that the extension of the validity of business visas will favor commercial relations.
Typically, the business visa (B1) is granted in conjunction with the tourist visa (B2). Before the pandemic,The United States diplomatic mission in Ecuador annually processed more than 200,000 applications for type B1/2 (business/tourism) visas.
An embassy spokesperson told this newspaper that before the pandemic, most of these requests were granted.
Felipe Espinosa, executive director of the Ecuadorian American Chamber of Commerce–Amcham, points out that the extension of the granting of visas for a period of ten years puts Ecuador at the same level as other Latin American countries that have this treatment.
“Always being able to process a visa and having it have a longer extension will favor exchange between our countries. Business is done in the medium and long term, not in the short term. With a visa with a longer validity period, you can better plan the necessary trips to increase this exchange,” says Espinosa.
The banana export sector closed 2021 with the shipment of 376 million boxes, 2.5% less than 2020 business visas are granted for work meetings, work conferences, business, domestic employee duly hired accompanying a foreign employer, athlete, amateur or professional who will compete only for prizes without remuneration.
The spokesperson for the United States diplomatic mission indicates that not only an entrepreneur who owns a large company can apply for the B1 business visa, but anyone who goes to the United States for business reasons can apply, even if it is small or a micro business.
Patricia Moreira, president of the Chamber of Small Industry of Guayas,indicates that the main benefit of having a business visa with a longer validity is that greater possibilities and facilities are generated in business, especially in the area of exports.
But she also sees opportunities that can occur in the exchange of technology and processes that allow us to be more cost-efficient and therefore more competitive in the market.
“It represents that our country has an opportunity to advance like other countries in the region to strengthen commercial and technological cooperation relations between both countries,” asserts the leader.
The United States is one of Ecuador's main export markets.More than 1,300 companies register business with that country, to which some 900 products are sold.According to theEcuadorian Federation of ExportersIn 2020, shipments to the US market generated foreign exchange of 3,189 million dollars.
How long can a person stay in the United States with a B1 business visa?
That depends on Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which processes the entry of travelers into the United States at airports, seaports or land borders. They determine how long someone can stay in the US (I)
-The cost of the process to apply for a business visa is the same as a tourist visa, that is, $160. This value will be maintained for new visas that are issued with the period extended to ten years.
-The ten-year validity applies to new visas that are issued since April 8 and does not have retroactive effect, that is, for those who have a five-year visa. Those who want to obtain a ten-year visa must apply again.
-Due to the pandemic, there are visa applicants who are waiting to schedule an appointment. The diplomatic mission has extended the validity of the payment (known as the MRV fee) until September 30, 2022.