Exchange Visa Recommendations
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April 22, 2021 The Honorable Antony Blinken Secretary of State U.S. Department of State Washington, DC 20520 Dear Mr. Secretary: We represent the sponsors, businesses, and industries that recruit, host, and support international exchange visitors every year. We applaud the recent steps you and the Administration have taken to support international exchange programs. We write with an urgent request that you take additional steps to process exchange visas. Doing so will help protect the programs and the American employers that administer and rely on them. As you know, exchange visitors support our economy by attending our universities, colleges, and secondary schools, and by helping working families with childcare, summer camps in need of counselors, host businesses in tourist areas, schools that need international teachers, and businesses that wish to provide training and internship experiences. These visitors also support our national security by developing strong ties to and an affinity for the United States. An estimated 6500 jobs and $303M were lost, unfortunately, by these employers and others in related fields last year due to the pandemic. Overall, the BridgeUSA exchange community experienced $1.23 billion in financial fallout in 2020. International exchange programs, however, continue to be stymied by travel and other restrictions. The Alliance and its members strongly support efforts to protect the health and safety of everyone involved with exchange programs, including consular affairs officers and embassy staff. To help support exchange programs while keeping people safe, we suggest the Department of State take the below additional steps. We understand that many embassies are still functioning at limited capacity due to COVID-19. The Department is right to pursue creative measures to manage these limitations, while processing visas. As an additional step, we urge you to temporarily waive interviews for all J-1 applicants given the crisis facing international exchange. The Department is aware of locations where there is a high demand for exchange visas based on past years and where visa applications are currently being filed. We urge you to adopt a strategy whereby the Department provides additional resources to targeted embassies to meet those demands. The Department should also develop a specific timeline for lifting travel bans and substituting instead a requirement of proof by international travelers of a negative COVID test or of vaccination before coming to the United States. The former is already a requirement. President Joe Biden has promised that the United States will follow the science when making decisions about COVID-19. The Administration can do that now by lifting blanket travel restrictions in favor of tests and vaccinations. This approach will better reflect the availability abroad of tests and vaccinations, the pace at which Americans are getting vaccinated, and the need to prepare for a reopening very soon of our economy. Until the travel bans are lifted, the Department should except J-1 programs from the bans as it does for F-l students. Without immediate intervention, the crisis facing the exchange community will be greatly heightened in the United States and abroad. The Department can help prevent further damage to international exchange programs and the sponsors who administer them by taking the above steps. Thank you for your consideration and for your strong support of international exchange programs. Sincerely, Alliance for International Exchange, Washington, DC 112 Boardwalk Properties LLC, Ocean City, MD 3W International, Los Angeles, CA 64th Street Market, IncOcean City, MD A & P Beach Rentals, LLC, Ocean City, MD Acro Pizza World LLC, Wildwood, NJ A-Cubed Inc. DBA Sand County Service, Lake Delton WI Admiral Resort Motel, Wildwood Crest, NJ Admiral's Table Restaurant, Wildwood Crest, NJ AFS USA, New York, NY Agent Au Pair, New Haven, CT Agudah Camps, Chicago, IL Agudath Israel of Illinois, Chicago, IL AIFS Foundation, Stamford, CT Aimbridge Hospitality, Dallas, TX Alex Donuts, Inc., Salem, NH American Councils for International Education, Washington, DC American English Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR American Home Life International, Lancaster, PA American Hospitality Academy, Summerland Key, FL American Institute for Foreign Study, Stamford CT American International Recruitment Council, Falls Church, VA American Pool Enterprises, Inc., Owings Mills, MD American Village of Alaska, Glennallen, AK American Work Adventures, Petaluma, CA American Work Experience, Greenwich, CT AmericInn by Wyndham, Wisconsin Dells, WI AMIDEAST, Washington, DC Amity Institute, San Diego, CA AMSCO, North Conway, NH Anakeesta, Gatlinburg, TN Anchorage By the Sea, Ogunquit, ME Angelo's Pizzeria and Ristorante, Sea Isle City, NJ Angels By the Sea Hawaii, Honolulu, HI AquaSafe Pool Management, Inc., Hanover, MD Arnolds Restaurant, Eastham, MA Aspen Lodge-Grand Marais Hotel Company, Grand Marais, MN 2 ASSE International Student Exchange Programs, Laguna Beach, CA ASSIST, Suffield, CT Association of International Education Administrators, Durham, NC Atlantic Beach Club, Atlantic Beach, NY Atomium - Waffle Cabin, South Chittenden, VT Attitash Mountain Service Co., LLC, North Conway, NH AuPairCare, San Francisco, CA Au Pair in America, Stamford, CT Au Pair International, Boulder, CO Ayusa International, San Francisco, CA Bahia Management LLC, Ocean City, MD Baker's Sunset Bay Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Barbara McDonnell Insurance, Stoughton, MA Bargain Beachwear, Myrtle Beach, SC Baxter Hospitality, LLC DBA Sesuit Harbor House, East Dennis, MA BCT-Dells Church Ministry, Wisconsin Dells, WI Beach Mart Inc., Kitty Hawk, NC Beach Rider Amusements, Myrtle Beach, SC Beach Services Ltd., Surfside Beach, SC Beber Camp, Mukwonago, WI Best Buns, Inc., Provincetown, MA Best Western Vista Inn, Buena Vista, CO Big Cedar Lodge, Branson, MO BigFoot Ziplines LLC, Wisconsin Dells, WI Birchbark Books and Gifts, Grand Marais, MN BJ's Restaurant , Wisconsin Dells, WI BK Holzem Enterprises, Inc., Wisconsin Dells, WI Blue Coast Inc., Folly Beach, SC Blue Water Cafe, Grand Marais, MN Boathouse on the Bay, Sister Bay, WI Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, Branson, MO Brass Balls Saloon, Ocean City, MD Breezy Point International Inc. , Breezy Point, MN Bridges Bay Resort / Regency Hotel Management, Arnolds Park, IA BritishAmerican Business of New York and London, New York, NY Bronx Eye Associates, Bronx, NY Brownies Bakery, East Glacier Park, MT Budding Voices, Severna Park, MD Bull on The Beach, Ocean City, MD Bump Club and Beyond, Northbrook, IL Cable Nature Lodge, Cable, WI Cambridge Network, Waltham, MA Camp Agawak, Minocqua, Wisconsin Camp America, Stamford, CT Camp Androscoggin, Wayne, ME Camp Birchmont, Wolfeboro, NH Camp Birchwood for Girls, Laporte, MN Camp Canadensis, Canadensis, PA Camp Chen-A-Wanda, Thompson, PA 3 Camp Echo, Bloomingburg, NY Camp Fairyland, Saugerties, NY Camp Farwell, Newbury, VT Camp Havaya, South Sterling, PA Camp Hillcroft, Lagrangeville, NY Camp Hilltop, Hancock, NY Camp Horizons, Harrisonburg, VA Camp Horseshoe, Rhinelander, WI Camp Lee Mar, Lackawaxen, PA Camp Lookout, Frankfort, MI Camp Manitou for Boys, Oakland, ME Camp Marist, Effingham, NH Camp Matoaka, Smithfield, ME Camp Men-O-Lan, Quakertown, PA Camp Nakanawa, Inc, Crossville, TN Camp Netimus for Girls, Milford, PA Camp Nor'wester, Edmonds, WA Camp Olympia, Trinity, TX Camp Pemigewassett, Wentworth, NH Camp Pontiac, Copake, NY Camp Robindel for Girls, Moultonboro, NH Camp Scatico, Elizaville, NY Camp Skazka, Saugerties, New York Camp Stonewall, Thompson, CT Camp Timanous, Raymond, ME Camp Ton-A-Wandah, Hendersonville, NC Camp Treetops, Lake Placid, NY Camp Vega Corp, Fayette, ME Camp Weequahic, Lakewood, PA Candy Kitchen Shoppes, Inc., Ocean City, MD Caribou Highlands Lodge, Lutsen, MN Carousel Group Hotels, Ocean City, MD Central Hudson Gas & Electric, Poughkeepsie, NY Central Pier Arcade LLC., Atlantic City, NJ Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, MA CHI Camp Leaders, San Rafael, CA Chipinaw, Swan Lake, NY Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI Circle Lodge and Camp Kinder Ring of the Workmens Circle Inc., Hopewell Junction, NY City of Concord/Camp Concord, Concord, CA Cody Hospitality, LLC abs Kings Inn Hotel, Cody, WY Cole Facilities Group, Fort Walton Beach, FL Colonial Bakery, Lavallette, New Jersey Comfort Inn & Suites Durango, Durango, CO Comfort Inn Gold Coast, Ocean City, MD Communicating for Agriculture, Fergus Falls, MN Concept Attractions, Wisconsin Dells, WI Concordia Language Villages, Bemidji, MN Conner's Supermarket, Buxton, NC Cook County MN Chamber of Commerce, Grand Marais, MN 4 Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority, Grand Marais, MN Corolla Chapel, Corolla, NC Cottage Street Bakery, Orleans, MA Council of International Programs USA, Cleveland, OH Courtesy Corporation McDonald's, Wisconsin Dells, WI Cracker Barrel, Lebanon, TN Craignair Inn, Spruce Head, ME Crossroads, Duxbury, MA Crystal Lake Camps, Hughesville, PA Crystal Rock Campground, Sandusky, OH Crystalaire Adventures, Traverse City, MI Crystalaire Camp, Inc., Frankfort, MI CSB International, Inc., Bay Shore, NY CSIET, Alexandria, VA Cultural Care Au Pair, Cambridge, MA Cultural Exchange Network (Cenet), Cape Girardeau, MO Cultural Homestay International, San Rafael, CA CZ Wellness Group, Inc., Lakewood, PA Daddy Macs Beach Grille, Surf City, NC Dead Freddies, Ocean City, MD Deep Blue