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The Temporary Family Visitation Act Would Be A Boost For Families And The Economy

The Temporary Family Visitation Act Would Be A Boost For Families And The Economy

Proposed B3 Visa Category Is a Step  Toward Updating Our Visa System

(ARLINGTON, VA) –  Today, The LIBRE Initiative, an organization committed to empowering the Latino community, released a statement in support of The Temporary Family Visitation Act (TFVA), federal legislation sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul and Sen. Richard Blumenthal. The bill was also introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Scott Peters, María Elvira Salazar, Stephanie Bice, and Jim Himes.

TFVA is a bipartisan bill that would establish a new nonimmigrant visa category for family members of U.S citizens and permanent residents, allowing them to visit temporarily.

Daniel Garza President of The LIBRE Initiative, issued the following statement:

“American families, many who are Latinos, are unable under our current visa system to reunite with family for meaningful events in the US.  The Temporary Family Visitation Act makes practical changes to support families and our economy. The Temporary Family Visitation Act allows families to unify for life events while stimulating our economy during their travels. This legislation is an important step towards updating our visa system.

We applaud Sen. Paul and Sen. Richard Blumenthal for showing leadership and coming together with a practical solution to support families and local economies.”

Background:

Under current policy family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents only option to visit their relatives is through a B2 visa.

The current visa system fails to consider family reunification for major life events, resulting in a high denial rate of B2 visas.

The expanded travel opportunities that the bill enables would benefit thousands of American businesses as more international travelers visit family in the U.S. According to the U.S. Travel Association, international travel indirectly supported 1.2 million U.S. jobs and $33.7 billion in wages for 2018 alone. If enacted, this bill would allow the U.S. to further capitalize on these gains.