According to an internal memo signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the U.S. State Department expects a significant drop in visas issued in the coming years due to COVID-19. ProPublica has seen this memo. According to the news outlet, the decrease, if it happens, will come from few people wanting to travel to the United States, not because of a new ban or limit on visas.
The pandemic has already caused a drastic reduction in the amount of global travel. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported a nearly 95 percent traveler decrease in April. Though the number of travelers appears to be rising again, the amount is still far below normal levels.
Additionally, with many embassies and consulates closed, visa approvals plunged from over 670,000 in January to almost 45,000 in April. State Department officials anticipate an 82 percent decline in visa applications in 2021 and expect the trend to continue into 2022.
Visa application fees as well as passport fees for U.S citizens generate around $3.5 billion a year in revenue to the State Department. Due to the COVID-19 closures, the State Department expects a $1.4 billion revenue decrease this year. As these fees provide for consulate operations around the world, new closures may come in order cut costs. Greeters and call center hours have already been reduced, while some sites in Mexico, Brazil and Columbia that process biometrics data are closing.
President Trump, through a number of executive orders signed in January and April 2020, banned certain foreign nationals from entering the United States. A May 2020 Executive Order restricted certain Chinese students and researchers from entering the United States. A June 2020 Executive Order temporarily banned people from entering the U.S. on certain temporary work visas until 2021. Tourist visas, for personal or business travel, are still available but may be delayed due to COVID-19 closures.