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Let
Families
Visit

The Temporary Family Visitation Act (TFVA) creates a new nonimmigrant visa category that allows family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to temporarily visit their relatives in the United States.

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Imagine missing your sister's wedding. Picture being unable to say goodbye to a loved one or welcome the birth of your first grandchild. This is the reality for millions of families every year who are denied the ability to visit family in the United States because there is no visa category specifically designed to allow their travel to the U.S. The Temporary Family Visitation Act (TFVA) addresses this problem.

Currently, family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents have to apply for B-2 visitor visas. This results in unnecessarily high denial rates due to the fact that consular officers assume applicants with family in the U.S. intend to immigrate. In turn, many family members end up applying for immigrant visas as the only path to visit their relatives.

TFVA creates a new B-3 nonimmigrant visa category specifically allowing for family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to temporarily visit their relatives in the United States. This legislation would not only support family reunion, but it would also stimulate the U.S. economy.

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The Temporary Family Visitation Act would create limited but practical change within the Immigration and Nationality Act. The legislation would establish a new B-3 nonimmigrant category allowing U.S. citizens and permanent residents to petition for their family members to temporarily visit.

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The application provides financial assurance to the U.S. government by requiring:
• that the petitioner sign an affidavit of financial support
• that the applicant purchase travel medical insurance for the duration of the stay

TFVA would dissuade visa overstays by:
• Prohibiting individuals traveling under the TFVA from changing their visa status
• Limiting the duration of the stay to 90 days
• Prohibiting the petitioner from using the TFVA if they had previously sponsored a relative who overstayed their period of authorized admission

If passed, TFVA would impact over 1 million to 2 million applicants per year

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Times Square

If TFVA is passed, it would provide a significant boost in the economy through the indirect spending of billions of dollars and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

• Each overseas traveler spends approximately $4,300 when they visit the U.S.

• Each overseas traveler stays on average 18 nights

• In 2018, international travel spending directly supported 1.2 million U.S. jobs and 33.6 billion in wages

• In 2019, international travelers spent $155 billion in the U.S.

• In 2019, international travel generated $24.9 billion in tax revenues

Slide 1
Times Square

If TFVA is passed, it would provide a significant boost in the economy through the indirect spending of billions of dollars and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

• Each overseas traveler spends approximately $4,300 when they visit the U.S.

• Each overseas traveler stays on average 18 nights

• In 2018, international travel spending directly supported 1.2 million U.S. jobs and 33.6 billion in wages

• In 2019, international travelers spent $155 billion in the U.S.

• In 2019, international travel generated $24.9 billion in tax revenues

Timeline

For far too long, millions of American families have been separated from loved ones abroad who have been unable to temporarily visit due to a complicated visa process.

  • TFVA is reintroduced by Reps .Scott Peters (D-CA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) in the House of Representatives during the 118th Congress.

  • TFVA is introduced in the 117th Congress in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

  • Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) joins as secondary co-leads on the bill.

  • Rep. Peters agrees to lead the push for TFVA in the 117th Congress with Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) as a co-lead.

  • TFVA becomes bipartisan in the Senate as Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT) joins Sen. Paul as a co-lead on the bill.

  • Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) agrees to champion the bill in the Senate.

  • New legislative session begins.

  • TFVA is introduced in the House of Representatives. Four additional co-sponsors join TFVA following introduction: Reps. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), David Trone (D-MD), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Ro Khanna (D-CA).

  • Former Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) joins Rep. Peters as a co-lead on TFVA.

  • PAAIA begins to secure support from other communities and business groups, ultimately leading to the creation of the Let Families Visit coalition.

  • Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) agrees to lead the push for TFVA in the U.S. House of Representatives.

  • PAAIA begins socializing the idea to members of Congress.

  • Recognizing the impact of visa challenges on American families, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) drafts policy to create a new nonimmigrant visa category for families and TFVA is born.

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