U.S. Congressional leaders call for streamlined visa process ahead of World Cup, LA Olympics
Xinhua
22 May 2025, 00:15 GMT+10
NEW YORK, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A bipartisan group of Congressional representatives are calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to streamline the government's visa processing system to ensure visitors from abroad will be able to attend next year's FIFA World Cup as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The World Cup, which kicks off in less than 400 days, is expected to generate 3.75 billion U.S. dollars in economic activity in the United States. With SoFi Stadium in Inglewood hosting eight games, the economic impact on Southern California is estimated at nearly 600 million dollars, reported the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.
"But cost-cutting measures proposed by Rubio could threaten that by reducing staff and closing some embassies and consulates, increasing visa wait times and making an already cumbersome system more complicated and costly. That could keep tens of thousands of fans at home," noted the report.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, with a record 48 countries participating. It will also be the first World Cup played in three countries, with Mexico and Canada sharing host duties with the United States. However the vast majority of the games -- 78 of 104 -- will be played in 11 U.S. cities between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
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