Want to visit America? Get in a very long line

Imagine a woman learns she is pregnant. She wants her own mother from Colombia to visit the United States to see her grandchild and help her with new motherhood. That should be simple, but that Colombian grandmother currently must wait 874 days just to interview for a U.S. visa. Her grandchild might be in preschool by the time grandma gets her travel visa.

Tourist visas, called B1 or B2 visas, are for non-U.S. residents desiring to travel to the U.S. to conduct business, attend a professional conference, visit family, or take a vacation. Residents of 39 specific countries are eligible for a visa waiver, allowing a 90-day stay in the U.S. for business or tourism without having to apply for a visa.