Shorter wait times for visas as top U.S official in Guyana to meet with government

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter is in Guyana to meet with stakeholders in government to discuss issues of shared interest in the bilateral partnership between the United States and Guyana.

Already, Bitter met Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Foreign Minister Hugh Todd where they discussed Hague Intercountry Adoptions process and the lowered nonimmigrant visa wait times in Guyana

See the full statement from the United States Embassy in Georgetown below:

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter visited Guyana today to meet with stakeholders in government to discuss issues of shared interest in the bilateral partnership between the United States and Guyana.

Assistant Secretary Bitter met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd and Minister of Human Services and Social Security Vindhya Persaud to discuss visa matters and intercountry adoptions.

The United States is committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States by both immigrant and non-immigrant travelers.  Visas for work and tourism are the foundation of President Biden’s foreign policy and international visitors are essential to the U.S. economy and travel and service industries.

Assistant Secretary Bitter congratulated Embassy Georgetown for their work in facilitating legitimate travel to the United States, and the recent reduction in nonimmigrant visa interview wait times from 900 days to under 90 days.

Prior to assuming her role as Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs in August 2021, Ambassador Bitter was the Dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).  She was Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.  In Washington, Assistant Secretary Bitter served in the Executive Secretariat as Special Assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell and served as Director of the State Department Operations Center.