International soccer fans hoping to come to the United States for the 2026 World Cup are seeing delays when it comes to getting travel visas – delays so long that they could miss the games, including ones in the Bay Area.
State Sen. Dave Cortese, who was part of a group that helped convince the World Cup delegation to bring the games to the Bay Area and expects the games at Levi’s Stadium to provide an economic boost for the entire area, is concerned about the growing reports of a travel visa backlog, partially due to what he calls a broken immigration system.
“We have people here on H-1B visas that haven’t had them renewed and they work in the tech sector," he said. "It creates a lot of tension, a lot of consternation with people. Now we’re starting to see that combined with the influx of people that want to come in for the World Cup creating kind of the perfect storm."
The U.S. Travel Association is also sounding the alarm ahead of the expected World Cup travel surge.
"Travelers need obviously to be convinced that safety is job number one, and that's where some of these investments need to take place," U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman said. "We are nearly 4,000 air traffic controllers short of where we need to be. We're using antiquated technology. We've got aging infrastructure. We're confident that the administration is aware of these problems and looking to make new investments to address those issues."
Cortese said the best way to get the problem addressed is for all governmental agencies involved to form an admittedly uneasy alliance.
"There’s a sharp difference of opinion in California among politicians about how to handle larger immigration issues, but this is one we should all be on the same page," he said. "This is an issue where the president of the United States, the governor of California, and the Legislature should all be working to get people in and out of here smoothly."
Local
Cortese and other local government leaders said they hope the anticipated economic windfall for the country and California will lead to a streamlined process, but some worry it will get lost in the growing list of issues the state and the White House need to resolve.
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