"Let's Talk Numbers"

Transcript

“Let’s talk numbers.”

Video: Fade up from black to white screen with the words “Let’s talk numbers.”

Video: “Let’s talk numbers” disappears and is replaced by numbers all over the screen – different sizes at different depths.

Narrator: Let’s talk numbers.

Video: We pan around the screen, losing some numbers as more come into frame.

Narrator: There are a lot of them out there these days - some more important than others.

Video: 60,000,000 slides in and fills the screen.

Narrator: There’s one.  Wow – that’s big.

Video: It’s too big, the narrator wants it smaller, and it gets smaller

Narrator: Do you think you could, ah, great… thanks.

Narrator: 60 million. That’s how many visitors the United States welcomed to our country for tourism, business, and study last year.

Video: We pan around to see 134,000,000,000.

Narrator: Think about it. Visitors from around the world generated 134 billion dollars in revenue in the U.S. last year alone. 

Video: An image of a tourist site, hotel, shopping mall, and restaurant appear on the screen.

Narrator: When people come here, they are not only visiting our tourist attractions, sleeping in our hotels, buying our goods and eating in our restaurants.  They are also supporting millions of American workers.

Video: Map of world with planes flying into U.S.

Narrator: These visitors come here from all over the world.  In order to enter the United States, many of these visitors need a visa.

Video: An image of a U.S. Visa appears on the screen.

Narrator: Which is basically permission given by the United States to travel to our country.

Video: A map of Mexico with the number 43 appears on the screen.

Narrator: Over the past 5 years, the Department of State has increased visas issued by 43 percent in Mexico,

Video: A map of India with the number 38 appears on the screen.

Narrator: 38 percent in India,

Video: A map of China with the number 154 appears on the screen.

Narrator: 154 percent in China,

Video: A map of Brazil with the number 210 appears on the screen.

Narrator: and an amazing 210 percent in Brazil. 

Video: The number 222 appears on the screen.

Narrator: Here’s a great number - 222. That’s how many U.S. embassies and consulates around the world issue visas. And every year, we are adding more and more resources to our embassies and consulates to make sure the growing number of travelers get their visas faster than ever before.

Video: The number 100+ appears on the screen.

Narrator: 100+ - not really a true number, but you get the idea. That’s how many additional consular officers we’re adding in China and Brazil in 2012. 

Video: The number 12 appears on the screen.

Narrator: And in China and Brazil’s busiest visa sections, why, they are working longer hours to keep up with demand – some are even open 12 hours a day.

Video: The number 58 appears on the screen.

Narrator: We’re also opening up new interview windows – 49 more in China and 19 in Brazil by the end of 2013.

Video: The number 7 comes up. It’s really small and the narrator wants it to get bigger.

Narrator: Oh, here’s another number. It may look small, but it’s just as important. Ah, do you think you could maybe – great – thanks. 7. 

Video: Pan over to number 80 – it slowly turns into 81, then 82, then we pan off.

Narrator: That’s the average number of days an applicant waits for a visa interview in 80 percent of our visa issuing embassies. And that 80 percent, well, that number keeps growing. 

Video: The number 1 appears on the screen with the word Safety in it.

Narrator: Finally, our most important number. 1. Our number one priority in processing visas is to ensure the safety and security of everyone in the United States, including our visitors, to keep the numbers, and our economy, growing.

Video: An image of the world appears on the screen, filled with numbers, and is spinning.

Narrator: The numbers speak for themselves. Improved services means more visas, which means more visitors, which means more money and jobs for the American economy. The Department of State –working harder than ever to bring the world to our door.