Rep. Ferguson Joins Bipartisan Push to Fix COVID Travel Waiver Delays Hurting Georgia's Economy

Press Release

U.S. Representative Drew Ferguson joined members of Georgia's Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to reform the National Interest Exception (NIE) travel waiver program, where delays and inconsistencies threaten the post-pandemic recovery of key industries in the state, including Georgia's film and television production.

This red tape is making it difficult for employers to begin new projects that would bring critical investments and jobs into the state.

The letter is signed by Congressman Drew Ferguson (GA-03), Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01), Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06), Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07), and Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08).

The NIE waiver program requires business travelers from certain countries to obtain a waiver before entering the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, the Administration shifted the responsibility for processing these waiver requests from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to U.S. Department of State consulates and embassies abroad. State Department facilities are still operating at reduced staffing levels due to the pandemic, and as a result, NIE waiver applicants have experienced increased delays and unpredictability.

In their letter, the Georgia lawmakers called on the Administration to reinstate an efficient and uniform system to speed up processing and avoid further delays to filming projects in Georgia.

"The production of films and television series is costly, and losing a single day can cost productions hundreds of thousands of dollars, rendering them uneconomical and costing U.S. jobs and revenues," the lawmakers wrote. "With strong safety protocols in place and COVID-19 cases continuing to trend downward, the television, film, entertainment, and fashion production industries--and the jobs and local investment they support--are poised for a strong rebound. We urge you to support Georgia's economic recovery by reinstating an efficient and uniform NIE waiver system at CBP."

Georgia is one of the top filming locations worldwide. In 2019, before COVID-19, television and film production in Georgia injected $2.9 billion in direct production spending into the U.S. economy--a record-breaking impact--and supported over 150,000 jobs and $8.9 billion in wages in the state.
Click here to read the letter to President Biden.

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