US visa requests hit new record

The number of Mexicans applying for visas in 2012 was higher than ever before, revealed Susan Abeytia, the U.S. Consul General in Guadalajara, last week.

Mexican citizens made more than two million visa requests last year, with 250,000 applications filed in Guadalajara alone.

Abeytia said 80 percent of applications were approved and attributed the high number to Mexico’s growing economy.

“The Mexican economy is stronger, which means more people here can afford to travel and are interested in visiting the United States,” she said.