Report: Atlanta welcoming more foreign visitors

The number of times foreign tourists, temporary workers and other nonimmigrant visitors were admitted to the U.S. through Atlanta’s port of entry rose by 10 percent over the last two years, from 1.4 million to 1.5 million, a new federal report shows.

Based on data collected from federal I-94 travel records, the U.S. Homeland Security Department report shows such admissions jumped nationwide by 13 percent to 61 million between 2012 and 2013. These numbers could reflect changes in data collection and travel patterns, the report says.

Such visitors also could include students, foreign government officials, athletes, entertainers, investors and relatives of U.S. citizens. In 2013, most of the foreign visitors came from Mexico, 29 percent; the United Kingdom, 7.5 percent; and Canada, 7.3 percent.