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Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act
4/7/2025, 3:16 PM
Summary of Bill HR 2626
The bill includes provisions that aim to strengthen the vetting process for visa applicants, particularly those from countries that are considered to be high-risk for terrorism. It also seeks to improve information sharing between various government agencies involved in the visa approval process, in order to better identify potential security threats.
Additionally, the Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act includes measures to increase the penalties for visa fraud and misuse, as well as provisions to enhance the monitoring of visa holders once they are in the United States. This is intended to prevent individuals from overstaying their visas or engaging in illegal activities while in the country. Overall, the bill is focused on improving the security of the visa system in the United States, with the ultimate goal of protecting the country from potential security threats. It is currently being debated in Congress, with supporters arguing that it is necessary to safeguard national security, while critics raise concerns about potential negative impacts on legitimate visa applicants.
Congressional Summary of HR 2626
Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of State to assign, in a risk-based manner, State Department employees to at least 50 visa-issuing diplomatic and consular posts based upon the following criteria:
- the number of nationals of a country in which such posts are located who were identified in U.S. terrorist databases,
- such a country's counterterrorism cooperation with the United States,
- the adequacy of border and immigration control of such country,
- terrorist organization activity in such country, and
- the number of negative security advisory opinions regarding nationals of such country.
Such employees shall, in addition to other duties, screen admissions applications against federal criminal, national security, and terrorism databases.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall:
- establish within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a visa security advisory opinion unit to respond to State Department requests for visa security reviews; and
- provide, in a risk-based manner, for remote pre-adjudicated visa security assistance at at least 50 posts that are not assigned such employees.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall:
- screen electronic passports at U.S. entry airports by reading each passport's embedded chip, and
- utilize facial recognition or other biometric technology to screen travelers at such airports.
Electronic passport screening shall apply to U.S. citizens, nationals of a visa waiver program country, and nationals of any other foreign country that issues electronic passports.
Facial recognition or other biometric technology shall apply to nationals of a visa waiver program country.
CBP shall, in a risk-based manner, continuously screen individuals issued any visa and individuals who are visa waiver program nationals against criminal, national security, and terrorism databases.
The annual visa overstay report is revised.
DHS shall (1) ensure that certain foreign student information is available at each U.S. port of entry to CBP officers, (2) review the social media accounts of certain visa applicants who are citizens or residents of high-risk countries, and (3) review open-source information of visa applicants.
