Results for
Virgin Islands Visa Waiver Act of 2019
HR #407 | Last Action: 1/9/2019Virgin Islands Visa Waiver Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a visa waiver program for nationals of certain countries to enter the U.S. Virgin Islands. Countries that are member or associate members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), such as the Bahamas or Barbados, may be part of the visa waiver program. The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands may request additional countries be added to the program. An individual entering under the waiver program shall be a nonimmigrant visitor to the U.S. Virgin Islands for business or pleasure, and may stay for no longer than 30 days. Such an individual shall waive the right to appeal an immigration officer's determination of admissibility, and also waive the right to appeal a removal decision. DHS may implement the waiver program as to a country if it determines that it would not pose a welfare, safety, or security threat. DHS shall monitor the waiver program, and shall suspend the program as to any country if it determines that an unacceptable number of individuals from that country are remaining unlawfully or unlawfully entering other parts of the United States, seeking asylum or withholding of removal, or for other good cause.Gender Inclusive Passport Act
HR #5962 | Last Action: 2/25/2020Gender Inclusive Passport Act This bill requires the Department of State to permit an applicant for a passport, passport card, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad to use an unspecified (X) gender designation.CCP Visa Disclosure Act of 2020
HR #8777 | Last Action: 11/18/2020Chinese Communist Party Visa Disclosure Act of 2020 or the CCP Visa Disclosure Act of 2020 This bill requires an applicant for an F, J, or M (student or exchange visitor) visa to disclose in the application certain information about whether the applicant has received or will receive funds from the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or an entity controlled by either. If an individual receives such funds after receiving such a visa, the individual must inform the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State. Any visa issued to an alien who violates these disclosure requirements may be revoked.Visa Lottery Repeal Act
S #1632 | Last Action: 5/23/2019Visa Lottery Repeal Act This bill eliminates the diversity immigrant visa program, which makes available a limited number of visas for aliens from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.Passports for Purple Hearts Act
HR #8493 | Last Action: 10/1/2020Passports for Purple Hearts Act This bill exempts Purple Heart recipients from fees associated with obtaining a passport.Poland Visa Waiver Act of 2019
HR #4218 | Last Action: 8/30/2019Poland Visa Waiver Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to designate Poland as a program country under the visa waiver program.Visa Overstay Enforcement Act of 2019
HR #147 | Last Action: 1/3/2019Visa Overstay Enforcement Act of 2019 This bill imposes various penalties on aliens who overstay a visa or lawful immigration status. An alien who overstays shall be fined or imprisoned for up to six months, or both. Such an individual may not be admitted into the United States for 5 years, and may not be granted a visa for 10 years. For subsequent offenses, the alien shall be fined or imprisoned for up to two years, or both, and shall not be admitted into the United States or granted a visa. The Department of Homeland Security shall make case-by-case exceptions for aliens who overstay due to medical necessity, public safety, or national security reasons.Passport Backlog Elimination Act
HR #7623 | Last Action: 7/29/2020Passport Backlog Elimination Act This bill requires the Department of State to submit and implement a plan containing specified actionable strategies to eliminate the backlog of passport applications that is due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.Consular and Administrative Support Act of 2020
S #3667 | Last Action: 5/7/2020Consular and Administrative Support Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions in responding to an outbreak of an infectious disease such as COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), authorizes additional paid leave for certain agency employees involved in foreign affairs, and extends certain special immigrant visas. The State Department, in responding to an outbreak of an infectious disease, must establish a Repatriation Task Force. The duties of this task force shall include (1) protecting and safeguarding the needs of U.S. nationals, including repatriation and other health and medical needs; (2) managing all communication and coordination with U.S. nationals regarding their needs; and (3) supporting American Citizen Services with repatriation and other health and medical needs. Additionally, in responding to such an outbreak, the State Department must activate a single, comprehensive approach to incident management for the National Passport Center and the National Visa Center. The State Department must also extend the period of validity and the application period for certain special immigrant visas that have been affected by current travel restrictions and health concerns due to COVID-19. Further, specified independent agencies involved in the conduct of foreign affairs (e.g., the Peace Corps) may provide additional paid leave to address employee hardships resulting from COVID-19.People's Liberation Army (PLA) Visa Security Act
S #1451 | Last Action: 5/14/2019People's Liberation Army (PLA) Visa Security Act This bill bars individuals affiliated with the Chinese military from entering the United States on visas for students (F visa) or work-and-study exchange (J visa). The President shall publish a list identifying research, engineering, and scientific institutions affiliated or funded by China's People's Liberation Army. Aliens who are or were previously employed, sponsored, or funded by any institution on the list shall be subject to the bar. When a Chinese national applies for an F or J visa for an academic field related to an item on the Commerce Control List (a list of items subject to export controls), the consular officer handling the application shall request a special background check on the applicant.People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Visa Security Act
HR #2713 | Last Action: 6/26/2019People's Liberation Army (PLA) Visa Security Act This bill bars individuals affiliated with the Chinese military from entering the United States on visas for students (F visa) or work-and-study exchange (J visa). The President shall publish a list identifying research, engineering, and scientific institutions affiliated or funded by China's People's Liberation Army. Aliens who are or were previously employed, sponsored, or funded by any institution on the list shall be subject to the bar. When a Chinese national applies for an F or J visa for an academic field related to an item on the Commerce Control List (a list of items subject to export controls), the consular officer handling the application shall request a special background check on the applicant.E Visa Integrity Act of 2019
S #2863 | Last Action: 11/14/2019E Visa Integrity Act of 2019 This bill imposes additional requirements to acquire an E visa (for an investor or trader who is a national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, or an Australian specialty worker). Specifically, if an alien became the national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States through a financial investment in that foreign country, the alien must have been domiciled in that foreign country for a continuous period of at least three years at any point before applying for an E visa. The bill also requires an alien seeking an E-2 visa (investor) to invest a substantial and economically impactful amount of capital in the United States, where currently the statute only requires an investment of a substantial amount.Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019
HR #3503 | Last Action: 6/26/2019Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Education to establish a pilot program to award grants to institutions of higher education for the purpose of providing certain students with U.S. passports. Specifically, such grants must (1) reimburse Pell Grant recipients enrolled in study abroad programs for the cost of obtaining passports, or (2) directly pay the cost of passports for such students.FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2019
HR #145 | Last Action: 1/3/2019FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of State to revoke or refuse to issue a passport for an individual who has aided an organization that the State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Any such individual may request a hearing with the State Department upon being notified of such an action.First Responders Passport Act of 2019
HR #2229 | Last Action: 6/20/2019First Responders Passport Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of State to waive passport fees for an individual operating under a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement with the U.S. government, including a volunteer, to travel abroad within the first seven days after a natural disaster to aid a foreign country suffering from the natural disaster. The Department of State shall report to Congress on the number of fee waivers for the issuance of passports to first responders.To add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program.
HR #2418 | Last Action: 4/30/2019This bill expands the E-3 visa program to cover Irish nationals. The E-3 visa is a nonimmigrant visa currently only available to Australian nationals coming to the United States for employment in a specialty occupation.Southwest Tourism Expansion Act
S #3022 | Last Action: 12/11/2019Southwest Tourism Expansion Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the requirement to issue arrival-departure cards to certain Mexican nationals. Specifically, the waiver shall apply to a Mexican national who is (1) eligible for nonimmigrant admission into the United States, (2) exempt from visa and passport requirements or certain existing (and generally more limited) arrival-departure card requirements, and (3) admitted at a port of entry in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border for visiting Arizona for up to 30 days. The waiver program shall be in effect for five years. Before the program expires, DHS shall report to Congress on issues including (1) the estimated economic impact of the program, and (2) the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa in Arizona during the first four years in which the program was in effect.Southwest Tourism Expansion Act
HR #5405 | Last Action: 12/11/2019Southwest Tourism Expansion Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the requirement to issue arrival-departure cards to certain Mexican nationals. Specifically, the waiver shall apply to a Mexican national who is (1) eligible for nonimmigrant admission into the United States, (2) exempt from visa and passport requirements or certain existing (and generally more limited) arrival-departure card requirements, and (3) admitted at a port of entry in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border for visiting Arizona for up to 30 days. The waiver program shall be in effect for five years. Before the program expires, DHS shall report to Congress on issues including (1) the estimated economic impact of the program, and (2) the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa in Arizona during the first four years in which the program was in effect.To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to render overstaying a visa a criminal offense, and for other purposes.
HR #523 | Last Action: 1/11/2019This bill makes it a criminal offense to overstay a visa. For the first offense, the overstaying alien shall be fined or imprisoned up to six months, or both. For each subsequent offense, the alien shall be fined or imprisoned up to two years, or both. The Department of Homeland Security may make case-by-case exceptions for medical necessity, public safety, or national security. Aliens who overstay a visa shall be barred from admission into the United States and may not be granted a visa. For the first offense, the overstaying alien shall be barred from admission for 5 years and barred from receiving a visa for 10 years. For a subsequent offense, the alien shall be permanently barred from admission and from getting a visa. If an alien's visa is revoked, all valid visas in that alien's possession are automatically cancelled. The bill expands the types of removal proceedings where an alien shall have the right to counsel. The government shall not bear the expense for such counsel. The Department of State may share visa and entry permit-related records with foreign governments on a case-by-case basis, if it is in the interests of the United States to do so. The State Department shall have access to National Crime Information Center files for determining whether visas for certain applicants should be granted.No Passport Fees for Heroes' Families Act
HR #2847 | Last Action: 3/4/2020No Passport Fees for Heroes' Families Act This bill waives the passport fees for certain family members of a member of the Armed Forces if the family members are traveling abroad to visit the Armed Forces member in the hospital. This waiver applies to the husband, wife, domestic partner, children, parents, grandparents, and siblings of an Armed Forces member.E–2 Visa Improvement Act of 2019
HR #2124 | Last Action: 4/8/2019E-2 Visa Improvement Act of 2019 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit a nonimmigrant E-2 alien (treaty investor) who has been in the United States in such status for at least 10 years and has created full-time employment for at least 2 individuals to apply for immediate employment-based immigrant status. Up to 10,000 such visas may be made available each fiscal year. Sons and daughters of E-2 aliens (or aliens seeking such status) can remain on their parent's visa as a child until age 26. Employment authorization may be granted at age 18.Golden Visa Accountability Act
HR #4142 | Last Action: 6/24/2021To add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program.
HR #2877 | Last Action: 3/9/2020This bill expands the E-3 visa program to cover Irish nationals. The E-3 visa is a nonimmigrant visa currently only available to Australian nationals coming to the United States for employment in a specialty occupation. For Irish E-3 initial applications, the Department of State may approve each fiscal year no more than 10,500 minus the number of Australian initial applications approved the previous fiscal year.Protecting Children Through Eliminating Visa Loopholes Act
S #742 | Last Action: 3/12/2019Protecting Children Through Eliminating Visa Loopholes Act This bill requires an alien who seeks to qualify for a nonimmigrant visa as the fiance or spouse of a U.S. citizen to be at least 18 years old, and the sponsoring U.S. citizen must also be at least 18 years old. The bill also establishes that the terms "spouse," "wife," and "husband" shall not apply to any individual less than 18 years old for the purposes of the immigration and nationality laws.Protecting Children Through Eliminating Visa Loopholes Act
HR #1738 | Last Action: 3/13/2019Protecting Children Through Eliminating Visa Loopholes Act This bill requires an alien who seeks to qualify for a nonimmigrant visa as the fiance or spouse of a U.S. citizen to be at least 18 years old, and the sponsoring U.S. citizen must also be at least 18 years old. The bill also establishes that the terms "spouse," "wife," and "husband" shall not apply to any individual less than 18 years old for the purposes of the immigration and nationality laws.