House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill to Strengthen Visa Security
May 25, 2016
Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved by a vote of 14-10 legislation to strengthen visa security, curb fraud, and enhance the integrity of the immigration system. The Visa Integrity and Security Act of 2016 (H.R. 5203) – introduced by Representative J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), and Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) – contains a number of targeted reforms to protect the United States from those seeking to harm Americans or take advantage of its generous immigration system.
Representative Forbes, Chairman Goodlatte, and Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Gowdy issued the following statements on today’s Committee approval of the Visa Integrity and Security Act.
Rep. Forbes: “Over 10 million immigrant and non-immigrant visas were issued in Fiscal Year 2015 alone. In the hands of terrorists, these visas become weapons. That is why it is crucial that Congress act immediately to strengthen our visa security vetting process, help prevent efforts to manipulate our immigration system, and protect national security. I applaud the House Judiciary Committee for moving swiftly to pass this critical legislation and urge its timely consideration on the House floor.” Chairman Goodlatte: “Terrorists have made it clear that they will exploit our nation’s immigration system to harm Americans and our interests. Visa security is critical to national security and we must address gaping holes in our immigration system that allow those who wish Americans harm and fraudsters to game the system.
“The Visa Integrity and Security Act takes a number of steps to strengthen visa security, curb fraud, and enhance the integrity of our nation’s immigration system. Notably, it expands a critical visa vetting program to ensure all visa applicants receive additional screening and requires the government to examine publicly available Internet postings to determine if a visa applicant is a security threat. I thank Congressman Randy Forbes for his work on this bill and urge House Leadership to bring this bill swiftly to the floor.” Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Gowdy: “When it comes to our national security, we cannot afford to take any risks. As we have witnessed, the failure to properly vet all foreign nationals seeking entry into the United States could result in the loss of innocent Americans. The Visa Integrity and Security Act will close security gaps in our current immigration system and ensure our embassies and consulates have the tools necessary to determine whether a visa applicant presents a potential risk to the United States. I applaud Congressman Forbes for his dedication to improving our visa processing procedures and hope this bill will quickly advance through the House so Congress can move swiftly on strengthening our national security.”
Key Components of Visa Integrity and Security Act:Strengthens visa security:
- Requires the completion of a Security Advisory Opinion as part of the comprehensive security check process for nationals from certain countries of concern, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen.
- Requires the Departments of Homeland Security and State to utilize social media and other publicly available information to help determine if the visa applicant is eligible for a visa and if they are a security threat to the United States.
- Expands the Visa Security Program to all U.S. embassies and consular posts, ensuring that all visa applicants received additional screening.
- Requires officials at DHS to conduct in-person interviews of petitioners and beneficiaries located in the United States seeking to change their immigration status.
- Requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of, and report to Congress on, the security of visa processing, including screening and background checks as well as how those results are considered in the adjudication process.
- Within six months of enactment of the bill, it requires the DHS Secretary to provide the House and Senate Judiciary Committees a plan for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to use advanced analytics software to ensure the proactive detection of fraud in immigration benefits applications and petitions and to ensure applicants are not a threat to national security. The plan must be implemented one year after it is provided to the Committees.
- Requires the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) to conduct benefit fraud assessments on various immigration programs and report their findings to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
- Requires proof of relationship through DNA testing, to be paid for by the applicant, to be submitted with certain visa petitions.
- For a visa to be issued by officials at the Departments of Homeland Security and State, the applicant must prove eligibility by clear and convincing evidence.
- Requires that any request for additional documentation or evidence to substantiate the applicant’s eligibility for a visa must be fulfilled; otherwise the application will be denied.
- Under the bill, applicants must answer each question completely and each line must be filled out properly. Requires any document containing foreign language submitted as part of the immigration benefits adjudication process to be accompanied by a full English translation by a certified translator.