Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Visa Improvement, Streamlined Investment, and Tourism Optimization Reform Act” or the “VISITOR Act”.
Visa Improvement, Streamlined Investment, and Tourism Optimization Reform Act
A BILL
To authorize amounts collected in certain visa fees to be made available to reduce visa wait times, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Authority to use collected fees to reduce visa wait times
Amendment to the Passport Act— Section 1(b) of the Passport Act of June 4, 1920 (22 U.S.C. 214(b)), is amended—
in paragraph (1), by striking “such costs” and inserting “the costs of providing consular services”;
by striking paragraph (2); and
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).
Authority To use collected fees for the purposes of reducing visa wait times—
In general— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the following passport and immigrant visa surcharges collected in any fiscal year are authorized to be made available for the costs of providing general consular services, including the consular protection of United States citizens and their interests overseas:
Surcharges collected pursuant to the fourth paragraph under the heading “Diplomatic and Consular Programs” in the Department of State and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2005 (title IV of division B of Public Law 108–447; 8 U.S.C. 1714).
Fees deposited into the Fraud Prevention and Detection Account and made available for the purposes described in section 286(v)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(v)(2)(A)).
Authority to transfer unobligated fee balances—
Transfer of existing fee collection— The unobligated balances of each amount available from fees listed in section 7081(h) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017 (division J of Public Law 115–31) are authorized to be transferred to the Consular and Border Security Programs account and between accounts of the Department of State under the heading “Administration of Foreign Affairs” for the purposes described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
Transfer of other amounts made available for administration of foreign affairs— The unobligated balances of any amounts made available to the Department of State under the heading “Administration of Foreign Affairs” by any Act are authorized to be transferred to the Consular and Border Security Programs Account if the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate that to do so is necessary to sustain consular operations, following consultation with such Committees.
Conforming amendment— Section 6 of the Department of State Authorities Act of 2006 (8 U.S.C. 1714 note) is amended by inserting “and the provision of other general consular services” after “in support of enhanced border security” each place it appears.
Goal of reduced visa wait time— The Secretary of State is authorized to take such steps as may be necessary for the goal of ensuring that 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within 3 weeks of receipt and application, recognizing that resource and security considerations and the need to ensure provision of consular services to United States citizens may dictate specific exceptions to this goal.