I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7822 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to visa overstays. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2024 

Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect 

to visa overstays. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Visa Integrity Act of 

5 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. VISA OVERSTAYS CRIMINALIZED. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 275 of the Immigration 

8 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1325) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a) by inserting after ‘‘for a 

2 subsequent commission of any such offense’’ the fol3 lowing: ‘‘or if the alien was previously convicted of 

4 an offense under subsection (e)’’; 

5 (2) in subsection (b)— 

6 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘at least 

7 $50 and not more than $250’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘not less than $500 and not more than 

9 $1,000’’; 

10 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting after 

11 ‘‘in the case of an alien who has been previously 

12 subject to a civil penalty under this subsection’’ 

13 the following: ‘‘or subsection (e)’’; and 

14 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(e) An alien who was admitted as a nonimmigrant 

16 for an aggregate of 10 days or more who has failed to 

17 (1) maintain such nonimmigrant status, or a change in 

18 classification of nonimmigrant status under section 248, 

19 including complying with the period of stay authorized by 

20 the Secretary of Homeland Security in connection with 

21 such status, or (2) comply otherwise with the conditions 

22 of such nonimmigrant status, shall for the first commis23 sion of such a violation, be fined under title 18, United 

24 States Code, or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or 

25 both, and, for a subsequent commission of such a violaVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 May 09, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7822.IH H7822

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1 tion, or if the alien was previously convicted of an offense 

2 under subsection (a), be fined under such title 18, or im3 prisoned not more than 2 years, or both. 

4 ‘‘(f) An alien in violation of this subsection (e) shall 

5 be subject to a civil penalty of (1) not less than $500 and 

6 not more than $1,000 for each violation, or (2) twice the 

7 amount specified under paragraph (1) in the case of an 

8 alien who has been previously subject to a civil penalty 

9 under subsection (a) or (e). A civil penalty under this sub10 section shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any 

11 criminal or other civil penalties that may be imposed. 

12 ‘‘(g) If the Secretary of Homeland Security deter13 mines on an individual case-by-case basis that, because of 

14 reasons of a medical necessity, public safety, or national 

15 security, the alien violated subsection (e), the alien shall 

16 not be subject to the penalties under subsection (e). 

17 ‘‘(h) In the case of any application or petition by or 

18 on behalf of an alien for admission to the United States, 

19 the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Secu20 rity, as applicable, shall provide the alien with notice of 

21 the penalties under this section on receipt of the applica22 tion or petition, and again at the time of admission.’’. 

23 (b) NEGOTIATIONS BY SECRETARY OF HOMELAND

24 SECURITY.—Not later than one year after the date of the 

25 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 


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1 shall seek to negotiate agreements, accords, or memoranda 

2 of understanding between the United States and Mexico 

3 to— 

4 (1) require the sharing of relevant, reliable, and 

5 accurate information within the legal and privacy re6 gimes of both countries, such as information con7 tained on biographic and biometric national security 

8 watchlists, certain traveler criminal history records, 

9 and immigration violations; and 

10 (2) requiring the sharing of entry data at the 

11 land border such that the entry information from 

12 one country could constitute the exit information 

13 from another through an integrated entry and exit 

14 system. 

Æ 


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