I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4577 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to strengthen student visa 
background checks and improve the monitoring of foreign students in 
the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 13, 2007 
Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. YOUNG 
of Florida, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. HUNTER, 
Mr. SOUDER, and Mr. BUCHANAN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to strengthen 
student visa background checks and improve the moni-
toring of foreign students in the United States, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Student Visa Security 
Improvement Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ENHANCED STUDENT VISA BACKGROUND CHECKS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 428(e) of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 236(e)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) STUDENT
VISAS.—In administering the 
program under this subsection, the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall prescribe regulations to require 
employees assigned under paragraph (1) to re-
view all applications for visas under subpara-
graph (F), (J), or (M) of section 101(a)(15) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1101(a)(15)) prior to final adjudication, with 
special emphasis on determining whether appli-
cants 
are 
inadmissible 
under 
section 
212(a)(3)(B) 
of 
such 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1182(a)(3)(B)) (relating to terrorist activities); 
‘‘(B) shall develop a strategic plan to guide 
visa security operations, especially with regard 
to student visas, and develop and maintain per-
formance data that demonstrate the impact of 
this subsection; and 
‘‘(C) shall report on and develop, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of State, additional 
guidance to clarify the roles and responsibilities 
of employees assigned under paragraph (1).’’. 
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SEC. 3. STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 442 of the Homeland Se-
curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 252) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraph (5) as 
paragraph (10); and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the 
following: 
‘‘(5) STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR PRO-
GRAM.—In administering the program under para-
graph (4), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) prescribe regulations to require an in-
stitution or exchange visitor program sponsor 
participating in the Student and Exchange Vis-
itor Program to ensure that each covered stu-
dent or exchange visitor enrolled at the institu-
tion or attending the exchange visitor pro-
gram— 
‘‘(i) is an active participant in the 
program for which the covered student or 
exchange visitor was issued a visa to enter 
the United States; 
‘‘(ii) is not unobserved for any pe-
riod— 
‘‘(I) exceeding 30 days during 
any academic term or program in 
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which the covered student or exchange 
visitor is enrolled; or 
‘‘(II) exceeding 60 days during 
any period not described in subclause 
(I); and 
‘‘(iii) is reported to the Department if 
within 21 days of— 
‘‘(I) transferring to another insti-
tution or program; or 
‘‘(II) being hospitalized or other-
wise incapacitated necessitating a pro-
longed absence from the academic in-
stitution or exchange visitor program; 
and 
‘‘(B) notwithstanding subparagraph (A), 
require each covered student or exchange visitor 
to be observed at least once every 60 days. 
‘‘(6) ENHANCED ACCESS.—The Secretary shall 
provide access to the Student and Exchange Visitor 
Information System (hereinafter in this subsection 
referred to as the ‘SEVIS’), or other equivalent pro-
gram or system, to appropriate employees of an in-
stitution or exchange visitor program sponsor par-
ticipating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Pro-
gram if— 
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