I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1741 
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State 
to refuse or revoke visas to aliens if in the security or foreign policy 
interests of the United States, to require the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to review visa applications before adjudication, to provide for 
the immediate dissemination of visa revocation information, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 5, 2011 
Mr. SMITH of Texas (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. CAL-
VERT, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. ROSS of Florida, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. 
AKIN, and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
Homeland Security, 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 authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
Secretary of State to refuse or revoke visas to aliens 
if in the security or foreign policy interests of the United 
States, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security 
to review visa applications before adjudication, to provide 
for the immediate dissemination of visa revocation infor-
mation, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Secure Visas Act’’. 
SEC. 2. VISA REFUSAL AND REVOCATION. 
(a) AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 428 of the Home-
land Security Act (6 U.S.C. 236) is amended by 
striking subsections (b) and (c) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 
104(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1104(a)) or any other provision of law, and 
except for the authority of the Secretary of State 
under subparagraphs (A) and (G) of section 
101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)), the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall have exclusive authority to issue 
regulations, establish policy, and administer and 
enforce the provisions of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) and all 
other immigration or nationality laws relating 
to the functions of consular officers of the 
United States in connection with the granting 
and refusal of a visa; and 
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‘‘(B) may refuse or revoke any visa to any 
alien or class of aliens if the Secretary, or des-
ignee, determines that such refusal or revoca-
tion is necessary or advisable in the security in-
terests of the United States. 
‘‘(2) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—The revocation 
of any visa under paragraph (1)(B)— 
‘‘(A) shall take effect immediately; and 
‘‘(B) shall automatically cancel any other 
valid visa that is in the alien’s possession. 
‘‘(3) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, including section 2241 of title 
28, United States Code, or any other habeas corpus 
provision, and sections 1361 and 1651 of such title, 
no court shall have jurisdiction to review a decision 
by the Secretary of Homeland Security to refuse or 
revoke a visa, and no court shall have jurisdiction to 
hear any claim arising from, or any challenge to, 
such a revocation. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may 
direct a consular officer to refuse a visa requested 
by, or revoke a visa issued to, an alien if the Sec-
retary of State determines such refusal or revocation 
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to be necessary or advisable in the foreign policy in-
terests of the United States. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—No decision by the Sec-
retary of State to approve a visa may override a de-
cision by the Secretary of Homeland Security under 
subsection (b).’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act and shall apply to visa refus-
als and revocations occurring before, on, or after 
such date. 
(b) ISSUANCE OF VISAS AT DESIGNATED CONSULAR 
POSTS AND EMBASSIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 428(i) of the Home-
land Security Act (6 U.S.C. 236(i)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(i) VISA ISSUANCE
AT DESIGNATED CONSULAR 
POSTS AND EMBASSIES.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security— 
‘‘(1) shall conduct an on-site review of all visa 
applications and supporting documentation before 
adjudication at all visa-issuing posts in Algeria; Can-
ada; Colombia; Egypt; Germany; Hong Kong; India; 
Indonesia; Iraq; Jerusalem, Israel; Jordan; Kuala 
Lumpur, Malaysia; Kuwait; Lebanon; Mexico; Mo-
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rocco; Nigeria; Pakistan; the Philippines; Saudi Ara-
bia; South Africa; Syria; Tel Aviv, Israel; Turkey; 
United Arab Emirates; the United Kingdom; Ven-
ezuela; and Yemen; and 
‘‘(2) is authorized to assign employees of the 
Department to each diplomatic and consular post at 
which visas are issued unless, in the Secretary’s sole 
and unreviewable discretion, the Secretary deter-
mines that such an assignment at a particular post 
would not promote national or homeland security.’’. 
(2) EXPEDITED CLEARANCE AND PLACEMENT 
OF
DEPARTMENT
OF
HOMELAND
SECURITY
PER-
SONNEL AT OVERSEAS EMBASSIES AND CONSULAR 
POSTS.—The Secretary of State shall accommodate 
and ensure— 
(A) not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, that Department of 
Homeland Security personnel assigned by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security under section 
428(i)(1) of the Homeland Security Act have 
been stationed at post such that the post is 
fully operational; and 
(B) not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the Secretary of Homeland Security des-
ignates an additional consular post or embassy 
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for personnel under section 428(i)(2) of the 
Homeland Security Act that the Department of 
Homeland Security personnel assigned to such 
post or embassy have been stationed at post 
such that the post is fully operational. 
(c) VISA REVOCATION.— 
(1) INFORMATION.—Section 428 of the Home-
land Security Act (6 U.S.C. 236) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(j) VISA REVOCATION INFORMATION.—If the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State re-
vokes a visa— 
‘‘(1) the relevant consular, law enforcement, 
and terrorist screening databases shall be imme-
diately updated on the date of the revocation; and 
‘‘(2) look-out notices shall be posted to all De-
partment of Homeland Security port inspectors and 
Department of State consular officers.’’. 
(2) EFFECT
OF
VISA
REVOCATION; JUDICIAL 
REVIEW OF VISA REVOCATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 221(i) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1201(i)) is amended by striking the final sen-
tence and inserting the following: ‘‘A revocation 
under this subsection shall take effect imme-
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diately and shall automatically cancel any other 
valid visa that is in the alien’s possession. Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, includ-
ing section 2241 of title 28, United States 
Code, or any other habeas corpus provision, and 
sections 1361 and 1651 of such title, a revoca-
tion under this subsection may not be reviewed 
by any court, and no court shall have jurisdic-
tion to hear any claim arising from, or any 
challenge to, such a revocation.’’. 
(B) EFFECTIVE
DATE.—The amendment 
made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect on 
the date of the enactment of this Act and shall 
apply to revocations under section 221(i) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1201(i)) occurring before, on, or after such 
date. 
Æ 
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