Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act

Bill: 117-hr-9141
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]
Introduced: 2022-10-07
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2022-11-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-10-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress on the average waiting time to get a visitor visa interview at each diplomatic or consular post.&nbsp; For each post where the average waiting time is longer than 300 days, the State Department must temporarily reassign personnel at that post to shorten the waiting time.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9141 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 7, 2022 Ms. Salazar (for herself, Mrs. Lee of Nevada , Ms. Wild , Mr. Trone , Mr. Gimenez , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , Ms. Titus , Mr. Malinowski , Mr. Newhouse , Mr. Horsford , Mr. Larson of Connecticut , Mr. Swalwell , Mr. Case , Mr. Krishnamoorthi , Ms. Kuster , and Ms. Plaskett ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To reduce appointment wait times for certain nonimmigrant visas known as visitor visas, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction Act . 2. Report and reassignment of personnel for excessive visitor visa wait times (a) Report required Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that includes— (1) a list of each diplomatic and consular post at which the average waiting period, beginning on the date an individual submits an application for a nonimmigrant visa under section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101 ) (commonly referred to as a visitor visa ) and the date such individual is granted an interview for such a visa, exceeds 100 days; and (2) an explanation of the concrete steps taken at each such post in order to reduce such average waiting period. (b) Reassignment of personnel With respect to any diplomatic or consular posts at which the average waiting period described in subsection (a)(1) exceeds 300 days, the Secretary of State shall, as appropriate, temporarily reassign appropriate personnel of the Department of State to directly assist consular staff at such posts in order to reduce such average waiting period.