[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5127 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5127

 To reduce appointment wait times for certain nonimmigrant visas known 
               as visitor visas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2023

   Ms. Salazar (for herself, Mrs. Lee of Nevada, Mrs. Miller of West 
Virginia, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Titus, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
Kim of New Jersey, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mrs. Radewagen, Ms. Tokuda, 
 Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Case, Mr. Carson, Mr. 
 Trone, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon, 
  Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Ms. Mace, Mr. Webster of Florida, Ms. 
    Wasserman Schultz, and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) 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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Visitor Visa Wait Time Reduction 
Act''.

SEC. 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.
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