[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDENT VISA SECURITY IMPROVEMENT ACT

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                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2010

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Student 
Visa Security Improvement Act, legislation that will strengthen the 
screening of those seeking student visas and enhance the monitoring of 
foreign students in the United States.
  I fully support allowing foreign students and exchange visitors to 
enter our country for legitimate academic and cultural purposes. 
However, recent media reports have disclosed schools that have helped 
individuals fraudulently obtain student visas or failed to report 
students that did not attend class. Several 9/11 terrorists overstayed 
their student visas and details are emerging that the suspected Times 
Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad, first entered the United States on a 
student visa.
  I am concerned that there are insufficient controls to ensure that 
those receiving student and exchange visas are properly vetted before 
being granted admission to the United States. Once they are here, we 
must ensure they are appropriately monitored. That is why I have 
introduced the Student Visa Security Improvement Act.
  This bill will require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 
personnel stationed at high-risk visa issuing posts overseas to review 
student and exchange visa applications and conduct interviews with 
applicants before they are granted a visa. These ICE agents bring 
enhanced security and law enforcement experience that will better 
ensure that prospective foreign students are not security risks.
  This bill also will require that foreign students are active 
participants in the programs in which they are enrolled and are 
observed at least once every 30 days during an academic term or every 
60 days outside an academic term. In addition, the bill requires that 
changes impacting a student's nonimmigrant status, such as switching to 
a more sensitive academic major or transferring to another institution, 
will be reported to the Department of Homeland Security in a more 
timely manner. These improvements will reduce the opportunity for 
potential terrorists to use student visas as a back door into the 
country for the purpose of carrying out terrorist attacks, as happened 
on 9/11.
  Madam Speaker, I greatly value the contributions that foreign 
students and exchange visitors make to our nation and its cultural 
diversity. I believe that these bright young people are critically-
important public diplomacy tools for our country. But we must ensure 
they are coming here for the right reasons. The Student Visa Security 
Improvement Act will enhance homeland security and ensure the integrity 
of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. I urge our colleagues to 
support it.

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