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HR 1543 110th Congress House Immigration Admission of nonimmigrants Airline passenger traffic Aliens Alliances Armed Forces and National Security Congress Congressional reporting requirements Crime and Law Enforcement Electronic data interchange Identification devices International Affairs International cooperation Passports Science, Technology, Communications Technical assistance Terrorism Transportation and Public Works Travel Visas

Visa Waiver Modernization Act

Introduced: March 15, 2007 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 20, 2007
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
Mar 19, 2007
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism.
Mar 15, 2007
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.
Mar 15, 2007
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Visa Waiver Modernization Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should modernize the visa waiver program by enhancing program security requirements and extending visa-free travel privileges to nationals of foreign countries that are allies in the war on terrorism; and (2) such expansion will have positive security, economic, and bilateral effects.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the visa waiver program to provide that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall certify to Congress that an air exit system is in place when such system can verify the departure of at least 97% of foreign nationals exiting through U.S. airports.

Authorizes, upon such certification, waiver of low visa refusal rate requirements for a country that meets security and counterterrorism cooperation requirements and has a sustained reduction in visa refusal rates.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) consider specified security-related issues in determining whether to waive low visa refusal requirements; and (2) consider visa overstay rates in determining program eligibility.

Provides for the following program security enhancements: (1) implementation of an electronic travel authorization system which shall provide biographical information; (2) participant country reporting of lost and stolen passports to the U.S. government; (3) participant country acceptance of its citizens or nationals removed from the United States; and (4) security-related information exchange about a country's citizens or nationals traveling to the United States.

Requires the Secretary to establish an exit system that records the departure on a flight leaving the United States of every alien program participant. Requires that such system: (1) match an alien's biometric information against watch lists and immigration information; and (2) compare such biometric information against air carrier manifests to confirm departures.

What's happening now April 20, 2007

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4