Rigell Supports Bill to Tighten Visa Waiver Program

Press Release

Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02) this week supported, and the House of Representatives passed, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015. H.R. 158 allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deny Visa Waiver Program (VWP) status to men and women from participating countries who have recently traveled to Iraq, Syria, or a country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. Further, it allows DHS to deny participation in the VWP to any country that fails to share counter-terrorism information with the United States. The bill also requires all countries who participate in the program to use fraud resistant "e-passports," which will better protect our nation from those who intend to enter our country illegally on a fraudulent visa. H.R. 158 now goes to the Senate for consideration.

"The number one responsibility of Congress and the President is the protection of the American people," said Congressman Rigell who, following the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, called on the President to take every precaution necessary to protect our citizens from the risk of domestic terrorism. "We must ensure our nation's immigration laws are fair and just, while also fully sufficient to meet the very real threat before us," Rigell added.

Created in 1986, the VWP allows more than 20 million people annually from 38 participating countries to easily travel to the United States for up to 90 days. Instead of going to a U.S. consulate or embassy, citizens of participating countries must provide detailed background information that is then screened against U.S. security systems. It is estimated that approximately 5,000 Europeans have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS, many of whom are from countries that participate in the VWP. In some instances, countries have failed to provide the U.S. intelligence community with critical information needed to ensure those traveling under the VWP are not a threat to the United States.

The Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015 will:

* Give the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to suspend a country's participation in the program if they fail to share counter-terrorism information with the U.S.
* Deny VWP status to those citizens from participating countries who have traveled to certain countries since 2011.
* Require all VWP countries to use fraud resistant "e-passports."
* Allow for the suspension of high-risk countries from the VWP.

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