VISITOR Act

The Visa Improvement, Streamlined Investment, and Tourism Optimization Reform Act (VISITOR Act) changes how the U.S. Department of State manages and uses fee collections to fund consular operations. It also establishes a target timeline for scheduling nonimmigrant visa interviews.

* **Nonimmigrant visa applicants:** Individuals applying for nonimmigrant visas to the United States. * **U.S. citizens abroad:** U.S. citizens overseas who rely on general consular protection and services. * **U.S. Department of State:** The Secretary of State and foreign service accounts managing passport fees, visa fees, and consular programs. * **U.S. Congress:** The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, which receive required reports before certain fund transfers take place.

* **Visa Interview Goal:** Authorizes the Secretary of State to work toward a goal of interviewing 80% of nonimmigrant visa applicants within 3 weeks of receiving an application. * **Broader Fee Usage:** Authorizes collected fees—such as passport surcharges, immigrant visa surcharges, and fraud prevention funds—to be used for general consular services, including protecting U.S. citizens and their interests abroad. * **Updated Legal Framework:** * Amends the Passport Act of 1920 to permit broad application of collected fees to general consular costs and removes a specific restriction paragraph. * Amends the Department of State Authorities Act of 2006 to expand the official purpose of certain funds from enhanced border security alone to include general consular services. * **Reporting Requirement:** Mandates that before transferring funds to sustain consular operations, the Secretary of State must consult with and submit a report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

The bill does not directly appropriate new tax dollars or set specific fee amounts. Instead, it adjusts how existing fee collections and fund balances are managed: * **Fee Utilization:** Authorizes the Department of State to cover general consular service costs using passport surcharges, immigrant visa surcharges, and fees from the Fraud Prevention and Detection Account. * **Account Transfers:** Authorizes transfers of unobligated fee balances from specified State Department accounts to the Consular and Border Security Programs account, as well as between accounts under the "Administration of Foreign Affairs" category. * **Emergency Operational Transfers:** Authorizes the Secretary of State to shift unused balances from any "Administration of Foreign Affairs" account into the Consular and Border Security Programs Account if needed to keep consular operations running.

* **Visa Target Exceptions:** The 3-week target for visa interviews is an operational goal rather than a strict mandate. Exceptions are permitted if there are resource constraints, security considerations, or an urgent need to prioritize consular services for U.S. citizens. * **Mandatory Reporting:** The Secretary of State is strictly required to consult with and report to congressional appropriations committees before shifting funds between accounts to maintain consular operations.

This bill grants the Department of State more flexibility to move and spend fee money on broad consular services—including protecting U.S. citizens abroad—and sets a target to conduct 80% of nonimmigrant visa interviews within 3 weeks, subject to available resources and security priorities.