Student Visa Integrity Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 2555
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-30: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-06T18:41:33Z
AI-Generated Summary
Student Visa Integrity Act of 2025
Purpose This legislation seeks to strengthen oversight, security, and compliance in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and related nonimmigrant visa categories by enhancing reporting, accreditation, fraud prevention, and restrictions on certain activities.
Key Provisions
- Increases maximum criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a) for visa fraud committed by school officials participating in SEVP.
- Requires accreditation by a Secretary of Education-recognized agency for most academic institutions, language programs, and exchange visitor programs, with limited one-year waivers for institutions making progress toward accreditation.
- Mandates SEVIS reporting of the date full tuition is paid by the student.
- Requires disclosure of contracts, agreements, and financial contributions from the Government of the People's Republic of China or its affiliates for institutions seeking or maintaining SEVP certification.
- Imposes escalating penalties for SEVIS reporting failures, including fines starting at $1,000, suspension of Form I-20 or DS-2019 issuance, and termination of approval or designation.
- Allows immediate suspension of approval or access for suspected fraud or indictment of school officials, with permanent disqualification upon conviction for specified serious crimes.
- Requires U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, background checks, and training for principals and designated school officials, with statistically significant document reviews if needed.
- Establishes rules for direct and third-party promoters and recruiters, including registration and written agreements with institutions.
- Permits institutions to require tuition payment before issuing eligibility documents and prohibits issuing documents for transfers between approved institutions.
- Prohibits students from changing their reported program of study or major.
- Requires annual site visits and audits of at least 1 percent of institutions with graduated students.
- Mandates employer participation in E-Verify, reporting of student employment details, and attestations that students do not displace U.S. workers, with escalating employment authorization bars for violations.
- Immediately revokes SEVP certification for flight training providers not FAA-certified under 14 CFR Part 141 or 142.
- Requires accrediting agencies to notify DHS and State of accreditation losses, triggering automatic termination of SEVP approval.
- Expands SEVIS tracking to additional nonimmigrant categories pursuing full courses of study.
- Limits language training to F, J, or M status and flight training to F or M status, with narrow exceptions for short refresher courses.
- Denies visas, admission, status changes, or parole for nationals of specified countries (including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and state sponsors of terrorism) seeking nuclear, energy, or flight-related studies, with authority to add countries of concern.
- Repeals Section 501 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012.
- Bars citizens of listed foreign adversary countries (China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela under Maduro, and others designated by State) from seeking higher education visas.
- Limits authorized stay for F, J, or M students to the shorter of program length or 4 years (plus 30 days post-study), with 2-year maximums and extensions for nationals of certain countries or students at non-E-Verify schools.
- Requires in-person interviews for certain extension or change-of-status applicants from designated countries or those in sensitive fields.
- Caps online/distance education at 10 percent of credits or time per session and overall program.
- Clarifies data release obligations and adjusts reporting deadlines to program or session start dates.
- Authorizes fee collection for eligibility reviews and SEVIS II implementation.
- Requires deployment of SEVIS II modernization within 2 years.
- Mandates a GAO implementation report by December 31, 2025.
- Conditions visa issuance on review of the trafficking protections pamphlet.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends INA §§ 101(a) and 214(m), and IIRIRA § 641 to add accreditation mandates, new reporting fields, fraud sanctions, eligibility reviews, stay limitations, online study caps, and country-specific prohibitions.
- Modifies 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a) penalty structure.
- Introduces new restrictions on program changes, transfers, and employment not previously codified.
- Repeals an existing statutory provision on Iran-related student tracking.
Potential Impacts
- Increases administrative burdens on DHS, State Department, and educational institutions through expanded reviews, audits, and system modernization.
- May reduce international student enrollment at U.S. institutions, particularly from designated countries, affecting campus diversity and revenue.
- Strengthens national security screening but could complicate diplomatic and educational exchanges with adversarial nations.
- Requires employers to adopt E-Verify and additional reporting, potentially limiting student work opportunities.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. colleges, universities, language programs, and flight schools.
- International students and exchange visitors.
- DHS (including ICE and SEVP), Department of State, and Department of Education.
- Employers of student workers.
- Accrediting agencies and third-party recruiters.
- Nationals of listed countries of concern or adversaries.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Expands executive discretion in revocations, suspensions, and country designations without prior notice in some cases.
- Introduces new eligibility and background requirements that may raise due process considerations for school officials.
- Creates tiered admission limits based on national origin and institutional compliance, potentially affecting equal protection analysis.
- Repeals prior legislation on Iran student restrictions while adding broader prohibitions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-30: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-07-30: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Student Visa Integrity Act of 2025 — issued 2025-07-30 — PDF (45 pages)