Rep. Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, has introduced legislation he calls the Student Visa Integrity Act, proposing shorter visa terms for certain students, new disclosure requirements for institutional ties to China, and broader screening authorities aimed at reducing visa fraud and national-security risks.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) has introduced a House proposal aimed at tightening oversight of the U.S. student visa system and increasing penalties for visa-related fraud by schools and administrators.
The measure, titled the Student Visa Integrity Act, would set stricter limits on the length of certain student visas and require in-person interviews for some applicants seeking extensions, according to The Daily Wire, which first reported details of the bill.
Under the proposal, students from countries designated by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism, countries with student- and exchange-visa overstay rates of 10% or higher, or schools that do not use the federal E-Verify employment eligibility system would be limited to a maximum two-year student visa term, The Daily Wire reported. The bill would also require in-person interviews for visa extensions for applicants from countries viewed as higher national-security risks.
The proposal would require educational institutions and affiliated organizations to disclose financial links to China and would impose new restrictions on foreign students who seek to transfer between schools, The Daily Wire reported.
The bill would also expand the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to deny student visas to applicants from what the proposal calls “countries of concern” if DHS determines the applicant could pose a future national-security risk. The Daily Wire reported that categories flagged in the bill include individuals seeking work connected to Iran’s energy sector or those pursuing training related to flight operations, aviation maintenance or flight training.
Gill told The Daily Wire: “Studying in the United States is a privilege, not a right. Unfortunately, a system intended to spread the American dream has been abused by fraudsters and bad actors. My bill restores integrity to a system that has been exploited for decades by protecting national security, enforcing immigration law, and ensuring the student visa program serves America’s interests.”
The proposal follows recent federal actions and data points highlighting scrutiny of visa compliance. Fox News has reported, citing the State Department, that roughly 100,000 visas were revoked in 2025, including about 8,000 student visas.
Separately, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in its 2024 annual Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) report that the number of active F-1 and M-1 student records in the SEVIS tracking system totaled 1,582,808 in calendar year 2024, a 5.3% increase from 2023, with Asia accounting for the largest share of student records.
On visa overstays, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s fiscal year 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report found 33,771 suspected in-country overstays among F visa students and 17,051 among J visa exchange visitors (with additional categories and measures in the report covering overstay totals and rates).
The bill also calls for tougher penalties for administrators and schools found responsible for visa fraud, according to The Daily Wire.
