Florida Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R) and California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D) are leading a bipartisan effort to simplify visa processing. This week, the lawmakers introduced H.R. 9545, the Visa Processing Improvement and Paperwork Reduction Act.
The legislation seeks to fix application and processing systems that are considered outdated, duplicative, and that waste crucial resources. According to a press release from Rep. Salazar's office, if the bill is signed into law, it promises to "save the State Department countless hours of labors and thousands of dollars in postage and paper by keeping federal communications about visa applications online." The law would also "reduce requirements on families to mail physical copies of documents that have already been submitted online."
In a statement, Rep. Salazar praised the effort, warning that "we have an opportunity to improve government efficiency and reduce the burden on individuals navigating our complex immigration system." "The Visa Processing Improvement and Paperwork Reduction Act will save the State Department tons of time and money so they can process visa applications quicker and easier," she added.
The Visa Processing Improvement and Paperwork Reduction Act would streamline the visa processing system. It would eliminate the requirement to mail all signed communications from the applicant and from the Agency that are already sent electronically.
Rep. Kamlager-Dove further criticized that "excessive visa wait times have long plagued our broken immigration system, causing unnecessary heartache for many applicants.” Because of this, she believes that “digitizing more aspects of the visa application process will eliminate redundant paperwork, speeding up visa processing times and reducing burdens on applicants."
Both lawmakers previously introduced the GRATEFUL Act, which President Joe Biden (D) signed into law in 2023. The bill provided visas for locally employed U.S. embassy staff to immigration to the United States after a career of service to the country.
