Bill > S2781

This bill, the Student Visa Integrity Act, aims to strengthen the integrity of student and exchange visitor visa programs by increasing criminal penalties for certain offenses related to educational institutions' participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which is managed by the Department of Homeland Security and uses the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to track foreign students and exchange visitors. It mandates that colleges, universities, and language training programs must be accredited by an agency recognized by the Secretary of Education to be considered accredited for visa purposes, with some exceptions for religious institutions and provisions for waivers under specific circumstances. The bill also introduces stricter penalties for failing to comply with SEVIS reporting requirements, allows for immediate suspension of an institution's certification and access to SEVIS if fraud is suspected or if an owner or designated school official is indicted for fraud, and permanently disqualifies individuals convicted of such fraud from future roles in educational institutions that enroll nonimmigrant alien students. Furthermore, it requires background checks for designated school officials, including criminal and immigration history reviews, and mandates that flight schools must be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to access SEVIS and issue student visa documents. The bill also requires immediate withdrawal of SEVP certification for schools whose accreditation is denied or revoked and mandates reports from the Secretary of Homeland Security on risk assessment strategies and the implementation of recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding SEVP operations, as well as the completion of the SEVIS II system.