Sponsors (4)
Introduced January 14, 2026 by Brandon Gill · Last progress January 14, 2026
The bill strengthens national-security screening, fraud enforcement, and centralized student-tracking — at the cost of reduced access and flexibility for many international students and training programs, higher compliance costs for schools and consulates, and increased privacy and due‑process risks.
National security stakeholders and the public: tighter vetting, country-designations, disclosure requirements, and background checks reduce the risk that foreign-state actors or bad actors access sensitive research, aviation, or other training that could harm U.S. security.
DHS, consular officers, institutions, and lawful students: centralizing SEVP authority in DHS and modernizing SEVIS (including a mandated digital SEVIS II) provides clearer, consolidated oversight and can speed enforcement and coordination across agencies.
Bona fide international students and program integrity: stronger enforcement tools, meaningful fines, permanent disqualifications for fraud, and expedited removal of fraudulent actors protect genuine students from exploitative programs and improve data accuracy.
International students, U.S. colleges, researchers, and airlines: stricter country bans, accreditation/certification requirements, shorter stay caps, and limits on eligible visa holders will materially reduce access to U.S. education and specialized training, shrinking enrollment and disrupting degree and workforce pipelines.
Colleges, flight schools, small institutions, and program sponsors: extensive new reporting, background checks, audits, site visits, E-Verify, and SEVIS II fees will impose substantial administrative burdens and costs that may be passed to students or force programs to cut services or close.
International and domestic students, and faculty: expanded data collection, centralization of records in a person-centric digital system, and intelligence-coordinated vetting/in-person interview requirements raise significant privacy, civil-liberty, and data-security risks.
Based on analysis of 23 sections of legislative text.
Tightens who can enroll and stay on F/J/M student visas, limits online/flight/language training, expands DHS/State denial and revocation powers, strengthens reporting, penalties, and SEVIS rules.
Immediately restricts which institutions and programs can enroll foreign students and expands when and how DHS and State may deny, revoke, or refuse visas or status for certain students. It narrows who may take flight or language training, caps how long and how much online study counts for student visas, tightens accreditation and reporting duties for schools and accreditors, boosts penalties for fraud, requires background checks and training for school officials, and mandates a modernized SEVIS system with fees and implementation deadlines.