Sponsors (14)
The bill tightens enforcement and adds civil and criminal penalties to deter short‑term visa overstays—potentially improving compliance and generating revenue—but does so by criminalizing minor infractions and imposing fines and administrative burdens that risk unfair hardship and higher enforcement costs.
Nonimmigrant visitors and the public: the bill clarifies and strengthens enforcement standards for short‑term visa compliance, which could improve overall immigration system integrity and predictability.
Taxpayers and federal agencies: the bill creates a civil‑penalty enforcement mechanism (fines) that generates revenue and may deter short‑term overstays without immediately resorting to removal proceedings.
Nonimmigrant visitors who exceed authorized status by small amounts: the bill imposes criminal penalties (up to 6 months for a first offense, up to 2 years for repeats), substantially increasing the risk of incarceration for relatively minor overstays.
Lawful visitors who unintentionally overstay (e.g., due to travel delays or emergencies): harsher penalties raise due‑process and fairness concerns and increase the likelihood of disproportionate impacts on individuals who did not intend to violate visa conditions.
Federal agencies, courts, and taxpayers: criminalizing more minor overstays could increase workloads and operational costs for DHS, DOJ, and the courts, potentially diverting resources from higher‑priority enforcement and public‑safety threats.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new criminal offense for nonimmigrant visa overstays of 10 aggregate days and raises civil fines to $500–$1,000 (doubled for repeat offenders), with jail time for repeat cases.
Introduced June 5, 2025 by Nathaniel Moran · Last progress June 5, 2025
Creates a new criminal offense for nonimmigrant visa holders who fail to maintain status or comply with visa conditions for an aggregate of 10 days, subject to fines and jail time; raises civil penalties tied to unlawful entry and increases monetary penalty thresholds. First offenses can carry a fine and up to 6 months in jail; repeat offenses or prior convictions can carry higher fines and up to 2 years imprisonment, and civil penalties of $500–$1,000 per violation (doubled for repeat civil-penalty offenders).