Golden Visa Accountability Act
This bill requires the Department of State to establish and maintain a database containing information about investor visa denials due to the applicant's involvement in corruption or serious human rights abuses. (Generally, the United States offers immigrant visas to qualified individuals who invest in the United States and create a certain number of full-time jobs.)
Initially, the database must include records related to such denials of U.S. investor visas. The bill also requires the State Department to eventually expand the database to include records of such denials of investor visas in other countries. The State Department shall prioritize including records from European Union countries and from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The State Department may admit a foreign country to be part of the database if the State Department determines (1) that country will be honest and forthcoming with its records, and (2) that country's investor visa program is at risk of abuse by corrupt foreign officials.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4142 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4142
To require the Secretary of State to establish an investor visa denials
database, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 24, 2021
Mr. Kinzinger (for himself, Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Fitzpatrick,
Mr. Meijer, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Porter, Mr. Phillips, and
Ms. Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of State to establish an investor visa denials
database, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Golden Visa Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Foreign state.--The term ``foreign state'' has the
meaning given such term in section 1603 of title 28, United
States Code.
(2) Foreign investor visa.--The term ``foreign investor
visa'' means any visa or passport granted by a foreign investor
visa program.
(3) Foreign investor visa denial.--The term ``foreign
investor visa denial'' means the decision of a foreign state to
deny an applicant a foreign investor visa because of
involvement in corruption or serious human rights abuse.
(4) Foreign investor visa program.--The term ``foreign
investor visa program'' means any visa or passport program of a
foreign state that provides a visa or citizenship in exchange
for an investment of any size.
(5) United states investor visa denial.--The term ``United
States investor visa denial'' means a decision to deny an
applicant a visa under section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)) because of involvement in
corruption or serious human rights abuse.
SEC. 3. INVESTOR VISA DENIALS DATABASE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish an
investor visa denials database. Initially, this database shall include
records related to United States investor visa denials, for the purpose
of coordinating with foreign states--
(1) to prevent the abuse of investor visas by foreign
corrupt officials or criminals;
(2) to ensure that the proceeds of corruption are not used
to purchase an investor visa; and
(3) to counter the tendency of foreign corrupt officials
and criminals to ``shop'' for an investor visa.
(b) Expansion.--The Secretary of State shall expand the database to
include foreign investor visa denials. Foreign states that provide
records related to foreign investor visa denials for inclusion in the
database shall gain access to records contained therein. Priority
foreign states for inclusion in this database are--
(1) the foreign states of the European Union, which include
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, and Sweden; and
(2) the foreign states of the Five Eyes, which include
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
(c) Admission.--Foreign states may of their own volition apply for
access to, and inclusion in, the investor visa denials database. The
Secretary of State may admit a foreign state to the database if the
Secretary determines that--
(1) the foreign state will be honest and forthcoming with
records regarding its foreign investor visa denials; and
(2) the foreign investor visa program is at risk of abuse
by foreign corrupt officials.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
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