Bill · H.R. 362· House(119-HR-362)
Virgin Islands Visa Waiver Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 1/13/2025
- Last activity
- 1/13/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Stacey Plaskett
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Virgin Islands Visa Waiver Act of 2025 aims to establish a visa waiver program for the Virgin Islands of the United States. This program would allow certain nonimmigrant visitors to enter for business or pleasure for up to 45 days without a visa. The Secretary of Homeland Security would oversee this process after consulting with various officials, including the Governor of the Virgin Islands. The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include the Virgin Islands alongside Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. It also outlines specific requirements for visitors and provides the Secretary with the authority to suspend the program if necessary.
Yes· 3 of 4
Would business owners be better off under this?+3
The waiver simplifies entry for nonimmigrants visiting for business purposes.
Would immigrants be better off under this?+2
The bill provides a more streamlined entry process for certain foreign nationals to visit the Virgin Islands.
Would people in cities be better off under this?+2
The program may increase tourism and business activity within the Virgin Islands.
The opposite
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?-5
The bill requires visa waiver applicants to waive their right to review or appeal an officer's determination of admissibility.
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?-1
The bill requires travelers to waive certain rights to contest removal actions, which does not aid the pathway to citizenship.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Travel Flexibility: Nonimmigrant visitors may enter the Virgin Islands for business or pleasure for stays not exceeding 45 days via a waiver (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 1).
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Inclusion of Caribbean Community Members: The regulations are intended to include a listing of all member or associate member countries of the Caribbean Community whose nationals may obtain the waiver (Section 2, subsection c).
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Local Government Input: The Governor of the Virgin Islands has the ability to request the addition of specific countries to the waiver list (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 6).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Loss of Legal Rights: To receive a waiver, an alien must waive the right to review or appeal an immigration officer's determination regarding their admissibility (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 2, subparagraph A).
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Restrictions on Legal Contests: Aliens must waive the right to contest actions for removal, except for specific applications such as those for withholding of removal, the Convention Against Torture, or asylum (Section s2, subsection a, paragraph 2, subparagraph B).
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Additional Costs: Individuals seeking to enter the Virgin Islands under this waiver will be required to pay an administrative processing fee (Section 2, subsection e).
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Risk of Program Suspension: The Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to suspend the admission of nationals from certain countries if they result in an unacceptable number of unlawful stays or pose risks to security (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 5).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+3Good For Immigrants+2Good For Urban Residents+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process-5
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves International Trade+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Pathway To Citizenship-1
- 1/13/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House