,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #i1         
#bjai,ms4 ,plaskett introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to amend the ,immigration and  
,nationality ,act to establish the      
,virgin ,islands visa waiver program4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,virgin ,islands ,visa ,waiver  
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,virgin ,islands    
visa waiver program  7a7 ,in general    
,section #bab7l7 of the ,immigration and
 ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4        
#aahb7l77 is amended--  7#a7 by amending
 the subsection heading to read as      
follows3 8,guam1 ,northern ,mariana     
,islands1 and ,virgin ,islands ,visa    
,waiver ,programs4--02 and  7#b7 by     
adding at the end the following3  7#g7  
,virgin islands visa waiver program     
7,a7 ,in general ,the requirement of    
subsection 7a77#g77;,b77i7 may be waived
 by the ,secretary of ,homeland         

,security1 in the case of an alien who  
is a national of a country described in 
subparagraph 7,b7 and who is applying   
for admission as a nonimmigrant visitor 
for business or pleasure and solely for 
entry into and stay in the ,united      
,states ,virgin ,islands for a period   
not to exceed #cj days1 if the          
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 after
 consultation with the ,secretary of the
 ,interior1 the ,secretary of ,state1   
and the ,governor of the ,united ,states
 ,virgin ,islands1 determines that such 
a waiver does not represent a threat to 
the welfare1 safety1 or security of the 
,united ,states or its territories and  
commonwealths4  7,b7 ,countries ,a      
country described in this subparagraph  
is a country that-- 7i7 is a member or  
an associate member of the ,caribbean   
,community 7,,caricom72 and  7ii7 is    
listed in the regulations described in  
subparagraph 7,d74  7,c7 ,alien waiver  
of rights ,an alien may not be provided 
a waiver under this paragraph unless the

 alien has waived any right--  7i7 to   
review or appeal under this ,act an     
immigration officer's determination as  
to the admissibility of the alien at the
 port of entry into the ,united ,states 
,virgin ,islands2 or  7ii7 to contest1  
other than on the basis of an           
application for withholding of removal  
under section #bda7;b77#c7 of this ,act 
or under the ,convention ,against       
,torture1 or an application for asylum  
if permitted under section #bjh1 any    
action for removal of the alien4  7,d7  
,regulations ,all necessary regulations 
to implement this paragraph shall be    
promulgated by the ,secretary of        
,homeland ,security1 in consultation    
with the ,secretary of the ,interior and
 the ,secretary of ,state1 on or before 
the date that is #a year after the date 
of enactment of the ,virgin ,islands    
,visa ,waiver ,act of #bjai4 ,the       
promulgation of such regulations shall  
be considered a foreign affairs function
 for purposes of section #eec7;a7 of    

title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 ,at a  
minimum1 such regulations should        
include1 but not necessarily be limited 
to--  7i7 a listing of all member or    
associate member countries of the       
,caribbean ,community 7,,caricom7 whose 
nationals may obtain1 on a country by   
country basis1 the waiver provided by   
this paragraph1 except that such        
regulations shall not provide for a     
listing of any country if the ,secretary
 of ,homeland ,security determines that 
such country's inclusion on such list   
would represent a threat to the welfare1
 safety1 or security of the ,united     
,states or its territories and          
commonwealths2 and  7ii7 any bonding    
requirements for nationals of some or   
all of those countries who may present  
an increased risk of overstays or other 
potential problems1 if different from   
such requirements otherwise provided by 
law for nonimmigrant visitors4  7,e7    
,factors ,in determining whether to     
grant or continue providing the waiver  

under this paragraph to nationals of any
 country1 the ,secretary of ,homeland   
,security1 in consultation with the     
,secretary of the ,interior and the     
,secretary of ,state1 shall consider all
 factors that the ,secretary deems      
relevant1 including electronic travel   
authorizations1 procedures for reporting
 lost and stolen passports1 repatriation
 of aliens1 rates of refusal for        
nonimmigrant visitor visas1 overstays1  
exit systems1 and information exchange4 
7,f7 ,suspension ,the ,secretary of     
,homeland ,security shall monitor the   
admission of nonimmigrant visitors to   
the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands    
under this paragraph4 ,if the ,secretary
 determines that such admissions have   
resulted in an unacceptable number of   
visitors from a country remaining       
unlawfully in the ,united ,states       
,virgin ,islands1 unlawfully obtaining  
entry to other parts of the ,united     
,states1 or seeking withholding of      
removal or asylum1 or that visitors from

 a country pose a risk to law           
enforcement or security interests of the
 ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands or of 
the ,united ,states 7including the      
interest in the enforcement of the      
immigration laws of the ,united         
,states71 the ,secretary shall suspend  
the admission of nationals of such      
country under this paragraph4 ,the      
,secretary of ,homeland ,security may in
 the ,secretary's discretion suspend the
 ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands visa  
waiver program at any time1 on a        
country-by-country basis1 for other good
 cause4  7,g7 ,addition of countries    
,the ,governor of the ,united ,states   
,virgin ,islands may request the        
,secretary of the ,interior and the     
,secretary of ,homeland ,security to add
 a particular country to the list of    
countries whose nationals may obtain the
 waiver provided by this paragraph1 and 
the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security   
may grant such request after            
consultation with the ,secretary of the 

,interior and the ,secretary of ,state1 
and may promulgate regulations with     
respect to the inclusion of that country
 and any special requirements the       
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 in   
the ,secretary's sole discretion1 may   
impose prior to allowing nationals of   
that country to obtain the waiver       
provided by this paragraph4  4  7b7     
,conforming amendments  7#a7            
,documentation requirements ,section    
#bab7;a77#g77;iii7 of the ,immigration  
and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4     
#aahb7;a77#g77;iii77 is amended to read 
as follows3  7iii7 ,special visa waiver 
programs ,for a provision authorizing   
waiver of clause 7i7 in the case of     
visitors to ,guam1 the ,commonwealth of 
the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 or the 
,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 see   
subsection 7l74  4  7#b7 ,admission of  
nonimmigrants ,section #bad7;a77#a7 of  
such ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahd7;a77#a77  
is amended by inserting before the final
 sentence the following3 ,no alien      

admitted to the ,united ,states ,virgin 
,islands without a visa pursuant to     
section #bab7l77#g7 may be authorized to
 enter or stay in the ,united ,states   
other than in the ,united ,states       
,virgin ,islands or to remain in the    
,united ,states ,virgin ,islands for a  
period exceeding #cj days from date of  
admission to the ,united ,states ,virgin
 ,islands44