María Elvira Salazar U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
María Elvira Salazar U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Reps. María Elvira Salazar and Sydney Kamlager-Dove have introduced new legislation aimed at modernizing the visa processing system. The proposed bill, known as H.R. 9545 or the Visa Processing Improvement and Paperwork Reduction Act, seeks to streamline current procedures by moving federal communications regarding visa applications online.
The existing system has been criticized for being outdated and resource-intensive. The legislation intends to alleviate these issues by reducing the need for physical document submissions that have already been provided electronically. This change is expected to save both time and money for the State Department.
Rep. Salazar emphasized the potential benefits of this reform: “We have an opportunity to both improve government efficiency and reduce the burden on individuals navigating our complex immigration system.” She noted that it would allow quicker and easier processing of visa applications.
Rep. Kamlager-Dove highlighted how excessive wait times affect applicants negatively: “Excessive visa wait times have long plagued our broken immigration system, causing unnecessary heartache for many applicants.” She believes digitizing more aspects of the process will reduce paperwork redundancy and speed up processing times.
The two representatives previously collaborated on the GRATEFUL Act, which was signed into law in 2023. This act facilitated visas for locally employed U.S. embassy staff wishing to immigrate after their service.
Congresswoman Salazar represents Florida’s 27th congressional district, encompassing Miami and its surrounding areas.
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