A Republican lawmaker has introduced new legislation aimed at tightening oversight of the US student visa program, arguing that systemic weaknesses have allowed fraud, visa overstays, and potential national security risks to persist.

Representative Brandon Gill of Texas on Wednesday introduced the Student Visa Integrity Act, describing it as a necessary step to strengthen enforcement and curb what he called long-standing abuses of the student visa system.

“Studying in the United States is a privilege, not a right,” Gill said in a statement announcing the bill. He argued that the program has been exploited by “fraudsters and bad actors,” and said the proposed legislation is designed to protect national security, enforce immigration laws, and ensure that student visa programs operate in the interest of the United States.

According to Gill’s office, the bill would introduce firm end dates for student visa programs, addressing concerns that some visa holders remain in the country beyond their authorized period. The legislation would also expand in-person interview requirements for student visa applicants, a measure supporters say could help reduce visa overstays and improve screening.

The proposed law would further restrict transfers between academic programs, tightening rules that currently allow students to move between institutions or courses of study. In addition, it would impose tougher penalties on schools and administrators found to have committed visa fraud, including potential prison eligibility and removal from federal student visa programs.

One of the more controversial provisions would bar nationals from countries defined in the legislation as adversarial from studying in the United States. The bill would also require colleges and universities to disclose any financial, academic, or institutional ties to the Chinese government, citing concerns about foreign influence and national security.

A companion bill has been introduced in the US Senate by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. Tuberville said he was alarmed by the number of students from countries such as China and Iran enrolled at American universities.

“I was shocked to learn how many students from hostile countries like China and Iran are studying at our American universities,” Tuberville said. He questioned why students from such nations should be allowed to attend elite US institutions, including those in his home state.

The House version of the bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Nehls and Collins and has received backing from conservative advocacy groups, including the Immigration Accountability Project and Heritage Action.

Supporters of the legislation argue that current monitoring systems are outdated. Foreign students in the United States are tracked through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which was established after national security lapses exposed weaknesses in paper-based tracking methods. Critics of the existing framework say SEVIS has seen little modernization in more than two decades, even as foreign student enrollment has surged.

According to data cited by bill supporters, the number of foreign students in the US has grown from approximately 750,000 in 2012 to more than 1.5 million in recent years. The Department of Homeland Security has estimated that around 50,000 student and exchange visitor visa holders overstayed their authorized programs in fiscal year 2023 alone.

Backers of the Student Visa Integrity Act argue that these figures underscore the need for tighter controls, while critics are expected to raise concerns about academic freedom, international collaboration, and the potential impact on US higher education.