H.R. 3992 (112^th): To allow otherwise eligible Israeli nationals to receive E-2 nonimmigrant visas if similarly situated United States nationals are eligible for similar nonimmigrant status in Israel.

GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

House Republican Conference Summary

The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.

This summary can be found at http://www.gop.gov/bill/112/2/hr3992.

Background

The E-2 visa allows nonimmigrant investors to enter the United States temporarily to oversee a business in which they have made a significant investment.  Under the bill, if an Israeli national applied for the E-2 visa, the Department of State would charge a $390 fee to cover the cost of adjudicating the application and processing the visa.  Israeli nationals are already eligible for a similar visa category—the E-1 visa for nonimmigrant traders.

Summary

H.R. 3992 would make Israeli nationals eligible to enter the U.S. temporarily under the E-2 visa program (nonimmigrant investors) if Israel provides reciprocal nonimmigrant treatment to U.S. nationals.

Cost

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), enacting H.R. 3992 would affect direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply.  However, CBO estimates that the net effects would be insignificant for each year and over the 2012-2022 period.  Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.

Based on information from the Department of State about the number of Israeli citizens who received E-1 visas and the ratio of E-2 to E-1 visas in countries comparable to Israel, CBO expects that under the bill the department would issue about 500 additional E-2 visas each year and collect about $200,000 in additional fees annually.  The department is authorized to collect and spend such fees without further appropriation, so the net impact on federal spending would not be significant.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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