United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 3 R cosponsors

HR 1220 — FIRM Act of 2025

Last action — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 11, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Stalled 20% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (3 R).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Fee Increases for Reckless Mismanagement Act of 2025 or FIRM Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of State to increase the fee for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants (i.e., those who are visiting temporarily for business or pleasure) who are nationals of certain countries. In particular, the State Department must increase the fee on the nationals of a country if the State Department determines that the government of the country has denied or delayed the acceptance of certain non-U.S. nationals, if the State Department has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism, or if the country is not meeting certain standards for combating human trafficking.The fee increases with each of the criteria the country meets. The State Department must evaluate countries based on the criteria monthly and adjust the fee accordingly.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes a new fee structure for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants based on specific country designations.

  • 8 U.S.C. 1101

    SEC. 281A. FEE INCREASE FOR CERTAIN NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS. (a) Fee Increase.--The Secretary of State shall increase the fee imposed under section 281 on an alien filing an application abroad for a visa authorizing admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(B) in accordance with subsection (b) for any alien who is a national of a country with respect to which the Secretary determines any of the following: (1) The Secretary of Homeland Security has reported to the Secretary of State under section 243(d) that the government of the country has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting an alien who is a citizen, subject, national, or resident of that country after the Secretary of Homeland Security asked whether the government would accept the alien. (2) The Secretary of State has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism (as such term is defined in section 214(c)(4)(F)(ii)). (3) The country is listed as a tier 3 country in the most recent Trafficking in Persons report of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Department of State. (b) Amount of Increase.--The Secretary shall increase the fee described in subsection (a) as follows: (1) If the Secretary determines that the country meets one of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 50 percent. (2) If the Secretary determines that the country meets two of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 100 percent. (3) If the Secretary determines that the country meets three of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 150 percent. (c) Periodic Review.--On the first day of each month, the Secretary shall review the determinations under subsection (a), to determine whether any increase imposed should be reduced, or whether an increase should be imposed on nationals of any additional countries.

    This change introduces a new section that establishes criteria and amounts for increasing visa fees for certain nonimmigrant applicants based on their country of nationality.

  • 8 U.S.C. 1101

    Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Immigration and Nationality Act is amended by inserting after the item related to section 281 the following: 281A. Fee increase for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants.

    This change updates the table of contents to include the new section for fee increases for specific nonimmigrant visa applicants.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 544 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (544)

544 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

immigration
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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 1220 do?
Fee Increases for Reckless Mismanagement Act of 2025 or FIRM Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of State to increase the fee for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants (i.e., those who are visiting temporarily for business or pleasure) who are nationals of certain countries. In particular, the State Department must increase the fee on the nationals of a country if the State Department determines that the government of the country has denied or delayed the acceptance of certain non-U.S. nationals, if the State Department has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism, or if the country is not meeting certain standards for combating human trafficking.The fee increases with each of the criteria the country meets. The State Department must evaluate countries based on the criteria monthly and adjust the fee accordingly.
Who sponsors HR 1220?
HR 1220 is sponsored by Wagner, Ann (Republican), Gill, Brandon (Republican), and Brecheen, Josh (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 1220?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 11, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HR 1220?
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Last checked for changes 4 months ago · updated continuously

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