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Title 6 — Domestic SecurityRelease 119-73not60

§278 Application of Internet-based Technologies

Title 6 › Chapter 1— HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › Subchapter IV— BORDER, MARITIME, AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY › Part E— Citizenship and Immigration Services › § 278

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must create an online system within 1 year after the law takes effect so people, employers, immigrants, or nonimmigrants with filings for benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act can check the processing status of their filings. The Secretary must work with a Technology Advisory Committee to do this. The Secretary must also do a study, with the same committee, on allowing those filings to be made online. The study must review the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s current computer systems, estimate how long it would take and how much it would cost, and consider things like online fee payment. A report on the study must be sent to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees within 1 year after the law takes effect. The Technology Advisory Committee must be set up within 60 days and include people from high-tech companies and users who would use the tracking and filing tools.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §278

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, not later than 1 year after the effective date of this chapter, in consultation with the Technology Advisory Committee established under subsection (c), shall establish an Internet-based system, that will permit a person, employer, immigrant, or nonimmigrant who has filings with the Secretary for any benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), access to online information about the processing status of the filing involved.
(b)(1)The Secretary, in consultation with the Technology Advisory Committee established under subsection (c), shall conduct a feasibility study on the online filing of the filings described in subsection (a). The study shall include a review of computerization and technology of the Immigration and Naturalization Service relating to the immigration services and processing of filings related to immigrant services. The study shall also include an estimate of the timeframe and cost and shall consider other factors in implementing such a filing system, including the feasibility of fee payment online.
(2)A report on the study under this subsection shall be submitted to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate not later than 1 year after the effective date of this chapter.
(c)(1)The Secretary shall establish, not later than 60 days after the effective date of this chapter, an advisory committee (in this section referred to as the “Technology Advisory Committee”) to assist the Secretary in—
(A)establishing the tracking system under subsection (a); and
(B)conducting the study under subsection (b).
(2)The Technology Advisory Committee shall be composed of representatives from high technology companies capable of establishing and implementing the system in an expeditious manner, and representatives of persons who may use the tracking system described in subsection (a) and the online filing system described in subsection (b)(1).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The

Effective Date

of this chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b)(2), and (c)(1), is 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 101 of this title. The Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is act June 27, 1952, ch. 477, 66 Stat. 163, which is classified principally to chapter 12 (§ 1101 et seq.) of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1101 of Title 8 and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination of Advisory CommitteesAdvisory committees established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a committee established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such committee is renewed by appropriate action prior to expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a committee established by Congress, its duration is otherwise provided for by law. See section 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 278

Title 6 — Domestic Security

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60