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Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-110

§1734 Improved Training for Consular Officers

Title 8 › CHAPTER 15 — ENHANCED BORDER SECURITY AND VISA ENTRY REFORM › SUBCHAPTER III — VISA ISSUANCE › § 1734

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must require all consular officers who handle visa decisions to get special training before they begin. The training must teach how to identify people barred under section 1182(a)(3)(A) and (B), how agencies share intelligence about terrorists, cultural sensitivity, and how to detect and analyze fake documents under section 1776. Trainees must also work with immigration officers at ports of entry. The Secretary must coordinate with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, federal law enforcement, and the intelligence community to give the Bureau of Consular Affairs current unclassified reports, bulletins, and updates about terrorists and risky visa applicants. Money needed to do this may be appropriated.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1734

Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Training
The Secretary of State shall require that all consular officers responsible for adjudicating visa applications, before undertaking to perform consular responsibilities, receive specialized training in the effective screening of visa applicants who pose a potential threat to the safety or security of the United States. Such officers shall be specially and extensively trained in the identification of aliens inadmissible under section 1182(a)(3)(A) and (B) of this title, interagency and international intelligence sharing regarding terrorists and terrorism, and cultural-sensitivity toward visa applicants. In accordance with section 1776 of this title, and as part of the consular training provided to such officers by the Secretary of State, such officers shall also receive training in detecting fraudulent documents and general document forensics and shall be required as part of such training to work with immigration officers conducting inspections of applicants for admission into the United States at ports of entry.
(b)Use of foreign intelligence information
As an ongoing component of the training required in subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall coordinate with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, Federal law enforcement agencies, and the intelligence community to compile and disseminate to the Bureau of Consular Affairs reports, bulletins, updates, and other current unclassified information relevant to terrorists and terrorism and to screening visa applicants who pose a potential threat to the safety or security of the United States.
(c)Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to implement this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–458 inserted at end “In accordance with section 1776 of this title, and as part of the consular training provided to such officers by the Secretary of State, such officers shall also receive training in detecting fraudulent documents and general document forensics and shall be required as part of such training to work with immigration officers conducting inspections of applicants for admission into the United States at ports of entry.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1734

Title 8, Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110