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Title 8 — Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-73not60

§1734 Improved Training for Consular Officers

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

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must require that every consular officer who decides visa applications get special training before they start that work. The training must cover how to screen applicants who might threaten U.S. safety, how to identify aliens inadmissible under section 1182(a)(3)(A) and (B), how to share intelligence with other agencies and countries, cultural sensitivity, and — under section 1776 — detecting fake documents and basic document forensics. Trainees must also work with immigration officers at U.S. ports of entry. The Secretary must keep the training current by coordinating with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, federal law enforcement, and the intelligence community and share reports, bulletins, and other unclassified updates with the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Funds may be appropriated as needed to carry out these requirements.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1734

Aliens and Nationality — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)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)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)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

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60