To require the denial of admission to the United States for individuals subject to sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13876, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Tenney (for herself, Mr. Ogles, and Ms. Salazar) introduced …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The SEVER Act (Strengthening Entry Visa Enforcement and Restrictions Act) amends existing immigration law to prevent individuals sanctioned under Executive Order 13876 from entering the United States, even if they are coming as representatives to the United Nations. Executive Order 13876 imposes sanctions on Iranian officials and entities. Currently, there may be a loophole allowing sanctioned Iranian officials to enter the U.S. for UN diplomatic activities; this bill closes that gap.
Who Benefits and How
The U.S. State Department gains clearer authority to deny visas to sanctioned individuals seeking UN representative status, strengthening enforcement of Iran sanctions policy. Iran sanctions advocacy groups and national security organizations benefit from enhanced sanctions enforcement mechanisms that align with their policy objectives. Immigration restrictionists and those who favor stricter vetting of foreign officials gain a legislative tool to prevent individuals deemed hostile to U.S. interests from entering U.S. territory.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Iranian officials who are sanctioned under EO 13876 face an absolute barrier to entering the United States for UN diplomatic functions, eliminating any diplomatic exception they might have previously claimed. The United Nations may face diplomatic complications if sanctioned individuals cannot participate in UN proceedings held in New York. The U.S. State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs must implement new visa adjudication procedures to screen for EO 13876 sanctions status, creating additional administrative burdens.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 407(a)(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991
- Adds individuals subject to Executive Order 13876 sanctions to the list of those ineligible for U.S. visas
- Applies specifically to individuals seeking entry as UN representatives
- References EO 13876 as in effect on September 16, 2025, freezing the sanctions criteria to that date
- Creates no new exemptions or waivers for diplomatic purposes
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Denies U.S. admission to individuals sanctioned under Executive Order 13876 (Iran sanctions) who seek entry as UN representatives
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Strengthen enforcement of Iran sanctions by preventing sanctioned Iranian officials from entering the U.S. even for UN diplomatic purposes"
Likely Beneficiaries
- U.S. State Department (enhanced authority to deny visas)
- Iran sanctions advocates
- National security hardliners
Likely Burden Bearers
- Iranian officials sanctioned under EO 13876 seeking UN access
- United Nations (potential diplomatic complications)
- U.S. diplomatic corps (managing international relations fallout)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Executive Order relating to imposing sanctions with respect to Iran (50 U.S.C. 1701 note), as in effect on September 16, 2025
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology