JOLT Act of 2018

Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2018 or the JOLT Act of 2018

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant a visitor visa for up to a 240 days to a citizen of Canada who is at least 50 years of age, maintains a residence in Canada, owns a residence or has signed a rental agreement in the United States, is not otherwise inadmissible, will not engage in employment in the United States, and will not seek any form of public assistance or benefits.

The bill revises the visa waiver program and renames it as the security travel partnership program. DHS may designate any country as a program country if its meets specified requirements.

The Department of State must (1) require diplomatic and consular missions to conduct nonimmigrant visa application interviews expeditiously and set a goal of interviewing visa applicants, worldwide, within 15 days of application receipt; (2) develop and conduct a pilot program for processing visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology for conducting visa interviews; and (3) seek to coordinate enrollment and interview processes for individuals eligible for both a U.S. visa and enrollment in the Global Entry program operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.