This bill would make student visas (F visas) available to international college athletes who sign endorsement deals to use their name, image, or likeness. The visa would allow these athletes to legally work on activities related to their endorsement contracts.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill would make student visas (F visas) available to international college athletes who sign endorsement deals to use their name, image, or likeness. The visa would allow these athletes to legally work on activities related to their endorsement contracts.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Name, Image, and Likeness for International Collegiate Athletes Act</strong></p><p>This bill makes nonimmigrant student visas (F visas) available to college athletes who enter into endorsement contracts involving the individual’s name, image, or likeness.</p><p>The visa is available to individuals enrolled in a U.S. institution of higher education who intend to contract for the commercial use of their name, image, or likeness (i.e., endorsement contracts). </p><p>The bill authorizes the visa holder to obtain employment authorization for the purpose of engaging in activities related to such contracts. (Under current law, student visa holders must obtain employment authorization to perform off-campus work. The off-campus work must either be related to the student’s field of study or in response to severe economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances, subject to further requirements.)</p><p>The Department of Homeland Security may engage the student's institution of higher education in oversight of the student's employment activity. </p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Provides F visas for international college athletes with name, image, and likeness (NIL) endorsement contracts
Authorizes visa holders to obtain employment authorization to work on NIL contract-related activities
Allows the Department of Homeland Security to oversee the student's employment activities
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would benefit international student-athletes who want to profit from their name, image, and likeness while studying in the U.S. It could increase opportunities for these athletes and potentially make U.S. colleges more attractive. However, it may raise concerns about oversight and potential exploitation of student-athletes.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Immigration
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
3054, 119th Congress (2025). "Kayla Hamilton Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-3054