US visas get new scrutiny after California, Paris attacks

This July 27, 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Tashfeen Malik, left, and Syed Farook, as they passed through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The husband and wife died on Dec. 2, 2015, in a gun battle with authorities several hours after their assault on a gathering of Farook's colleagues in San Bernardino, Calif. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP) This July 27, 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Tashfeen Malik, left, and Syed Farook, as they passed through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The husband and wife died on Dec. 2, 2015, in a gun battle with authorities several hours after their assault on a gathering of Farook's colleagues in San Bernardino, Calif. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP)

By Associated Press December 9, 2015 3 min read

Visas used by foreigners to travel to the United States are getting new scrutiny in the wake of shooting massacres in California and France.

House lawmakers passed legislation Tuesday tightening controls on visa-free travel and requiring visas for anyone who has been in Iraq or Syria in the previous five years.

Some lawmakers said they also planned to re-examine a visa that Tashfeen Malik used to come to the country. She is the Pakistani woman who helped her American husband carry out the San Bernardino attack that killed 14 people.

Here’s a breakdown of how some of those visas work:

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