Summary

State Department: Efforts to Reduce Visa Fraud

T-NSIAD-97-167  May 20, 1997

Full Report (PDF, 6 pages)   

At the time GAO issued its report in May 1996 (GAO/NSIAD-96-99), the State Department was attempting to make its visa-issuing process more efficient and less vulnerable to fraud by (1) issuing visas that were machine readable, (2) expanding automated name-check capability to all posts, (3) forming "lookout" committees to identify suspected terrorists and others ineligible for visas, and (4) strengthening compliance with management controls. Since then, the State Department's efforts to combat visa fraud at diplomatic posts by introducing a machine-readable visa system have been hampered by technical problems, a lack of cooperation from other government agencies, and weak management controls at many U.S. embassies.

Subject Terms

Electronic data processing
Embassies
Fraud
Homeland security
Illegal aliens
Interagency relations
Internal controls
International travel
Telecommunications
Terrorists
Terrorism
Visas
Dept. of State Consular Lookout and Support System
Dept. of State Distributed Name Check System