Visa Issuance: Observations on the Issuance of Visas for Religious Workers
Abstract
Although INS and the State Department have identified some program fraud through the visa screening process and investigations, they do not have data or analysis to firmly establish the extent of fraud in the religious worker visa program. At our request, INS compiled information showing that it has conducted 54 investigations from 1994 through 1998. In addition, a 1998 State Department survey of 83 overseas posts identified instances of potential fraud uncovered during the visa screening process. The nature of the fraud uncovered by INS and State typically involved two situations: (1) applicants making false statements about their qualifications as religious workers or their exact plans in the United States or (2) conspiracy between an applicant and a sponsoring organization to misrepresent material facts about the applicant's qualifications or the nature of the position to be filled. INS and State sometimes detect fraud schemes when a sponsoring organization petitions the Service for hundreds of religious workers at a time.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 29, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA379016
Entities
People
- Jess T. Ford
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office