Visa malfeasance eyed.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: Visa issuance - Brief Article

A Government Accountability Office investigation of 11 U.S. consulates in six countries found that half of them were not following proper procedures to guard against visa fraud on the part of U.S. officials.

While the number of consulates inspected was small--there are 211 posts charged with issuing roughly 5 million visas per year--the failure to follow procedures designed to thwart corrupt officials from stealing blank forms or abusing the system for financial gain, is a risk to homeland security, the GAO report warned.

The State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security uncovered 28 visa irregularity cases from 2001 to 2004.

"Internal controls make it difficult for an employee to commit visa malfeasance without being detected, but, despite these safeguards, visa malfeasance does occur," the report said. Such criminal activity could permit unqualified individuals, "including those who wish to do our country harm," to enter the United States, the report added.

Six consulates failed to carry out quarterly inventories of the supplies needed to issue visas.

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