Establishment of Visa and Passport Security Program in the Department of State

Source Credit

(a) Establishment
There is established, within the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Department of State, the Visa and Passport Security Program (in this section referred to as the "Program").
(b) Preparation of strategic plan
(1) In general
The Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, in coordination with the appropriate officials of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the coordinator for counterterrorism, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Department of Homeland Security, and consistent with the strategy mandated by section 7201,1 shall ensure the preparation of a strategic plan to target and disrupt individuals and organizations, within the United States and in foreign countries, that are involved in the fraudulent production, distribution, use, or other similar activity—
(A) of a United States visa or United States passport;
(B) of documents intended to help fraudulently procure a United States visa or United States passport, or other documents intended to gain unlawful entry into the United States; or
(C) of passports and visas issued by foreign countries intended to gain unlawful entry into the United States.
(2) Emphasis
The strategic plan shall—
(A) focus particular emphasis on individuals and organizations that may have links to domestic terrorist organizations or foreign terrorist organizations (as such term is defined in section 1189 of title 8);
(B) require the development of a strategic training course under the Antiterrorism Assistance Training (ATA) program of the Department of State (or any successor or related program) under chapter 8 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2349aa et seq.) (or other relevant provisions of law) to train participants in the identification of fraudulent documents and the forensic detection of such documents which may be used to obtain unlawful entry into the United States; and
(C) determine the benefits and costs of providing technical assistance to foreign governments to ensure the security of passports, visas, and related documents and to investigate, arrest, and prosecute individuals who facilitate travel by the creation of false passports and visas, documents to obtain such passports and visas, and other types of travel documents.
(c) Program
(1) Individual in charge
(A) Designation
The Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security shall designate an individual to be in charge of the Program.
(B) Qualification
The individual designated under subparagraph (A) shall have expertise and experience in the investigation and prosecution of visa and passport fraud.
(2) Program components
The Program shall include the following:
(A) Analysis of methods
Analyze, in coordination with other appropriate government agencies, methods used by terrorists to travel internationally, particularly the use of false or altered travel documents to illegally enter foreign countries and the United States, and consult with the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Secretary of Homeland Security on recommended changes to the visa issuance process that could combat such methods, including the introduction of new technologies into such process.
(B) Identification of individuals and documents
Identify, in cooperation with the Human Trafficking and Smuggling Center, individuals who facilitate travel by the creation of false passports and visas, documents used to obtain such passports and visas, and other types of travel documents, and ensure that the appropriate agency is notified for further investigation and prosecution or, in the case of such individuals abroad for which no further investigation or prosecution is initiated, ensure that all appropriate information is shared with foreign governments in order to facilitate investigation, arrest, and prosecution of such individuals.
(C) Identification of foreign countries needing assistance
Identify foreign countries that need technical assistance, such as law reform, administrative reform, prosecutorial training, or assistance to police and other investigative services, to ensure passport, visa, and related document security and to investigate, arrest, and prosecute individuals who facilitate travel by the creation of false passports and visas, documents used to obtain such passports and visas, and other types of travel documents.
(D) Inspection of applications
Randomly inspect visa and passport applications for accuracy, efficiency, and fraud, especially at high terrorist threat posts, in order to prevent a recurrence of the issuance of visas to those who submit incomplete, fraudulent, or otherwise irregular or incomplete applications.
(d) Report
Not later than 90 days after the date on which the strategy required under section 7201 1 is submitted to Congress, the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security shall submit to Congress a report containing—
(1) a description of the strategic plan prepared under subsection (b); and
(2) an evaluation of the feasibility of establishing civil service positions in field offices of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security to investigate visa and passport fraud, including an evaluation of whether to allow diplomatic security agents to convert to civil service officers to fill such positions.

History

(Pub. L. 108–458, title VII, §7218, Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3833.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
Section 7201, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1) and (d), is section 7201 of Pub. L. 108–458, which enacted section 1776 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality, and provisions set out as notes under section 1776 of Title 8 and sections 3024 and 3056 of Title 50, War and National Defense.
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(B), is Pub. L. 87–195, Sept. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 424. Chapter 8 of part II of the Act is classified generally to part VIII (§2349aa et seq.) of subchapter II of chapter 32 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2151 of this title and Tables.

Codification
Section was enacted as part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and also as part of the 9/11 Commission Implementation Act of 2004, and not as part of the Diplomatic Security Act which comprises this chapter.