Section  428 of the act also authorized DHS to immediately assign personnel to  Saudi Arabia to review all visa applications prior to final adjudication, as  well as the future assignment of officers to other locations overseas to  review visa applications. Several Factors Have Limited the Impact of Visa Security Operations in Saudi Arabia

According to embassy officials in Saudi Arabia and DHS officials, the VSOs  enhance homeland security through their review of visa applications at  posts in Saudi Arabia. However, several factors have hindered the program,  including a lack of comprehensive data on the VSOs’ activities and results  in Riyadh and Jeddah to demonstrate the program’s overall impact at these  posts. Moreover, VSOs’ border security and immigration experience can  assist consular officers during the visa process. VSOs Provide Additional Review to Visa Adjudication Process

According to State Department consular officers, the deputy chief of  mission, and DHS officials, VSOs in Saudi Arabia enhance the security of  the visa adjudication process at these consular posts. 2). VSOs Have Access to Law Enforcement Information Not Readily Available to Consular Officers

VSOs have access to and experience using immigration and law  enforcement databases not readily available to consular officers, who are  not classified as criminal justice, or law enforcement, personnel. DHS’s Expansion of the Visa Security Program in Fiscal Year 2005

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 authorized the assignment of DHS  officers to each diplomatic post where visas are issued to provide expert  advice and training to consular officers and review visa applications. Specifically, the cable advised the five chiefs of mission  at posts selected for VSO expansion to delay approving the DHS positions  until State or the post had received sufficient responses to several  outstanding issues, including  criteria for selecting the expansion posts;  agreement on administrative support services, such as building  maintenance, utilities, supplies, and equipment, among others;  the extent to which the VSOs will have regional responsibilities at other   the roles and responsibilities of the VSOs in relation to State’s consular  fraud investigators and regional security officers at post, as well as any  other agencies at post; and  the criteria that will be used to measure the effectiveness of the visa  security operations. Recommendations for Executive Action

To help ensure that the Visa Security Program, and its expansion to other  locations worldwide, is managed effectively, we recommend that the  Secretary of Homeland Security:  develop a strategic plan, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to  guide visa security operations in Saudi Arabia and in other embassies  and consulates overseas. To assess DHS’s plans to expand the Visa Security Program to consular  posts outside Saudi Arabia, we reviewed documentation on the  department’s requests to establish new positions at 5 additional posts and  spoke with DHS officials regarding the planned expansion. GAO Comments

1. We believe that the development of a strategic plan would assist DHS  by providing stakeholders, such as State and chiefs of mission, with  information regarding the mission, goals and operations of the Visa  Security Program.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 required that the Department of Homeland Security's on-site personnel in Saudi Arabia review all visa applications. The act also authorized the expansion of the Visa Security Program to other embassies and consulates to provide expert advice and training to consular officers, among other things. Given the congressional interest in effective implementation of the Visa Security Program, we assessed (1) the Visa Security Officers' activities in Saudi Arabia, and (2) DHS's plans to expand its Visa Security Program to other consular posts overseas.

What GAO Found

Visa Security Officers (VSO) assigned to Saudi Arabia review all visa applications prior to final adjudication by consular officers, and assist consular officers with interviews and fraud prevention; however, no comprehensive data exists to demonstrate the VSOs' impact. According to State Department consular officers, the deputy chief of mission, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials in Saudi Arabia, the VSOs in Riyadh and Jeddah strengthen visa security because of their law enforcement and immigration experience, as well as their ability to access and use information from law enforcement databases not immediately available, by law, to consular officers. Furthermore, the requirement to review all visa applications in Saudi Arabia limits the VSOs' ability to provide additional training and other services to consular officers, such as assisting with interviews. Moreover, security concerns in Saudi Arabia limit staffing levels at these posts. DHS has not developed a strategic plan outlining the Visa Security Program's mission, activities, program goals, and intended results for operations in Saudi Arabia or the planned expansion posts. Chiefs of mission at the five posts chosen for expansion in fiscal year 2005 delayed approving DHS's requests for the assignment of VSOs until DHS answered specific questions regarding the program's goals and objectives, staffing requirements, and plans to coordinate with existing staff and law enforcement and border security programs at post. DHS's development of a strategic plan may address outstanding questions from chiefs of mission and other embassy officials and help DHS expand the program.