In addition, State  provides guidance, in consultation with DHS, to consular officers  regarding visa policies and procedures. In 2002, we recommended actions to strengthen the visa process as an  antiterrorism tool, including    establishing a clear policy on the priority attached to addressing  national security concerns through the visa process;    creating more comprehensive, risk-based guidelines and standards on  how consular officers should use the visa process as a screen against  potential terrorists;    performing a fundamental reassessment of staffing and language skill  requirements for visa operations; and  revamping and expanding consular training courses to place more  emphasis on detecting potential terrorists. For example, in February 2003,  Consular Affairs issued guidance identifying national security as the first  priority of the visa process. However, the bureau has not  consistently updated the consular and visa chapters of the Foreign Affairs  Manual—State’s central Internet resource for all regulations, policies, and  guidance—to reflect these changes. Consular officers also indicated that additional guidance is needed on  certain interagency protocols. State has  also increased its targeted recruitment of foreign language proficient  officers, but gaps remain. To further clarify current visa policies and procedures, we recommend  that  the Secretary of State update the Foreign Affairs Manual on a regular  basis to incorporate all changes in visa policies and procedures; and  the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary  of State, develop additional guidance on the relationship between DHS  and State in the visa process, including the roles and responsibilities of  DHS personnel overseas who assist consular sections and DHS’s  procedures at points of entry. To ensure consular sections have the necessary tools to enhance national  security and promote legitimate travel, we also recommend that the  Secretary of State    develop a comprehensive plan to address vulnerabilities in consular  staffing worldwide, including an analysis of staffing requirements and  shortages, foreign language proficiency requirements, and fraud  prevention needs, among other things—the plan should systematically  determine priority positions that must be filled worldwide based on the  relative strategic importance of posts and positions and realistic  assumptions of available staff resources;  report to Congress, within 1 year of this report, on the implementation  of this plan;    ensure that consular chiefs update interview wait-time data on a  in consultation with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, further  expand consular training in terrorist travel trends, post-specific  counterterrorism techniques, and fraud prevention, either at the  Foreign Service Institute or at overseas posts. Although State and the FBI have taken steps to  increase the amount of information available to consular officers in the  visa process, further information from criminal history files would help  facilitate visa adjudication for legitimate travelers. This was a serious  deficiency given that the visa sections were staffed with officers on their  first tour.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reported in October 2002 that the visa process needed to be strengthened as an antiterrorism tool and recommended that the Secretary of State, in consultation with appropriate agencies, (1) develop a clear policy on the role of national security in the visa process, (2) create more comprehensive guidance on how consular officers should screen against potential terrorists, (3) fundamentally reassess staffing requirements, and (4) revamp and expand consular training. This report examines State's and other agencies' progress in implementing changes to the visa process since 2002, in the areas of policy and guidance; consular resources, including staffing and training; and information sharing.

What GAO Found

The Department of State (State), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other agencies have taken many steps to strengthen the visa process as an antiterrorism tool. Led by the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, consular officers have received clear guidance on the importance of national security. We observed that consular officers at eight posts, including those of interest to antiterrorism efforts, regard security as their top priority, while recognizing the importance of facilitating legitimate travel. State has also increased hiring of consular officers, targeted recruitment of foreign language speakers, revamped consular training with a focus on counterterrorism, and increased resources to combat visa fraud. Further, intelligence and law enforcement agencies have shared more information for consular officers' use in conducting name checks on visa applicants. Additional issues require attention. For example, State has not consistently updated the consular and visa chapters of the Foreign Affairs Manual to reflect recent policy changes. Consular officers we interviewed also said that guidance is needed on DHS staff's roles and responsibilities overseas. Actions are also needed to ensure that State has sufficient experienced staff with the necessary language skills at key consular posts. In particular, staffing shortages at the supervisory level place a burden on new officers. In February 2005, we found that the visa sections in critical posts in Saudi Arabia and Egypt were staffed with first-tour officers and no permanent midlevel visa chiefs to provide guidance. Further improvements in training and fraud prevention are also needed, and additional information from FBI criminal history files would allow consular officers to help facilitate efficient visa adjudication.