22 USC 4807 - Establishment of Visa and Passport Security Program in the Department of State

U.S Code last checked for updates: Feb 22, 2025

§ 4807.

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

(a)

Establishment

(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

 See References in Text note below.

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

(B)

Qualification

(2)

Program components

The Program shall include the following:

(A)

Analysis of methods

(B)

Identification of individuals and documents

(C)

Identification of foreign countries needing assistance

(D)

Inspection of 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.

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

cite as: 22 USC 4807