DOS Cable on Fingerprinting of IV Applicants

R 2022027 Oct 94
FM SecState Wash DC
To AmConsul Bombay 7998-9
AmConsul Calcutia 7862-3
AmConsul Ciudad Juarez 4636-7
AmConsul Dublin 9563-4
AmConsul Guangzhou 4563-4
AmConsul Madras 7492-3
AmConsul Manila 1948-1
AmConsul Montreal 9218-9
AmEmbassy Port Au Prince
AmEmbassy New Delhi 3515-6
AmEmbassy San Salvador 9683-4
AmEmbassy Santo Domingo 3918-9
AmConsul Toronto 2015-6
AmConsul Vancouver 5232-3
AmConsul Warsaw 8928-9

Unclas State 285340

Visas

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: DVIS, CMGT
Subject: Fingerprinting of IV Applicants

Ref: State 221450

1. Summary. Recent legislation establishes a pilot program for fingerprinting IV applicants in the top ten IV-issuing countries. Department is procuring equipment and will provide other support to posts, as required. End Summary.

2. Legislation: Congress has passed legislation instituting a pilot program in which all immigrant visa applicants over the age of 16 will be fingerprinted in the top ten IV-issuing countries for an FBI criminal record search. Even applicants who have never been to the United States must be fingerprinted. The pilot program is to begin no later than March 31, 1995 and end on December 31, 1997.

3. Countries: Addresses have been identified by VO as the ten countries (and 15 posts) with the highest rate of IV issuance.

4. Funding: The legislation does contain both funding for start up costs as well as authority to collect user fees. The fees will cover the FBI processing charge of approximately $18.00 per card and related costs incurred by the National Visa Center (NVC) and addressee posts as they implement the fingerprinting requirement.

5. Fingerprinting Equipment: CA will purchase rolled print live-scan fingerprinting equipment and dry ink kits (as backups) for each post. (Both methods of fingerprinting are acceptable to the FBI). (For Calcutta: Your small IV workload does not justify provision of live-scan equipment and you will be sent the dry ink kit only.) CA is also reviewing other requirements that posts will face, such as personnel to take the fingerprints, the security and construction implications of installing the equipment outside the hard line, maintenance problems in countries with unreliable power supplies, the collection of additional fees, etc., to be covered in Septels.

6. Namechecks: We are now also implementing another congressional mandate which requires that FBI namechecks be done for all immigrant visa applicants over the age of 16 (Septel). All IV processing posts will receive a copy of any positive responses (called index records) to the namecheck. However, even those applicants whose namechecks were negative will still have to be fingerprinted in the ten countries in the fingerprint pilot program. We understand the apparent inefficiency of doing namechecks for people who will still have to be fingerprinted, but the two pieces of legislation are separate and must be implemented as such.

7. Procedures for New Cases: NVC will include a fingerprint card, printed with the case number, in each applicant's file. Upon receipt of the files, post should immediately call in applicants over the age of 16 to be fingerprinted. Post will send the completed fingerprint cards directly to the FBI fingerprint facility via mail, pouch or commercial delivery. (The address of the FBI facility and other contact information will be provided later.) The FBI will run a record check and will send the results to NVC. NVC will forward the results to posts. Note: The applicants cannot be considered documentarily qualified until the fingerprint results have been received by the post.

8. Procedures for Cases Already at Post: Obviously, posts will have cases which were shipped to them by NVC prior to this procedure. These applicants must also be fingerprinted. NVC will send to posts blank fingerprint cards for these cases already at post. As soon as post receive the cards they should call in and fingerprint these applicants, type the applicant's name and case number on the cards, and send the cards to the FBI.

9. Input: To assist CA in assessing the support posts will need to implement fingerprinting, posts are asked to provide the following information:

a) can professional qualify fingerprints be taken by local police authorities? If so, what is the charge?

b) If local police fingerprinting is not acceptable, what physical renovations will be needed at post to accommodate fingerprinting of all IV applicants over the age of sixteen?

c) What is the estimated cost of renovations?

d) What additional staff will be required to take fingerprints?

(Estimated time per print using the equipment we anticipate purchasing is five minutes per applicant, i.e., twelve applicants per hour. In addition to taking fingerprints, the employee(s) would also process incoming and outgoing fingerprint cards and enter clearance information on the case record. Please base your staffing estimates on your FY 94 actual immigrant visa workload: adjustment for changes expected due to 245(c) and DV-1 will be made in Washington).

e) Estimate cost of additional staff.

One anticipate being able to hire PSC employees funded from the fingerprinting fee. Grade levels have not been determined but would probably be similar to those for MRV collection clerks.

f) Indicate whether you anticipate hiring TSN or American contractors for the fingerprinting positions.

g) Estimate any additional costs associated with this program including furniture, supplies, and postage. If there are other anticipated costs, please indicate what they are and the anticipated amount.

h) How dependable is your power supply?

10. Please slug response for CA/VO/F/P and CA/EX.

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