Border Security: State Department Is Taking Steps to Meet Projected Surge in Demand for Visas and Passports in Mexico
Highlights
In fiscal year 2007, the U.S. Mission in Mexico (Mission Mexico) processed 1.5 million of the 8 million nonimmigrant visas (NIV) that the Department of State (State) handled worldwide. This workload is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as millions of NIV Border Crossing Cards issued in Mexico during fiscal years 1998 to 2002 expire and need to be renewed. Consulates will also face increased workloads due to implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which will require U.S. citizens to carry passports, or other approved documentation, when traveling between the United States and Mexico, including by land. GAO was asked to review State's (1) estimates of the workload for consulates in Mexico through 2012 and (2) efforts to help ensure consulates keep pace with expected workload increases. GAO analyzed State's workload forecasts and forecast methodology, interviewed State officials, and visited five posts in Mexico.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | To strengthen internal controls and enhance State's evaluation of the pilot program to outsource part of the NIV application process to a private contractor at off-site facilities, the Secretary of State should include in the evaluation an assessment of the potential risks related to fraud and security. |
Closed – Implemented
State concurred with our recommendation. In May and June 2009, the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) jointly conducted a fraud and security risk assessment of the pilot off-site facilities in Mexico. The assessment noted that one of the drivers for conducting the risk assessment was GAO's report and recommendation. The assessment team analyzed vulnerabilities of the services provided under the off-site program and identified possible mitigating or compensating actions. According to a senior official with State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, State has since incorporated these actions in an umbrella Global Support Strategy (GSS) contract that provides for the establishment and management of offsite data collection facilities at selected posts in addition to a range of related existing services, including public inquiry, appointments, fee collection, document delivery, and data collection.
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