Student visitor screening process improvements cut clearance time

Improvements to the visa screening process of foreign science students and scholars has significantly reduced the average time it takes to conduct a security clearance check, from 67 days in 2003 to 15 days in 2004, according to a report issued Friday by the Government Accountability Office.

The Visa Mantis program, aimed at detecting national security threats, conducts 71 percent of its requests from consular posts and U.S. embassies in China, Russia and the Ukraine.

After a February 2004 GAO report recommended streamlining the process, the State Department drafted an action plan in May 2004 to adjudicate such visas.

Since then, the State Department has developed an electronic tracking system for Mantis cases, hired more staff to process interviews of applicants, and extended the validity of the visa clearances, GAO said in the report (GAO-05-198).

However, several law enforcement agencies that receive Mantis cases are not fully connected to the tracking system, which can still lead to delays. To further improve the Mantis program, GAO recommended that the secretaries of State and Homeland Security:

• Develop a time frame for fully connecting all necessary agencies and bureaus to the computer system used to track and process Mantis cases.
• Provide additional opportunities for consular officers at key posts to interact directly with officials responsible for the program, such as videoteleconferences, one-on-one meetings with State officials, and more visits by State officials to consular conferences.