THE HONORABLE JANICE JACOBS: Thank you.
And good morning, Chairman Lieberman and Senator Collins.
It is an honor to appear before you again
to tell you how the Department of State
has increased security of the visa process
in response to the December 25, 2009 attempted terrorist act.
In my previous appearances before this committee,
I testified about the department's
multi-layered approach to visa security--
what I had called the five pillars of visa security--
technological advances, biometric innovations,
personal interviews, data-sharing, and training.
I want to assure you that these pillars are even more
relevant today.
Today, after a full year of implementing corrective actions
taken after December 25, 2009, I believe
that our visa processing has reached new levels of security.
The title of this hearing has a special meaning
for the men and women of the Department of State.
We have no higher priority than the safety
of our fellow citizens and the protection of our borders.
In this statement, I would like briefly
to highlight key steps we took to respond to the President's
directive to address weaknesses in the systems
and procedures we used to protect the United States.
We improved our Visas Viper program and related processes
by directing all chiefs of mission
to ensure that the Visas Viper program was working effectively
at their posts, and instructing consular officers
to include complete information about all US visas
in Viper cables.
We issued new instructions to officers on visa revocation
procedures, and reinforced standing guidance
on their discretionary authority to deny visa
under Section 214b of the Immigration and Nationality Act
with specific reference to cases that raise security
and other serious concerns.
We constantly refine and update the technology
that supports our visa process.
Before any visa is issued, the applicant's fingerprints
are screened against DHS's is automated
biometric identification system, called IDENT,
and against the FBI's integrated automated fingerprint
identification system.
We use facial recognition technology
to screen visa applicants against a watch list of photos
obtained from the Terrorist Screening Center,
as well as visa applicant photos contained
in the consolidated consular database.
We improved the capability of console or systems
to match visa records against new and emerging
derogatory information to support visa revocation
in appropriate cases.
We employ sophisticated name-searching algorithms
to ensure matches to derogatory information contained
in the 39 million records pertaining
to 27 million individuals found in the consular lookout
and support system.
This layered biometric and graphic identity verification
ensures the security of the US visa
by nearly eliminate the possibility of visa fraud
through counterfeit or photo-substituted visas,
or through the use of valid visas by impostors.
We are continuing to match new threat information
against our visa records.
We have revoked over 1,000 visas since December, 2009.
As soon as a visa is revoked, a VRVK entry code
is added to class and shared in near real time with the DHS
lookout systems used for border screening.
CBP uses these to VRVK records to advise airlines
that certain passengers should not
be boarded on flights bound for the United States.
We have completed the worldwide rollout of the online DS160
non-immigrant visa application form.
And we are currently piloting the online DS260 immigrant visa
application form.
These forms provide consular and fraud prevention officers,
as well as our intelligence and law enforcement partners,
the opportunity to analyze data in advance of the visa
interview.
Consular officers are trained to take all necessary steps
to protect the United States and its citizens
during the course of making visa decisions.
Each consular officer completes our basic consular course,
which has a strong emphasis on border security and fraud
prevention, and includes in-depth interviewing
and name-checking technique training.
Officers receive continuing education
in all of these disciplines throughout their careers.
Consular officers receive extensive training
on the security advisory opinion process,
which requires them to suspend visa processing pending
interagency review of any case with possible terrorism
ineligibilities.
We work closely with DHS to ensure
that no known terrorist receives a visa
or is admitted into our country.
ICE special agents assigned to visa security units
provide timely and valuable on-site vetting
of visa applications and other law enforcement support
to our consular officers.
Over the past seven years, the department and DHS
have increased resources significantly,
improved procedures, and upgraded systems devoted
to supporting the visa function.
DHS receives all of the information collected
by the Department during the visa process,
and has broad access to our entire visa database.
We make our visa information available to other agencies,
and specifically designed our systems
to facilitate comprehensive data-sharing.
In May 2011, almost 22,000 officers
from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice,
and Commerce submitted nearly two million visa record
queries.
On a regular basis, we engage our foreign partners
bilaterally, regionally, and on a multilateral basis
to address the issue of terrorist travel.
We have entered into arrangements
for the sharing of visa information
with foreign governments consistent with the data
protection requirements of Section 22F of the INA.
With our partners at the Terrorist Screening Center,
we negotiate Homeland Security Presidential Directive
6 agreements overseas.
We are a close partner with DHS in advance passenger
information and passenger name record discussions overseas.
Anne Witkowski, our Deputy Coordinator
for Homeland Security and Multilateral Affairs
in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
is here with me today to answer any questions
you may have on building foreign partner anti-terrorism
capacity or the State Department's
role in the overall US government terrorist travel
strategy.
Let me also address the committee's interest
in the process that brings Iraqi nationals working on behalf
of the US government in Iraq to this country as recipients
of Special Immigrant visas or as refugees.
As of mid-June, a total of 7,063 Iraqis
have been issued Special Immigrant visas
under one of the two pertinent SIV programs.
Kelly Gauger of the Refugee Affairs Office
within the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
is here to answer questions about the State Department's
rule in US refugee security screening.
Distinguished members of the committee,
I believe that a layered approach to border security
screening in which each agency applies
its particular strengths and expertise best
serves our border security agenda
while furthering traditional US interests
in legitimate travel, trade promotion, and the exchange
of ideas.
The United States must meet both goals to guarantee
our long-term security.
Thank you.
And I'm ready to answer your question.