Using State Department’s Internal Fraud Reports As a Diplomatic Tool to Combat Visa Fraud

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The use of best practices in combatting visa fraud is a specialized topic, and one that is often lost in the bigger subjects, such as fighting illegal immigration or securing our land frontiers. This is regrettable since visa fraud was directly linked to the mistakes in the 9/11 terrorist attacks debacle. The central lesson of 9/11 was that the disaster could have been avoided through good visa screening and vetting practices, but instead U.S. government sloppiness was exploited by foreign national fanatics. Although the Department of State made valuable corrections in visa processing after the 2001 terrorism attacks, in recent years, too many institutional practices that prioritize visa issuance over security have become the norm.