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Border Security: State Department Expects to Meet Projected Surge in Demand for Visas and Passports in Mexico

GAO-08-931T Published: Jun 25, 2008. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2008.
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Highlights

The U.S. Mission in Mexico is the Department of State's largest consular operation. In fiscal year 2007, it processed 1.5 million of the 8 million nonimmigrant visas (NIV) State handled worldwide. The U.S. Mission in Mexico also provided services, including passport processing and emergency assistance, to 20,000 American citizens in fiscal year 2007. This already significant consular workload is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as millions of NIV Border Crossing Cards issued in Mexico between fiscal years 1998 and 2002 expire and need to be renewed. In addition, the implementation of new travel requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will, for the first time, require U.S. citizens to carry passports, or other approved documentation, when traveling between the United States and Mexico. This testimony addresses (1) State's estimates of the workload for consulates in Mexico through 2012 resulting from, in particular, new travel requirements and the reissue of Border Crossing Cards; and (2) the actions State has taken to ensure consulates in Mexico keep pace with projected workload increases through 2012. This testimony is based on work currently in process that involves analyzing State's workload forecasts and forecast methodology, interviewing State officials, and visiting five posts in Mexico. GAO discussed this testimony with State officials, who agreed with GAO's findings.

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Border controlBorder securityCitizenshipClaims adjudicatorsClaims processingConsulatesData collectionData integrityDocumentationImmigrantsInternational agreementsInternational cooperationInternational relationsInternational travelPassportsProgram managementReporting requirementsRisk managementStrategic planningTravelVisasProgram coordinationProgram implementation