Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07GUANGZHOU486
2007-04-24 01:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Guangzhou
Cable title:  

Fuzhou Alien Smuggler's advice - study in the U.S.

Tags:  CMGT ASEC CVIS KFRD CH KCRM INL HSTC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4365
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHVC
DE RUEHGZ #0486/01 1140139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240139Z APR 07
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5992
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5317
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH 6265
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USUN NEW YORK 0020
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000486 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/VO, CA/FPP, CA/EX, DS/IP/EAP, DC/CR, DS/CR/VF, DS/CR/PF,
AND INL/HSTC
BEIJING FOR RSO, DHS, CG AND FPU
NVC FOR FPU
USICE/HQ FOR HQINT, HQOAI, CAO AND FDL
US UN FOR RSO-PASS TO DS/FLD/NYFO
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR CIS/FDNS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CMGT ASEC CVIS KFRD CH KCRM INL HSTC
SUBJECT: Fuzhou Alien Smuggler's advice - study in the U.S.

THIS DOCUMENT IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY.

REF: A. 06 Guangzhou 32403 B. Guangzhou 00063 C. 06 Guangzhou 27925

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000486

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/VO, CA/FPP, CA/EX, DS/IP/EAP, DC/CR, DS/CR/VF, DS/CR/PF,
AND INL/HSTC
BEIJING FOR RSO, DHS, CG AND FPU
NVC FOR FPU
USICE/HQ FOR HQINT, HQOAI, CAO AND FDL
US UN FOR RSO-PASS TO DS/FLD/NYFO
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR CIS/FDNS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CMGT ASEC CVIS KFRD CH KCRM INL HSTC
SUBJECT: Fuzhou Alien Smuggler's advice - study in the U.S.

THIS DOCUMENT IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY.

REF: A. 06 Guangzhou 32403 B. Guangzhou 00063 C. 06 Guangzhou 27925


1. (SBU) Summary: Through an aggressive outreach program, Post
actively encourages Chinese students to attend colleges and
universities in the United States. However, Post continues to
encounter well-organized attempts by visa brokers and snakeheads to
send applicants, primarily from Fujian, to the United States using
the student visa in lieu smuggling by air or sea. The Brokers
provide fraudulent students with fake academic credentials,
financial documents, as well as work and residency papers. Despite
challenging conditions, Post's FPU and NIV units continue[t1] to
work closely to identify the mala fide students while facilitating
travel for bona fide students. End Summary

I MUST GO TO THIS ESL PROGRAM
--------------


2. (SBU) Beginning in early January 2007, NIV officers detected
several F-1 student visa applicants with odd commonalities. They
all intended to attend ESL programs either at Language Systems in
Alhambra, CA, or FLS in Boston, MA. All of these applicants claimed
to be enrolled at well known universities in Guangzhou or from high
schools in the Guangzhou area. The vast majority of them were from
Fuqing, a city in Fujian near the capital, Fuzhou. In total,
eighteen cases with the same fraud pattern were detected in the
space of two months.

DID YOU HANG UP THE PHONE?
--------------


3. (SBU) NIV initially attempted to verify their student status
using the contact information provided on the DS-156s. However, the
individuals answering the phones provided contradictory information.
For example, one call to the applicant's cell phone was answered by
a woman who claimed she was the maid then stated she was a cousin
after learning the purpose of the call. A NIV FSN then called the
father's alleged employer. The employee working at the alleged

company stated the father was not available and gave a cell phone
number that was supposedly the father's. However, the number was
identical to the number of the alleged cousin/maid.


4. (SBU) In a singular and unique event, a NIV FSN and an officer
overheard an argument between two individuals perpetrating the
fraud. During one call, the NIV FSN had to switch lines to answer
another phone call. Once she returned to the original call, she
discovered that the line was still open and two Cantonese
individuals were arguing. The individuals were arguing about
whether to have the alleged father not return the calls to the
Consulate or say that the father was on a business trip.


5. (SBU) As the two continued to discuss the fraud, one opined that
"anyone can use a U.S. visa to enter the United States. Even if
authorities later found out that fake documents were used in a visa
application, one could simply hire an attorney and stay in the
United States."


6. (SBU) The same individuals also mentioned another applicant that
was refused under 221g for further information. The individuals
worried that somehow the Consulate had detected clues in his case
and suspected this was also one reason why another applicant was
asked to return for a second interview at the Consulate.

I Am a Guangzhou Student
--------------


7. (SBU) Based on the above information and the commonalities
between the different applicants, FPU initiated an investigation
that ultimately uncovered a large and rather sophisticated visa
fraud operation.


8. (SBU) Based on the destination ESL schools, FPU located 13
related cases. FPU contacted each of the universities and high
schools the applicants were allegedly enrolled in or had graduated
from. In all cases, the universities and high schools denied the
applicants had either enrolled at or graduated from their

GUANGZHOU 00000486 002 OF 002


institutions.


9. (SBU) A review of their DS-156s uncovered the fact that all of
the students were from outside the Guangzhou area even though they
claimed to live in the city. The applicants used six common
addresses in Guangzhou, using each address two or three times. One
address was used by six different applicants. Through searches of
these addresses, an additional 5 cases were located matching the
profile.


10. (SBU) Calls to their contact numbers were either answered by
individuals who denied the applicant or applicant's parents were at
the number or stated that they were a relative. However, the people
answering the phone either spoke Cantonese or Cantonese accented
Mandarin, not the Fuzhou dialect and accent that would be expected
based on the applicant's origin.


11. (SBU) Despite repeated requests and attempts, none of the
students returned to the Consulate for a second interview.

Ticket to America
--------------


12. (SBU) Based on statistics from December 2005 to February 2006,
905 students applied for visas in Guangzhou, of which only 35.5%
were refused. Of the 905 students, 131 were from Fuqing and of
those, the refusal rate was 70.4%.


13. (SBU) 2007 showed a staggering growth in the number of students.
From December 2006 to February 2007, 1392 students applied for
visas, a 53% growth from last year. In addition, the number of
students from Fuqing grew to 217, a 66% increase from last year.
The overall refusal rate climbed to 45.7%, with the refusal rate
from Fuqing students climbing to 90.4%.


14. (SBU) The growth of Fuqing student visa applications confirms
previous predictions. In 2006, a SEVIS study performed by FPU
showed a 970% increase in the number of students from Fuqing (from
34 applicants in 2004 to 363 in 2005). Given that 217 people have
already applied during the winter cycle period, FPU is expecting a
tremendous number of applicants from Fuqing and adjoining areas
during the regular student application season starting in April and
ending in August 2007.


15. (SBU) Organized student visa fraud as described continues to
affect bona fide students negatively. Fraudulent applicants occupy
interviewing slots and uses staff resources that could be directed
toward outreach and assisting legitimate student visa cases.
Fraudulent applicants increase Post's reported refusal rate for
students, creating a negative impression about our support for bona
fide students. This is compounded by the lack of cooperation by
Chinese law enforcement who continues to show a lack of interest in
widespread document fraud involving financial records, transcripts,
property deeds, and household registries. In fact, the lack of
interest appears to be encouraging more and more fraudulent
applicants to apply for a student visa. End Comment.


GOLDBERG
[t1]3 uses of "continues" in this paragraph.