Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KOLKATA246
2009-09-02 03:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Kolkata
Cable title:
MISSION INDIA ENDORSES SHANGHAI REQUEST TO RE-ENABLE ADIS
how-toVZCZCXRO6502 PP RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHGH RUEHNEH DE RUEHCI #0246 2450346 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 020346Z SEP 09 FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2455 INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2332 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 0992 RUEHNEH/AMCONSUL HYDERABAD PRIORITY 0058 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 0995 RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI PRIORITY 0008 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 3041
UNCLAS KOLKATA 000246
SIPDIS
CA/FPP FOR JILL NYSTROM
CA/CST FOR DOUG HILL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC CMGT IN
SUBJECT: MISSION INDIA ENDORSES SHANGHAI REQUEST TO RE-ENABLE ADIS
BATCH CHECK
REF: A) 09 SHANGHAI 000361; B) 09 KOLKATA 000188
UNCLAS KOLKATA 000246
SIPDIS
CA/FPP FOR JILL NYSTROM
CA/CST FOR DOUG HILL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC CMGT IN
SUBJECT: MISSION INDIA ENDORSES SHANGHAI REQUEST TO RE-ENABLE ADIS
BATCH CHECK
REF: A) 09 SHANGHAI 000361; B) 09 KOLKATA 000188
1. Mission India heartily endorses AmConGen Shanghai's request
(ref A) to re-enable two features that were lost in the recent
upgrade of the Arrival Departure Information System (ADIS).
These features allowed Consular Sections to quickly assess the
travel history of large groups of travelers, generating valuable
information that empowered adjudicating officers, spotlighted
visa abuse, and supported investigations of "fraud packages."
In addition to Shanghai's observations, Mission India adds the
following reasons for considering the request.
2. Foremost, these "batch" features provided time and cost
savings to the U.S. Government. The capacity to retrieve the
ADIS records of multiple travelers in a single search and export
the results to Excel substantially reduced time wasted on data
entry, allowing consular officers to focus on analysis and other
value-added activities. Because ADIS access is restricted to
one or two officers at each post, data entry in ADIS cannot be
delegated to Locally Employed Staff or other officers.
3. Posts were only beginning to use ADIS batch searches before
the recent upgrade, and so the full potential of this technique
was not yet realized. Shanghai spearheaded this innovative use
of ADIS earlier this year, and Kolkata subsequently adopted and
began sharing the technique within India (ref B). An upcoming
Mission India conference had planned to include a session on how
to maximize batch checks, and Kolkata was working with its
CA/FPP liaison to include this technique as a "best practice"
for post-level validation studies. As this technique became
more widely shared, it is probable that other posts would have
discovered other innovative uses of ADIS.
4. The batch feature of the earlier version of ADIS allowed
posts to conduct frequent and focused assessments of applicants'
travel habits, helping to build a nuanced understanding of our
applicant pool. As two examples, Kolkata has analyzed package
tours associated with specific travel agencies, as well as many
sales incentive trips that are common in India. With background
data on these specific segments of the applicant pool,
adjudicators can tailor their assumptions accordingly.
5. In addition to validation studies, Hyderabad used the batch
features to support investigations into fraudulent document
packages. After mining data seized during the arrest of a local
document vendor, Hyderabad identified more than 250 applicants
who purchased documents from that vendor. Using the batch
features in ADIS, Hyderabad instantly determined which
applicants could be called back for follow-up interviews,
resulting in the revocation of nearly 100 visas.
6. In sum, Mission India echoes the request by Shanghai to
restore the batch features in ADIS because they provide an
efficient and powerful way to help consular officers make more
informed decisions, pinpoint overstays, and investigate visa
fraud.
7. This cable has been cleared with all posts in Mission India.
PAYNE
SIPDIS
CA/FPP FOR JILL NYSTROM
CA/CST FOR DOUG HILL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC CMGT IN
SUBJECT: MISSION INDIA ENDORSES SHANGHAI REQUEST TO RE-ENABLE ADIS
BATCH CHECK
REF: A) 09 SHANGHAI 000361; B) 09 KOLKATA 000188
1. Mission India heartily endorses AmConGen Shanghai's request
(ref A) to re-enable two features that were lost in the recent
upgrade of the Arrival Departure Information System (ADIS).
These features allowed Consular Sections to quickly assess the
travel history of large groups of travelers, generating valuable
information that empowered adjudicating officers, spotlighted
visa abuse, and supported investigations of "fraud packages."
In addition to Shanghai's observations, Mission India adds the
following reasons for considering the request.
2. Foremost, these "batch" features provided time and cost
savings to the U.S. Government. The capacity to retrieve the
ADIS records of multiple travelers in a single search and export
the results to Excel substantially reduced time wasted on data
entry, allowing consular officers to focus on analysis and other
value-added activities. Because ADIS access is restricted to
one or two officers at each post, data entry in ADIS cannot be
delegated to Locally Employed Staff or other officers.
3. Posts were only beginning to use ADIS batch searches before
the recent upgrade, and so the full potential of this technique
was not yet realized. Shanghai spearheaded this innovative use
of ADIS earlier this year, and Kolkata subsequently adopted and
began sharing the technique within India (ref B). An upcoming
Mission India conference had planned to include a session on how
to maximize batch checks, and Kolkata was working with its
CA/FPP liaison to include this technique as a "best practice"
for post-level validation studies. As this technique became
more widely shared, it is probable that other posts would have
discovered other innovative uses of ADIS.
4. The batch feature of the earlier version of ADIS allowed
posts to conduct frequent and focused assessments of applicants'
travel habits, helping to build a nuanced understanding of our
applicant pool. As two examples, Kolkata has analyzed package
tours associated with specific travel agencies, as well as many
sales incentive trips that are common in India. With background
data on these specific segments of the applicant pool,
adjudicators can tailor their assumptions accordingly.
5. In addition to validation studies, Hyderabad used the batch
features to support investigations into fraudulent document
packages. After mining data seized during the arrest of a local
document vendor, Hyderabad identified more than 250 applicants
who purchased documents from that vendor. Using the batch
features in ADIS, Hyderabad instantly determined which
applicants could be called back for follow-up interviews,
resulting in the revocation of nearly 100 visas.
6. In sum, Mission India echoes the request by Shanghai to
restore the batch features in ADIS because they provide an
efficient and powerful way to help consular officers make more
informed decisions, pinpoint overstays, and investigate visa
fraud.
7. This cable has been cleared with all posts in Mission India.
PAYNE