Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SYDNEY227
2009-10-28 00:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Sydney
Cable title:
SEPTEMBER 2009 FRAUD SUMMARY - MISSION AUSTRALIA
how-toVZCZCXRO1852 RR RUEHPT DE RUEHDN #0227/01 3010048 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 280048Z OCT 09 FM AMCONSUL SYDNEY TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9029 RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH 1840 INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1590 RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 2662 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0599
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SYDNEY 000227
DEPT FOR CA/FPP AND CA/VO/KCC
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC AS
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 2009 FRAUD SUMMARY - MISSION AUSTRALIA
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SYDNEY 000227
DEPT FOR CA/FPP AND CA/VO/KCC
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC AS
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 2009 FRAUD SUMMARY - MISSION AUSTRALIA
1. Country Conditions: Australia is a low-fraud environment for
consular services. Local economic and governmental conditions make
for a qualified visa applicant pool. Host country identity
documents are highly reliable. Challenges in the area of consular
work are mostly a result of the growing third-country population,
including recently naturalized Australians. Our main concerns with
respect to fraud are the H-1B and E-3 visa categories.
NONIMMIGRANT VISA (NIV) FRAUD
2. Most of the 700,000 Australians who visit the United States each
year do so under the Visa Waiver Program. With the many legitimate
options available for Australians who wish to work and travel in the
United States, NIV fraud is extremely rare. Almost all fraud in
NIVs occurs in the applicant pool of third-country nationals and
recently naturalized Australians, particularly in H-1B and E-3 visa
categories. The fraud almost always involves U.S.-based companies
making job offers for which they do not have a corresponding,
qualifying position.
3. During the reporting period of March 2009 to August 2009,
Mission Australia posts adjudicated a total of 289 H-1B visas. Of
these, 57 were refused, a refusal rate of 19.7%. Prior to officer
adjudication, a FPU local staff member screened all third-country
national H1B cases that were not clearly approvable.
4. In this reporting period, Mission Australia posts adjudicated a
total of 962 E-3 and E-3R visas, with a refusal rate of 3%. Most of
the qualified skilled workers in Australia travel on the E-3 visa
rather than the H-1B. Therefore, the refusal rate difference is a
reflection of the difference in the education and work experience of
the two applicant pools. Some of the refused applicants were of
Indian origin who had recently become naturalized Australian
citizens, and the bona fides of their respective employers in the
United States were not credible. KCC was very helpful in providing
research for these cases.
IV AND DV FRAUD
5. Immigrant Visa fraud in Australia is extremely rare. The
quality and reliability of identity documents are excellent. While
some K-1 cases involve tenuous relationships developed over the
internet, they are, for the most part, legitimate. DV applicants
make up 22% of the total IV applicants, and only 24% of allotted DV
numbers are actually used in Australia.
ACS AND U.S PASSPORT FRAUD
6. After a six-month investigation involving the Department and
Diplomatic Security, Melbourne assisted the Australian Department of
Immigration by documenting the true identity of an American citizen
serving a 3-year jail term for identity fraud.
ADOPTION FRAUD
7. No adoptions were processed during the reporting period.
USE OF DNA TESTING
8. DNA testing has rarely been used in Australia, due to the high
quality of identity documents.
ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD
9. No reports of asylum or other DHS benefit fraud were found during
the reporting period.
ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, TERRORIST TRAVEL
10. Australian government authorities aggressively investigate
issues of alien smuggling, trafficking, organized crime, and
terrorist travel. As a result, post's main concerns lie in the area
of technology transfer. Due to the relatively large number of
Chinese and Indian applicants, Mission Australia regularly submits
Mantis SAOs.
11. Mission consular sections have cooperated with LegAtt on
potential applicants of concern in all of these areas, particularly
Qpotential applicants of concern in all of these areas, particularly
in the areas of trafficking and organized crime.
DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS
12. There have been no DS criminal fraud investigations in
Australia involving consular matters.
HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY
SYDNEY 00000227 002 OF 002
13. The Australian government is committed to deterring the misuse
and/or counterfeiting of Australian passports and identity
documents. Given a relatively small population of approximately 21
million, combined with isolated geography, the Australian government
is able to effectively monitor and control identity documents.
14. The one area in which occasional fraudulent Australian
documents have been reported is that of false visas. These visas
are most often used in building an applicant's credibility to obtain
a visa to a third country, such as the United States and Canada.
Mission Australia has worked with the Australian government
authorities in order to be better able to identify these forgeries.
Melbourne's Fraud Prevention LES has established contact with
immigration document examiners to receive training on current
document fraud trends.
COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
15. Appropriate information sharing with valuable anti-fraud
contacts at all levels helps to ensure that Australia remains a
low-fraud post. Post continues to receive updates from the
Australian government and other allies regarding fraud that they are
encountering.
16. On a quarterly basis, Sydney Consulate staff continue to meet
with counterparts from various Australian government agencies, as
well as the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and New
Zealand, as part of the 5 Nation Anti-Fraud Working Group. In these
meetings, participants share information on trends in immigration
fraud and border issues. The productive relationship results in
extensive information sharing and useful contacts with Australian
law enforcement and immigration authorities.
17. In August 2009, the Melbourne Fraud Prevention LES facilitated a
meeting between the RSO and Victoria State Police. Senior
investigators at this taskforce had previously indicated a
willingness to share information concerning the travel of persons
and their associates involved in organized crime to the United
States.
18. The Melbourne Fraud Prevention LES has established a working
relationship with a network of key fraud personnel from various
agencies in Victoria. The aim is to enable a strategic view of
emerging fraud trends.
AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN
19. Besides the H1B and E3 concerns previously mentioned, there are
no other areas of particular concern.
STAFFING AND TRAINING
20. Using H&L funding, Sydney and Melbourne have hired Fraud
Prevention LES who will conduct regular fraud investigations.
In August 2009, Melbourne Vice Consul attended the "Fraud Prevention
for Consular Managers" at FSI. Both the Melbourne Vice Consul and
Melbourne Fraud Prevention LES received hands-on training in fraud
prevention at U.S. Consulate General Sydney.
FERGIN
DEPT FOR CA/FPP AND CA/VO/KCC
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC AS
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 2009 FRAUD SUMMARY - MISSION AUSTRALIA
1. Country Conditions: Australia is a low-fraud environment for
consular services. Local economic and governmental conditions make
for a qualified visa applicant pool. Host country identity
documents are highly reliable. Challenges in the area of consular
work are mostly a result of the growing third-country population,
including recently naturalized Australians. Our main concerns with
respect to fraud are the H-1B and E-3 visa categories.
NONIMMIGRANT VISA (NIV) FRAUD
2. Most of the 700,000 Australians who visit the United States each
year do so under the Visa Waiver Program. With the many legitimate
options available for Australians who wish to work and travel in the
United States, NIV fraud is extremely rare. Almost all fraud in
NIVs occurs in the applicant pool of third-country nationals and
recently naturalized Australians, particularly in H-1B and E-3 visa
categories. The fraud almost always involves U.S.-based companies
making job offers for which they do not have a corresponding,
qualifying position.
3. During the reporting period of March 2009 to August 2009,
Mission Australia posts adjudicated a total of 289 H-1B visas. Of
these, 57 were refused, a refusal rate of 19.7%. Prior to officer
adjudication, a FPU local staff member screened all third-country
national H1B cases that were not clearly approvable.
4. In this reporting period, Mission Australia posts adjudicated a
total of 962 E-3 and E-3R visas, with a refusal rate of 3%. Most of
the qualified skilled workers in Australia travel on the E-3 visa
rather than the H-1B. Therefore, the refusal rate difference is a
reflection of the difference in the education and work experience of
the two applicant pools. Some of the refused applicants were of
Indian origin who had recently become naturalized Australian
citizens, and the bona fides of their respective employers in the
United States were not credible. KCC was very helpful in providing
research for these cases.
IV AND DV FRAUD
5. Immigrant Visa fraud in Australia is extremely rare. The
quality and reliability of identity documents are excellent. While
some K-1 cases involve tenuous relationships developed over the
internet, they are, for the most part, legitimate. DV applicants
make up 22% of the total IV applicants, and only 24% of allotted DV
numbers are actually used in Australia.
ACS AND U.S PASSPORT FRAUD
6. After a six-month investigation involving the Department and
Diplomatic Security, Melbourne assisted the Australian Department of
Immigration by documenting the true identity of an American citizen
serving a 3-year jail term for identity fraud.
ADOPTION FRAUD
7. No adoptions were processed during the reporting period.
USE OF DNA TESTING
8. DNA testing has rarely been used in Australia, due to the high
quality of identity documents.
ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD
9. No reports of asylum or other DHS benefit fraud were found during
the reporting period.
ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, TERRORIST TRAVEL
10. Australian government authorities aggressively investigate
issues of alien smuggling, trafficking, organized crime, and
terrorist travel. As a result, post's main concerns lie in the area
of technology transfer. Due to the relatively large number of
Chinese and Indian applicants, Mission Australia regularly submits
Mantis SAOs.
11. Mission consular sections have cooperated with LegAtt on
potential applicants of concern in all of these areas, particularly
Qpotential applicants of concern in all of these areas, particularly
in the areas of trafficking and organized crime.
DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS
12. There have been no DS criminal fraud investigations in
Australia involving consular matters.
HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY
SYDNEY 00000227 002 OF 002
13. The Australian government is committed to deterring the misuse
and/or counterfeiting of Australian passports and identity
documents. Given a relatively small population of approximately 21
million, combined with isolated geography, the Australian government
is able to effectively monitor and control identity documents.
14. The one area in which occasional fraudulent Australian
documents have been reported is that of false visas. These visas
are most often used in building an applicant's credibility to obtain
a visa to a third country, such as the United States and Canada.
Mission Australia has worked with the Australian government
authorities in order to be better able to identify these forgeries.
Melbourne's Fraud Prevention LES has established contact with
immigration document examiners to receive training on current
document fraud trends.
COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
15. Appropriate information sharing with valuable anti-fraud
contacts at all levels helps to ensure that Australia remains a
low-fraud post. Post continues to receive updates from the
Australian government and other allies regarding fraud that they are
encountering.
16. On a quarterly basis, Sydney Consulate staff continue to meet
with counterparts from various Australian government agencies, as
well as the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and New
Zealand, as part of the 5 Nation Anti-Fraud Working Group. In these
meetings, participants share information on trends in immigration
fraud and border issues. The productive relationship results in
extensive information sharing and useful contacts with Australian
law enforcement and immigration authorities.
17. In August 2009, the Melbourne Fraud Prevention LES facilitated a
meeting between the RSO and Victoria State Police. Senior
investigators at this taskforce had previously indicated a
willingness to share information concerning the travel of persons
and their associates involved in organized crime to the United
States.
18. The Melbourne Fraud Prevention LES has established a working
relationship with a network of key fraud personnel from various
agencies in Victoria. The aim is to enable a strategic view of
emerging fraud trends.
AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN
19. Besides the H1B and E3 concerns previously mentioned, there are
no other areas of particular concern.
STAFFING AND TRAINING
20. Using H&L funding, Sydney and Melbourne have hired Fraud
Prevention LES who will conduct regular fraud investigations.
In August 2009, Melbourne Vice Consul attended the "Fraud Prevention
for Consular Managers" at FSI. Both the Melbourne Vice Consul and
Melbourne Fraud Prevention LES received hands-on training in fraud
prevention at U.S. Consulate General Sydney.
FERGIN