3/16/2005

Government Accounting Office (GAO) issued its February 2005 report on the recent improvement of Visas Mantis clearance policy of the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security. The report recommended that something more would need to be done to assure traveling of certain foreign science-related students and researchers. 

What GAO Found:

Mantis processing times have declined significantly. In November 2004, the average time to process a Mantis check was about 15 days, far lower than the average of 67 days we reported previously. The number of Mantis cases pending more than 60 days has also dropped significantly.

Although an action plan that the State Department (State) drafted was not fully implemented, State and other agencies took several actions in response to our recommendations to improve Visas Mantis and to facilitate travel by foreign students and scholars. These actions included:

1) adding staff to process Mantis cases;

2) providing additional guidance to consular officers;

3) developing an electronic tracking system;

4) clarifying roles and responsibilities of agencies involved in the Mantis process;

5) reiterating State’s policy of giving students and scholars priority interviews; and

6) extending the validity of Mantis clearances.

Nonetheless, some issues remain unresolved. Consular officers at posts we visited continue to need guidance on the Mantis program, particularly through direct interaction with State officials knowledgeable about the program. Several agencies that receive Mantis cases are not fully connected to State’s electronic tracking system. This can lead to unnecessary delays in the process. 

Finally, students and scholars from China are limited to 6-month, two-entry visas. The Chinese government has rejected a proposal by the United States to extend visa validities, on a reciprocal basis, for students and scholars.