High fraud countries

[Lililand 5]

What's considered high fraud countries for k-1 visas?

[Dan & Jenni 457]

countries where there is a lot of fraud are considered high fraud countries lol

[Lililand 5]

Sorry, I meant... Which are the current high fraud countries for k-1 visas?

[X Factor 1,112]

Countries that are known to apply for fradulent visas such as Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Sudan, Niger etc. This by no means a complete list ...

[Shoot Em Straight 385]

Morocco

[Mononoke28 135]

Sorry, I meant... Which are the current high fraud countries for k-1 visas?

The way I see it, high fraud countries are pretty much those that are not a part of the Visa Waiver Program. So if you live in a country where you have to go to the embassy to get a tourist visa, that pretty much means the country is considered high fraud for most visa types. These include most, if not all of Latin American countries, and others from Africa, Easter Europe, Asia, etc.

Diana

[brian_n_phuong 193]

There is no official USCIS or DoS list of high fraud countries, or should I say a list that is released to the general public.

There is MORE than a fair share of politics involved in the process, as well as some unjust stereotypes that feed into the equation.

Viet Nam for example: Here are some excerpts from an article written by Attorney Marc Ellis (the article in it's entirety can be viewed at: http://www.ilw.com/a...0108-ellis.shtm

"There are unique problems of marriage fraud in Vietnam. Part of this problem stems from a refugee policy administered by the US government in the years following April 29, 30, 1975. Many people who were officially persecuted and had good reason for wanting to leave Vietnam were denied refugee status because a father or brother had spent less than three years in communist prison camps. "

"No doubt some would-be refugees tried to use phony marriages or other fraudulent avenues of family sponsorship to escape persecution. But most of the population of Vietnam today was not even alive on April 29 and 30, 1975. Still, I concede, the tradition of wanting to escape Vietnam via a phony family-preference visa is still alive and well."

"I cannot blame the consular officers for being aggressive in rooting out fraud. But something is terribly wrong with a system which grants Saudis a presumption of eligibility, even post-9/11, granting them a fast-track "Visa Express", that allowed travel agents to be involved in the process, and yet focuses considerable resources on protecting America from Vietnamese spouses and fiancees'

Edited February 15, 2012 by brian_n_phuong

[Moomin 292]

There's not an official list of high fraud countries. Try searching for it on VJ in the search field, many results.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/304546-higher-fraud-countries/

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Sorry, I meant... Which are the current high fraud countries for k-1 visas?

There is, officially, no such thing. There is, in practice, several. Hence there is no "list" I have not heard of Peru being treated as a high fraud country. The way it can be determined is by the general attitude of consulates in a country or region. Middle East and Africa, India and the sub-continent, the far east except South Korea and Japan, etc. are considered to be treated as high fraud. Genrally South America is not except Ecuador which is for no apparent reason. Europe, Australia, Canada are generally pretty easy.

Nigeria is all by itself in another class of fraud.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The way I see it, high fraud countries are pretty much those that are not a part of the Visa Waiver Program. So if you live in a country where you have to go to the embassy to get a tourist visa, that pretty much means the country is considered high fraud for most visa types. These include most, if not all of Latin American countries, and others from Africa, Easter Europe, Asia, etc.

Diana

Not exactly. VWP countries are usually pretty easy, it is true. However Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, other FSU countries, non-EU European countries are all easy to get K-1 visas from (relatively) all are difficult to get visitor visas from. None are VWP countries.

[TBoneTX 45,324]

Not exactly. VWP countries are usually pretty easy, it is true. However Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, other FSU countries, non-EU European countries are all easy to get K-1 visas from (relatively) all are difficult to get visitor visas from. None are VWP countries.

While acknowledging Gary's true point, I believe that Diana's answer is the most accurate of several good replies here, si man.

Earlier in my process, I asked an immigration attorney (who had served as a CO himself in Yemen and someplace in the Caribbean) the question that the OP has. He said, "Any poor country."

Think about that.

In regard to Latin & South America, every country south of the U.S. is third-world. The two worst, on the basis of consistent accounts over time, are the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

Remember, too, that consular staffs tend to rotate every 2 or 3 years. If a new head of the Immigrant Visa Unit comes in, policies and practices can change seemingly overnight, and without any warning. Although admittedly without any proof, I suspect that this is what happened to my unfortunate contemporaries (and me) in Ecuador: we were completely blindsided, sigh man.

Edited February 16, 2012 by TBoneTX

[brian_n_phuong 193]

He said, "Any poor country."

Think about that.

Thats was my point (and that of Marc Ellis)! Politics and prejudices form the basis in many immigration decisions. Somehow Vietnam is viewed as a high fraud country, yet statistics show that most Vietnamese that emigrate to the US reach higher educational and income levels than most native born citizens.

Edited February 16, 2012 by brian_n_phuong

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

While acknowledging Gary's true point, I believe that Diana's answer is the most accurate of several good replies here, si man.

Earlier in my process, I asked an immigration attorney (who had served as a CO himself in Yemen and someplace in the Caribbean) the question that the OP has. He said, "Any poor country."

Think about that.

In regard to Latin & South America, every country south of the U.S. is third-world. The two worst, on the basis of consistent accounts over time, are the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

Remember, too, that consular staffs tend to rotate every 2 or 3 years. If a new head of the Immigrant Visa Unit comes in, policies and practices can change seemingly overnight, and without any warning. Although admittedly without any proof, I suspect that this is what happened to my unfortunate contemporaries (and me) in Ecuador: we were completely blindsided, sigh man.

Good points Tbone. I had never really thought of it that way.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

I believe that Diana's answer is the most accurate of several good replies here, si man.

Agreed, Diana hit it on the mark

[mounir412 101]

Morocco

unfortunately