Every religious group that files visa applications for its workers will be visited before the application is approved. The group may not get a second visit if it seeks a visa for a second worker, but could be contacted by phone, said Janis Sposato, a Citizenship and Immigration Services associate director who led the fraud review.
The review uncovered churches that did not exist and applications filed falsely under the name of a legitimate church that did not petition for the worker, Sposato said. "This is an ongoing program. There is no start date. We are doing the site visits."
Costs for the federal inspection would be absorbed in fee increases proposed by Citizenship and Immigration Services. Eventually, federal contractors would do the inspections, she said.
The proposed rule changes come 20 months after the agency reviewed the religious worker visa program and found the high fraud rate, officials said yesterday.
Sposato declined to say whether the review uncovered any terrorism suspects or someone who might cause harm in the country.
The visas, which are temporary, are meant to be for foreigners who will work in the country as religious ministers, in a professional religious vocation or job, or for a nonprofit religious organization.
