State SORN

STATE-39
System name :
Visa records.
Security classification:
Classified.
System location:
Visa Office, Department of State, Annex 1, 2401
E Street NW, Washington, DC 20522-0113;
Department of State, 2201 C Street NW,
Washington, DC 20520-4818; National Visa
Center, 32 Rochester Avenue, Portsmouth, NH
63801; U.S. embassies, consulates general and
consulates.
Categories of individuals covered by the
system:
Individuals who have applied for visas; aliens
who may be ineligible to receive visas including
certain dual national U.S. nationals who aside
from their U.S. nationality may otherwise be
ineligible to receive visas.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
8 U.S.C. 1101-1503 (Immigration and
Nationality Act of 1952, as amended).
Categories of records in the system:
Visa applications and related forms; fingerprints;
birth, marriage, death and divorce certificates;
documents of identity; interview worksheets;
biographic information sheets; affidavits of
relationship; medical examinations and
immunization reports; police records;
educational and employment records; bank
statements; communications between the Visa
Office, the National Visa Center and U.S.
embassies, U.S. consulates general and U.S.
consulates, other U.S. government agencies,
international organizations, foreign missions,
members of Congress, attorneys, relatives of visa
applicants and other interested parties; and
internal Department of State correspondence
relating to visa adjudication.
Routine uses of records maintained in the
system, including categories of users and
purposes of such uses:
The information in this system is used to assist
consular officers in the Department and overseas
in dealing with problems of a legal, technical or
procedural nature that may arise in considering
an application for a U.S. visa. The principal users
of this information outside the Department of
State (and its embassies, consulates general and
consulates) are: the Immigration and
Naturalization Service of the Department of
Justice, to coordinate the approval of petitions
and the issuance of visas; the Department of
Justice including the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (and its National Crime
Information Center) and the Drug Enforcement
Administration; Department of the Treasury,
including the Customs Service; Department of
Labor; Central Intelligence Agency; Department
of Defense; and Congress. Limited unclassified
information is released to interested persons
inquiring as to the status of a particular visa case.
The information may also be released to other
government agencies having statutory or other
lawful authority to use such information. It is
used to produce statistical information for
management purposes and to compile reports
required by statute. Also see the ``Routine Uses''
paragraph of the Prefatory Statement published
in the Federal Register.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving,
accessing, retaining and disposing of records
in the system:
Storage:
Electronic media, hard copy, microfilm.
Retrievability:
Individual name, case numb er.
Safeguards :
All employees of the Department of State have
undergone a thorough background security
investigation and contractors have had
background investigations in accordance with the
scope of their contract. Access to the Department
and its annexe s is controlled by security guards,
and admission is limited to those individuals
possessing a valid identification card or
individuals under proper escort. All records
containing personal information are maintained
in secured file cabinets or in restricted areas,
access to which is limited to authorized
personnel and authorized contractors of the
Department of State. Access to computerized
files is password-protected and under the direct
supervision of the system manager. The system
manager has the capability of printing audit trails
of access from the computer media, thereby
permitting regular and ad hoc monitoring of
computer usage.
Retention and disposal:
Retention of these records varies depending upon
the specific kind of record involved. Files of
closed cases are retired or destroyed in
accordance with published record schedules of
the Department of State and as approved by the
National Archives and Records Administration.
More specific information may be obtained by
writing to the Director, Office of Freedom of
Information, Privacy, and Classification Review,
Room 1239, Department of State, 2201 C Street
NW, Washington, DC 20520-1239.

System manager(s) and address:
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services,
Room 6811, Department of State, 2201 C Street,
NW, Washington, DC 20520-4818; Director,
National Visa Center, 32 Rochester Avenue,
Portsmouth, NH 63801. At specific overseas
locations the one-site manager is the consular
officer responsible for visa processing.
Notification procedure:
Individuals who have reason to believe the
Department of State might have visa records
pertaining to themselves should write to the
Director, Office of Freedom of Information,
Privacy and Classification Review, Room 1239,
Department of State, 2201 C Street NW,
Washington, DC 20520-1239. The individual
must specify that he/she wishes the visa records
for his/her application at a specific post/posts or
in the United States to be checked. At a
minimum, the individual must include: Name
(and any aliases); date and place of birth; date
and place of application; current mailing address
and zip code; and signature.
Record access procedures:
Individuals who wish to gain access to or amend
records pertaining to themselves should write to
the Director, Office of Freedom of Information,
Privacy and Classification Review (address
above).
Record source categories:
These records contain information obtained
directly from the individual who is the subject of
these records; from attorneys/agents representing
these individuals; and from relatives; sponsors;
members of Congress; U.S. government
agencies; international organizations; and local
sources at posts.
Systems exempted from certain provisions of
the act:
Certain records contained within this system of
records are exempted fro m 5 U.S.C. 552a (c)(3),
(d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H), and (I), and (f). See
Department of State Rules published in the
Federal Register.