Visa Fraud...How does it work?

[minerva_feliz]

I have heard that people here will pay a lot to get a U.S. visa (or residency), as much as US $25,000 through arranged marriages. I have also heard that the DR ranks high for visa fraud, in terms of people making up fake relationships or jobs to get through the process. I know, I know, this happens everywhere. But I'm curious about how it goes down in the DR.

I was just wondering...
-How exactly does visa fraud work?
-What kinds of schemes do people use to fool the folks in the consulate?
-What is the going rate for visas these days?
-Got any stats about how often it happens?
-Do you know a funny story about a visa fraud scheme that was exposed?

BTW, I am asking out of honest personal and academic curiosity and have no interest in engaging in visa fraud whatsoever...

Note: I am talking about cases where BOTH PARTIES are aware that it's a fraud, NOT when one side involves a visa-seeking Sanky(ette) and the other side THINKS everything is legitimate.

[suarezn]

You don't work for the consulate do you?

There are a gazillion different schemes people use to try to make it out of poverty.
- A relative or friend who lives in a different country brings down a friend to "marry" that person. These are not as common as they used to be I think as now the consulate performs all kinds of checks.
- Putting a person in as part of a group (i.e. religious, musical, sports team, etc)
- Altered papers
- Connections in the consulate (yes that happens too. Not just Dominicans are corrupt)


In reality the great majority of Dominicans who make it to The US illegally these days come in boats through Puerto Rico (half my hometown has made it that way) or if you have more money and are scared of the boat ride you get a visa to Mexico or Panama and make it that way. The boat ride costs about 45k pesos.

Nowadays a lot of people are going to Spain for which a bought visa costs 300k+ pesos. This is the new destination specially for those who cannot come back to The US because they were deported or have a case pending with The US justice.

[suarezn]

I forgot to say that the biggest frauds really are committed by the people who organize these trips who take advantage of people's desperation to take their money. Stories of people who are taken for a boat ride and dropped off in another part of The DR (making them believe it is Puerto Rico) are common. A while back there was a story of a group of people from San Cristobal area who each paid about 300k for a trip to Spain. They were taken to the airport and each given a little box with the "visa" and told not to open it until later. Of course the box did not contain any visa and they all lost their money. Stories like these are very sad as most of these people are very poor and normally they have mortgaged or sold whatever they have for this trip and then they are left much poorer than they were before.

I know many people who have lost it all, even their lives, trying to make it.

[Chirimoya]

We had the case a few years ago of a friend of a forum member who was part of a group that was taken to Morocco, on the basis that it was "right next to Spain" (technically more or less true) and therefore it would be easy for them to get in (totally untrue). They were just dumped there by the trip organisers.

I also heard of a group that somehow ended up in a mining town in the Guyanese jungle (presumably they were aiming for Venezuela and missed) and the women had to prostitute themselves to earn enough money for the trip home...

A few years ago it was revealed that Spanish consular officials were selling visas. There is also a trade in stolen and forged passports with US visas.

[sangria]

I suppose this is the reason that there are so many sankies/sankiettes.

It's a much more economical way to get out of the country!!

Tons of free gifts, money, plane tickets, clothes etc...why would anyone choose to pay $25,000 to leave when they could just say nice things, have sex and trick women/men into loving them enough to sponsor them.

At least that way it looks more real on paper.

Sangria

[La Profe_1]

The most blatant attempt at visa fraud I ever encountered was the employee at one of the resorts who asked me if I knew anyone who would accept $5,000 dollars from him in exchange for a marriage that would yield a visa for him.

This was a while ago, before I moved to live in the DR but I can still remember my shock and lack of words to respond.

[minerva_feliz]

Originally Posted by suarezn

You don't work for the consulate do you?

No, I don't, just find it interesting. I would like to talk to someone that works in the consulate though, I'm sure they have a some great insights and funny stories. I would like to know what kind of training they get to detect the frauds, and how they decide in the end who is legit and not. Obviously there are some people that are so good (in person and on paper) that it works.

If stolen passports can actually get people through, why aren't there more thefts, considering this country is chock full of tourists? And how much would someone pay for one of those? (yeah, mine's not for sale, just wondering )

I agree that considering how much an illegal viaje can cost you and the fee for setting up a fraud on paper (let alone being successful with it), the Sanky option looks pretty good. Why pay money for a visa or travel expenses when possibly someone will just give it to you and then some?

[kacy]

I had thought the negativity didn't exist in this part of the forum but I see it still finds its way here.

[windeguy]

After having seen first hand how it works in the US Consulate, I very much doubt that you would be able to get any stories out of the Agents that work there regarding what you would like to know. I am sure it is hard for them to decide in many cases whether there is fraud. All I can say is that we had no problems proving our relationship was valid.

They provide virtually no information to those that are refused. If they did, people would be able to figure out the "formula for fraud".

[minerva_feliz]

Originally Posted by kacy

I had thought the negativity didn't exist in this part of the forum but I see it still finds its way here.

If reality=negativity, then I guess I just like to keep it real. This is a relevant and objective discussion about something that happens with visas.