VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0611 1812026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 302026Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5143
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT for CA/FPP - John Long; Pass to DHS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CMGT CI
SUBJECT: SANTIAGO B1/B2 VALIDATION STUDY CONFIRMS LOW OVERSTAY RATE 
 
Ref: 09 SANTIAGO 538 
 
Summary 
 
¶1. Santiago's Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) conducted a validation 
study of all 46,705 B1/B2 tourist/business visa applicants from CY 
¶2008.  The results confirm a low overstay rate of 1%, despite an 11% 
increase in applications over the previous year.  Post's average 
refusal rate of 9% and an active FPU appear to be contributing 
factors to this low overstay rate. 
 
Background 
 
¶2.  In CY 2008, Embassy Santiago adjudicated a total of 46,705 B1/B2 
visas, an increase of 11% over 2007.  As a democratic country with a 
developing free-market economy, Chile is a South American nation 
with a sizeable middle class and a per capita GDP of $14,900 in 
¶2008.  Since the U.S. - Chile Free Trade Agreement took effect in 
January 2004, there has been a steady increase in Chileans and 
foreign residents in Chile seeking to travel to the U.S. for tourism 
and business.  Post has seen little migratory "pull" to the United 
States relative to other countries in the region, as Chileans have 
enjoyed relative economic prosperity and don't have the same 
historical immigration ties.  Post is not aware of any previous 
studies documenting the overstay rate of B1/B2 visas issued in 
Santiago. 
 
Methodology 
 
¶3.  The FPU used the Consular Consolidated Databases (CCD) to 
generate a Microsoft Excel list of all B1/B2 visas issued from 
January 1 through December 31, 2008.  As it was nearly impossible to 
differentiate between the various types of B1 and B2-only visas 
issued, post evaluated the combined B1/B2 classification only.  The 
FPU used the random number generator in Excel to randomly select 
1,000 B1/B2 visas issued in 2008. 
 
Results 
 
¶4.  FPU sent these lists to CA/FPP for batch checks on DHS's Arrival 
and Departure Information System (ADIS) and the Automated Targeting 
System (ATS).  Of the random sample of 1,000, post confirmed a 1% 
overstay rate for B1/B2 visas issued in 2008.  The locally employed 
FPU investigator took the additional step of contacting most of the 
applicants identified as overstays by telephone or email.  Some 
cases were inconclusive, as the applicants were unreachable by 
telephone or email.  The FPU found that although ADIS and ATS did 
not report the return for some applicants, there were applicants who 
had returned within the allowed time.  In several other instances, 
applicants' family members or former employers told us that the 
applicant had moved to the U.S. to find work or to get married, and 
had not returned to Chile. 
 
Commentary 
 
¶5.  Santiago's average B1/B2 refusal rate of 9% and alert Consular 
officers appear to be contributing factors to the low 1% overstay 
rate in 2008.  Though 11% more B1/B2 applicants applied this year, 
consular officers' vigilance for intending immigrants resulted in 
the low overstay rate.  Nonetheless, a 1% rate translates into 
approximately 468 B1/B2 applicants from Chile last year that 
overstayed their visas.  Post will take this information into 
consideration as Consular officers continue to meet the expected 
increase in demand for B1/B2 visas. 
 
¶6.  Post has been able to complete two successive validation studies 
in a relatively short time period due to the availability of the 
ADIS system and wishes to thank the Bureau of Consular Affairs and 
DHS for making this system available to posts to conduct validation 
studies.  Special thanks to William Muller in CA/FPP for liaison 
assistance with processing the batch ADIS checks. 
 
 
SIMONS