This is a good article by Brian Bolton regarding the latest changes to the commonly requested Tourist Visa, B-1/ B-2.
In Bangkok, there has been an increase in this practice to curb the recent hike in cases where the applicant’s answers at the interview are dubious. More and more information are being shared to circumvent possible ruse. An excerpt of the article is below.
Consular posts have begun inserting detailed notes in the Consolidated Consular Database (CCD) regarding the travel plans of applicants who are issued new B-1/B-2 visas, particularly in borderline cases. This practice is encouraged by new guidance at 9 FAM 41.113 N2. This same FAM provision also advises consular officers to exercise “particular care” when entering issuance notes for “odd or high profile cases”. These case notes are intended to help focus Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officers scrutiny of foreign nationals arriving at American ports of entry. By means of the notes from consular officers, CBP agents can examine travelers with regards to the information they disclosed during their visa interviews. For example, if a foreign national obtained a visa for the stated purpose of taking a two week vacation with his parents but then arrives alone at the port of entry holding a reservation for a return flight six months hence, the CCD notes can help CBP agents detect the possible ruse. Given that CBP officers do not have access to the CCD at Primary Inspection, consular officers electronic remarks are available only when the foreign national is being examined in Secondary Inspection. Knowing this, some consular officers are using a novel visa annotation (“B-2 CCD”) to subtly cue Primary Inspection officers to the possible for Secondary Inspection. The “B-2 CCD” visa annotation is a consular officers’ way of communicating to CBP officers that the CCD contains detailed notes regarding the travel plans that the foreign national outlined during the visa interview. In effect, the annotation invites CBP to examine the traveler in light of the previously stated plans; if the travelers story at port of entry does not match what was represented during the visa interview, then there may be admissibility issues. begun inserting detailed notes in the Consolidated Consular Database (CCD) regarding the travel plans of applicants who are issued new B-1/B-2 visas, particularly in borderline cases. This practice is encouraged by new guidance at 9 FAM 41.113 N2. This same FAM provision also advises consular officers to exercise “particular care” when entering issuance notes for “odd or high profile cases”.
These case notes are intended to help focus Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officers scrutiny of foreign nationals arriving at American ports of entry. By means of the notes from consular officers, CBP agents can examine travelers with regards to the information they disclosed during their visa interviews. For example, if a foreign national obtained a visa for the stated purpose of taking a two week vacation with his parents but then arrives alone at the port of entry holding a reservation for a return flight six months hence, the CCD notes can help CBP agents detect the possible ruse.
Given that CBP officers do not have access to the CCD at Primary Inspection, consular officers electronic remarks are available only when the foreign national is being examined in Secondary Inspection. Knowing this, some consular officers are using a novel visa annotation (“B-2 CCD”) to subtly cue Primary Inspection officers to the possible for Secondary Inspection.
The “B-2 CCD” visa annotation is a consular officers’ way of communicating to CBP officers that the CCD contains detailed notes regarding the travel plans that the foreign national outlined during the visa interview. In effect, the annotation invites CBP to examine the traveler in light of the previously stated plans; if the travelers story at port of entry does not match what was represented during the visa interview, then there may be admissibility issues.