| UNCLAS STATE 153587 FOR
CONSULAR SECTION CHIEFS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS SUBJECT: STANDARD
OPERATING PROCEDURES NO. 22: REVISION TO VISAS MANTIS CLEARANCE
PROCEDURE REF: A) 99 STATE 158241 B) 02 STATE 139546 C) 03 STATE
29840
1. This is to advise posts of a change in clearance procedures
for certain categories of applicants subject to Visas Mantis. Length
of validity of clearances for these applicants is being extended
to one year provided certain conditions are met.
2. Ref A established a clearance procedure known at the time as
Visas Eagle Mantis for applicants of any nationality, coming to
the U.S. at the invitation of a USG entity to engage in activity
involving any of the sensitive technologies on the Technology Alert
List. Posts were able to issue visas in those cases after a 10-working
day suspense period unless otherwise directed by the Department.
That provision was terminated by Ref B, which requires posts to
receive an affirmative response from the Department before a visa
can be issued.
3. The original Ref A instructions also stated that such clearance
was valid for the duration of the individual's activity in the U.S.
This meant that individuals whose visas had expired but were still
in legal status could depart the U.S. and receive a new visa without
going through the Mantis clearance procedure again, as long as they
were returning to the same program and same duties and responsibilities
within that program. In those instances posts were required only
to submit a post-check Eagle Mantis cable upon visa issuance. Because
Ref B terminated all post-check Eagle procedures, this option has
not been available to posts since transmission of Ref B.
4. Following inter-agency consultations, Department is reinstating
post-check visas and a longer validity clearance for certain Visas
Mantis applicants as described below. Upon receipt of this cable
posts will no longer need to seek a Visas Mantis clearance in advance
of visa issuance if all/rpt/all of the following conditions are
met: a) The applicant is returning to a USG-sponsored program or
activity and will perform the same duties/functions at the same
facility or organization that was the basis for the original Mantis
authorization. b) Post has evidence from its own records, from an
annotation on the visa or from the original visa issuing post that
a Mantis authorization was received for the applicant for this program
or activity. c) Upon issuance of the visa post sends to Department
a post-check Visas Mantis cable containing all of the information
normally in such a cable, as well as providing the date of visa
issuance. The last words of the subject line should be "post-check"
and the last paragraph of the cable should indicate the date the
visa was issued.
5. Provided all the above conditions have been met, clearances
will be valid for up to one year. This means that visas issued pursuant
to the above conditions may not be valid for more than 12 months,
regardless of the maximum visa reciprocity otherwise available to
the applicant. To facilitate such re-issuances posts are reminded
of the importance of properly annotating visas when the original
Mantis clearance is received. Such annotations should include the
name of the USG sponsor as well as the date and MRN of the authorization
cable. So, for example, the annotation for an applicant authorized
to visit the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico
would read as follows: "Sandia National Lab; Mantis Authorization
per State xxxxx"
6. Ref C terminated the use of the "Eagle Mantis" designator,
and instructed posts to use only the "Mantis" designator
unless there were CLASS hits relating to the applicant. Posts were
requested to use the "Donkey Mantis" designator for Mantis
cases with CLASS hits. Posts now should use just the "Mantis"
designator for all cases which are being submitted for review under
the Mantis criteria, but still must note any CLASS hits that post
believes apply to the applicant. Posts may create a template for
VISAS MANTIS if they have not already done so, using either the
EAGLE MANTIS or DONKEY MANTIS cable template as the basis. Posts
cannot remove the requirement for either selecting hits or marking
the cable as class hits negative. 7. Posts may direct any questions
they have on this procedure to CA/VO/L/C. POWELL
Posted on AILA InfoNet at Doc. No. 03061748 (June 17, 2003)
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