Section C Draft.docx

Solicitation #19AQMM18R0428 Section C

SECTION C — DESCRIPTION | SPECIFICATIONS | WORK STATEMENT

C.1 — SCOPE OF SERVICES

This section specifies the objectives to be fulfilled under a performance-based contract to address the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Support Services (VSS) program, which is currently operated out of two Consular Service Centers (CSCs): the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH, and the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) in Williamsburg, KY. This section addresses continuity of services for the current processing environment and captures the ongoing and anticipated changes expected to impact business operations prior to the beginning of this contract.

The VSS service provider will perform non-inherently governmental services that encompass a wide range of consular pre-processing activities for non-immigrant visas (NIV), immigrant visas (IV), and diversity visas (DV) to support global visa operations. The capabilities and services on which the CSCs rely are aligned to four categories: national security, customer service, logistics and administrative support, and management.

The VSS program requires the Offeror to manage the CSCs in an integrated manner, with consistent and consolidated management reporting and oversight spanning the entire scope of services. Additionally, the Government expects the Offeror to support efforts to reengineer and continuously improve operating model constructs, processes, and procedures in response to emerging policies, enterprise-wide visa processing software, and digital capabilities.

C.2 — BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is the public face of the Department of State for millions of United States citizens and foreign nationals around the world, operating as a service-oriented global enterprise and policy partner. CA is responsible for the welfare and protection of U.S. citizens abroad, for the issuance of passports and other documentation to U.S. citizens and nationals, and for the protection of U.S. border security and the facilitation of legitimate travel to the United States. Consular Affairs also has a significant domestic presence, most notably the 29 Passport Agencies and Centers that deal directly with the U.S. public. These far-reaching consular activities have broad foreign policy and domestic political implications and involve serious legal, humanitarian and management concerns. Responsibility for these functions is vested within the Department of State in the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs and for their implementation abroad in consular officers assigned to Foreign Service posts.

Each year, millions of aliens desiring permission to enter the U.S. legally as immigrants or for temporary stays apply for visas in consular sections at over 240 diplomatic posts abroad. A visa is permission to travel to a port of entry and request admission to the United States from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Immigrant Visas can lead to permanent residence in the United States and eventual citizenship, while Non-Immigrant Visas are intended for shorter stays for many reasons, such as tourism, business, study, research, and temporary work.

While consular officers abroad have sole legal authority to adjudicate visa applications, considerable domestic support is necessary to process cases quickly, efficiently, and accurately. The Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) supports overseas posts in the adjudication of both IV and NIV applications abroad. The domestic-based services provided by the CSCs support CA’s strategic priorities and enable the Bureau to satisfy mission-critical national security and customer service objectives.

Many NIV applications and all IV applications are petition-based and entail reviewing and processing sets of civil and financial documents and data received from petitioners and beneficiaries (e.g., spouses, children, siblings, or employers). The CSCs conduct other related functions such as facial recognition reviews for visa and passport services and special projects in support of U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide. The CSCs also provide communications support, responding to inquiries from the public, attorneys, other Government agencies, overseas posts and Congress via email, letter correspondence, and telephone.

C.2.1 Modernization of Visa Services and Requirements Internal and external forces are constantly influencing shifts in global visa operations. The global roll-out of the Modernized Immigrant Visa (MIV) initiative is one such shift. The MIV constitutes a fundamental shift in global visa operations from a primarily paper and logistics-based model to a predominantly digital and service-based model with streamlined and integrated national security and customer-focused operations.

A number of related efforts are either planned or anticipated to support the digitization of many other consular pre-processing activities as well. For example, I-129 petitions for non-immigrant worker visas traditionally arrive to KCC in paper form, but U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) is gradually digitizing the initial application form. The shift to digital will enable more rapid and full data sharing with KCC, but also significantly increase the rate of intake and case completion. The Government expects that digitization of visa services and enablement of more interagency data sharing platforms will allow the CSCs to adopt a flexible management and operating structure and increase the interoperability of services. This will enhance the CSCs ability to deliver the full suite of services for all consular work products and adapt more easily to changes in policy, cyclical workload, and unforeseen technical and other challenges.

VSS has gradually transitioned from a paper-based logistics warehouse to a digital customer service operation with advanced fraud research and analytical capabilities in the visa pre-adjudication support sphere. The current visa services contract has involved significant process and technology improvements. As such, the next five-year contract will require a professional cadre of staff capable of supporting the enhanced national security mandate and sustaining and further developing the new processes, systems, and aforementioned digital enhancements.

C.2.2 Objective of RFP Through this contract, the Government seeks to obtain the mission-oriented professional services of a single, highly qualified prime contractor to satisfy the requirements of the VSS program. The Government seeks a Contractor with the capacity, resources and experience necessary to fulfill the digital modernization requirements associated with visa services. The Contractor will need to provide increasingly complex services in support of mission-critical national security and customer service objectives with an increasingly lower tolerance for risk and service disruption.

The Government expects to establish a multi-year, performance-based arrangement that will support the evolution of VSS digital modernization and interoperability needs. Moreover, the Government seeks to obtain a Contractor that demonstrates the capability to align its resources and personnel qualifications with the following priorities established by the Government for VSS moving forward:

· Flexibility: Increasingly complex requirements and volatility in workload volumes will require the CSCs to be more flexible than ever before, necessitating a strategic shift from location-specific and effort-focused operations to service-oriented and outcome-focused operations.

· Digital Enablement: The success of Government-led initiatives to introduce advances in enterprise technology and processing capabilities depends on the CSC’s ability to implement new models and approaches to service delivery at all levels and across all services. Maintaining a nimble workforce capable of supporting legacy systems while simultaneously adapting to the changing environment and delivering services seamlessly across CSCs will be crucial.

· Customer Centricity: The Government sees both opportunity and imperative in enhancing the depth and breadth of customer operations to drive process improvements and efficiencies, to elevate the role of VSS in strengthening national security, and to serve the global network of VSS stakeholders. Prioritizing excellence in customer operations will shift the mindset on decisions for how VSS services should be delivered, integrated, and measured.

· Problem-Solving: The digitization and modernization of VSS, coupled with its increasing national security requirements, creates a need for higher professional-level staff to conduct increased customer/key stakeholder interaction and problem solving. The CSCs plan to significantly increase both Fraud Research Analysts and Post Liaisons, the latter of which play a critical role in communicating issues, requests, and status changes between overseas posts, CSCs, and other stakeholders.

C.3 — APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

The Offeror shall adhere to the following DOS/CA standards as they pertain to visa processing:

· Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) Volume 9

· The Internal Controls Procedures found in the Consular Management Handbook

· The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)

· Instructional or explanatory cables sent to all diplomatic and consular posts (known as “ALDAC cables”)

· Information from CA Intranet Site that relates to visa policies, procedures, and processes

In addition, the Offeror shall adhere to the Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH), Systems Managers Handbook (5 FAH 9) when making computer systems operations changes and supply purchases under this contract.

C.3.1 — Reading Room Material Upon release of the RFP, reading room material may be requested from the DOS, Office of Acquisition Management (AQM). After signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement provided by DOS, the Offeror will be provided an electronic disk (CD-ROM) with reading room documents. The following information is available in the reading room:

· Specifications of materials and supplies required for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN)

· CY2018 processing statistics for NVC and KCC

· Critical and non-critical errors

· A description of the DOS computing environment, including that of NVC and KCC

· List of CSC software and hardware that the Offeror shall manage

· USG requirements for managing government furnished equipment (GFE)

· Visa petition information, an explanation of visa symbols, processing requirements for each visa petition category

· DS-156 National Archive and Records Administration (NARA) requirements for visa application document storage

· Processing manuals

· Basic IV processing flow chart

· Basic facility information for NVC and KCC

· Incoming mail processing guidance

· Best Practices in Cybersecurity at KCC and NVC

· CAT-1 Ineligibility Refusal Files

C.4 — PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

The performance work statement (PWS) describes each of the four overarching objectives that comprise the full scope of work that the Government requires the Offeror to perform in order to meet the needs of the VSS program. The Government seeks a responsible Offeror to deliver the capabilities and services described below such that they are capable of but not limited to the specific requirements to be performed in each area.

C.4.1 Objective 1 - National Security Services The Offeror shall provide business program support services to conduct a broad range of domestic-based, consular pre-processing activities for visa operations at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad as well as biometric validation support services for visa and passport operations under a performance-based arrangement, which will strengthen border security while facilitating legitimate travel, prevent fraud, and promote the integrity of consular services in accordance with existing procedures and business requirements. Anticipated capabilities and services include, but are not limited to, the following:

C.4.1.1 Case Fulfillment This capability comprises the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures that enable the Consular Service Centers (CSCs) to efficiently and effectively assess the contents and characteristics of existing visa cases; to capture information in primary visa case processing systems; and to track, validate, and facilitate their completeness prior to interview. Core services that the Government requires the Offeror to provide in support of case fulfillment include:

i. Data entry, across all visa types and all available Government processing systems, to record information derived or collected in the course of providing business program support services.

ii. Data verification, across all visa types and all available Government processing systems, to validate that information is recorded accurately and in compliance with all relevant quality standards.

iii. Document review, across all visa types, to conduct a detailed assessment of information provided in support of case processing and to identify gaps, discrepancies, or additional processing needs such as the need for a fraud review.

While general support requirements for case fulfillment are summarized by the services described above, the Offeror shall be able to accommodate revised work processes, new procedures, and fluctuating demand for services as a normal course of doing business.

Detailed Requirements This section captures specific requirements regarding the Offeror’s initial operating capability for the delivery of case fulfillment support.

i. General

· The Offeror shall transmit case records to Post, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and the Department of Labor (or other recipients as required) using the appropriate Government processing systems (e.g., current examples include PIMS, eDP, and PIVOT), transmission platforms (e.g., current examples include the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD), SharePoint, and data share), and any new technologies as they are deployed.

· For petition data received electronically, the Offeror shall review the data in the electronic record for accuracy and integrity, and make any corrections; enter additional information as required; and verify date(s), visa classification, and other critical fields as specified by the Visa Office (VO).

· The Offeror shall verify that all critical and non-critical data elements have been entered or captured correctly per standards as defined by VO, and shall identify and correct any errors.

· The Offeror shall screen all supporting documentation submitted with a petition, checking for case completeness and data integrity per VO and Government regulations.

· The Offeror shall review the petitioner/beneficiary relationship and the visa classification for each case.

· The Offeror shall look for and note discrepancies between data on petitions and electronic records, as well as discrepancies between data on visa petitions and visa regulations. The Offeror shall address problems / discrepancies within their purview to correct, and otherwise refer cases to designated Government staff for resolution (e.g., cases involving visa category discrepancies, corrections/changes to sections of law, etc.).

· The Offeror shall route cases containing discrepancies, possible fraud, or other notable issues to the appropriate unit for problem resolution or further review. The time a case spends outside of normal processing shall not adversely affect quality and performance measurements; however, the Offeror shall continue to track these cases and work diligently to achieve a timely resolution of the issue (e.g., returning the case to normal processing, to USCIS, or to post).

· Requests or appeals for action in areas where the CSCs have no role shall be referred directly to USCIS for resolution (e.g., priority date and approval date changes).

· In accordance with Government guidelines, the Offeror shall seek fraud prevention unit (FPU) support for anti-fraud analysis and/or other reviews as required. Normal processing times for a case will be suspended until FPU review of that case is complete.

· The Offeror shall obtain Government approval for all standard process and operating procedure changes, and shall submit proposed changes for already approved content to the Government for review and approval not less than seven (7) business days in advance of the proposed/required implementation date.

· The Offeror shall support urgent case fulfillment process and procedural changes in situations that do not allow for a minimum seven (7) business day lead time (e.g., in response to Executive Orders, Presidential Proclamations, etc.) and provide the Government with desired changes upon request.

· Upon request and within mutually established parameters (to be determined with the Offeror upon award), the Government shall allow the Offeror to augment existing processes and procedures on a case-specific basis.

· The Offeror shall maintain efficient and effective collaboration and information exchange, both among staff providing case fulfillment services and with staff providing services other than case fulfillment.

· Commensurate with access to necessary Government systems, both CSCs shall be capable of providing the full range of case fulfillment support.

· The Offeror shall fully define continuity of operation plans to prevent degradation or disruption of case fulfillment support such that these can be plans can be implemented once all Government-furnished interfaces are in place.

ii. Immigrant visas

· The Offeror shall perform data entry and data verification, in accordance with all VO guidance and Government regulations, all Immigrant Visa (IV) petitions received, including but not limited to: petitions for family members, employment, adoptions, cases of following-to-join family members of asylees and refugees, employment, and I-129F petitions or other categories that may be established or changed in the future.

· The Offeror shall retrieve, or access cases that meet the Dates for Filing Applications or Final Action Dates as listed in the Visa Bulletin from storage and complete the processing of each petition (e.g., cases that newly meet the dates for filing, aka “Global Pulls”). This typically includes updating a previously created case, completing a document and data integrity review (including data reconciliation between data sources), completing preliminary Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) reviews if applicable, and supporting outreach to provide the applicant, agent or attorney with further instructions.

· When the case has completed processing, the Offeror shall transmit the relevant materials to the interviewing consular section via approved Government systems and methods.

· In addition to routine processing, the Offeror shall handle minimal processing and expedited processing cases in accordance with any unique instructions and performance expectations as defined by the Government, which may include monitoring the status of individual cases to determine when circumstances apply that would necessitate other than normal processing (e.g., when a minor applicant approaches their age-out date, etc.).

· The Offeror shall process supporting documents submitted by applicants or on their behalf (e.g., an I-864, I-864A, 1040, W-2, police certificate, various U.S. and foreign civil documents, etc.), which may include tasks such as reviewing the documents for completeness and adherence to technical quality standards, digitizing paper copies, indexing and annotating as needed, updating related data fields in Government systems so information is available for overseas posts, and noting the location of the electronic and/or physical files.

· The Offeror shall analyze the documents, forms and/or data submitted for technical and regulatory completeness as relevant to the visa application and supporting document requirements.

· The Offeror shall review various foreign and U.S. civil documents and compare them to written descriptions of acceptable documents and/or visual exemplars of acceptable or unacceptable documents, as document requirements differ for various visa categories and for applicants based on their previous residence and/or interviewing location.

· The Offeror shall compare submitted documents against each individual Post’s document requirements in an effort to track non-conforming documents and work with post to improve reciprocity schedules and other public-facing resources.

· The Offeror shall inform the Government of any discrepancy between country reciprocity pages and the corresponding Post’s current document requirements. If there are discrepancies between submitted and acceptable documents, the Offeror shall make the appropriate notes in the relevant document management and/or data processing systems, support outreach to notify the case party of the discrepancy, and evaluate subsequent submissions for compliance.

· The Offeror shall review Affidavits of Support and supporting tax/financial documents to validate that the sponsor, household member, and/or applicant has submitted the correct form, completed all necessary information, and provided tax/financial documents to support the information on the form.

· The Offeror shall compare the supporting financial documents to federal poverty guidelines as described in USCIS form I-864P to determine if the sponsor has sufficient income, and shall support outreach seeking to collect and review additional supporting evidence and/or forms in the event the sponsor has income below published poverty guideline requirements.

· If documents, forms and/or data are missing, incorrect, or unacceptable, the Offeror shall support outreach to the applicant, sponsor, or designated representative to request what is needed to satisfy case requirements.

· The Offeror shall identify instances when standard outreach does not achieve the desired response, either based on the unique circumstances of the case or because the applicant/representative fails to understand how to satisfy case requirements, and support additional outreach efforts to update communications to collect all necessary documents or refer to the Government for further action.

· The Offeror shall also analyze all documents, forms, and/or data submitted for fraud, based on criteria provided by the Government, and route cases to the FPU for additional screening.

· The Offeror shall report a case to the Government as “documentarily complete” when all criteria relevant to that case are met. Criteria for achieving “documentarily complete” status differ by case circumstances and by Post.

· Similarly, the Offeror shall not consider a case as “documentarily complete” if it lacks any necessary fees, forms, or documents. Necessary fees, forms, and documents are determined by the Government and are subject to periodic revision as Post requirements are changed due to laws or updated documentary requirements within the associated host country.

· The Offeror shall accommodate new processes and systems for IV processing as they are implemented and made available.

iii. Fee payment verification

· The Offeror shall verify through routine and ongoing monitoring that all required IV-related and DV-related fees have been paid and recorded properly in the relevant Government system.

· When there are errors in the payment of fees, lockbox data file exceptions, or inappropriate fees paid, the Offeror shall research the case and support outreach to the fee originator to provide notice of the appropriate payment due and procedures to remit payment.

· When a request for a refund of fee payment is received, the Offeror shall conduct relevant research and provide necessary data to a designated Government employee for decision.

· The Offeror shall maintain the capability to reconcile fee-related data between visa processing systems and entities that accept payments (e.g., pay.gov).

iv. Special immigrant visas

· The Offeror shall perform Chief of Mission (COM) preprocessing worldwide in support of special immigrant visa (SIV) petitions pertaining to translators and mission support personnel worldwide, to include collecting the required documents, supporting outreach to applicants, and uploading the documents to the relevant Government systems.

v. Diversity visas

· The Offeror shall support the processing of diversity visas (DV) and the administration of the DV program.

· The Offeror shall electronically review selected applications for regulatory compliance and data integrity using Government-provided software and other online tools. This process typically includes using the photograph and data submitted by the applicant via the eDV lottery registration portal to review for potential duplicates and ensure completeness and compliance with lottery rules.

· If a potential disqualifying match with the photo or data exists, the Offeror shall perform a second review on the match, referring certain cases to the Government as determined for verification. Once verified, the Offeror shall remove the selectee from consideration as a DV recipient.

· The Offeror shall review the entire online record for each non-duplicate selectee to identify any discrepancies in the data per Government provided criteria. This review process will identify the qualified selectees who will be invited to continue their DV application.

· The Offeror shall receive and review DS-260 application documents and/or other data submitted by applicants, create a DV Case File Record in the visa processing system, and review the data for appropriate standards and integrity.

· The Offeror shall screen DS-260s for fraud indicators and other government-identified points of interest and enter case notes or lookouts in U.S. government systems.

· The Offeror shall coordinate transfer to USCIS of DV cases for beneficiaries who will adjust status in the United States, and control that appropriate fees have been paid before the case is transferred.

· The Offeror shall support scheduling interview appointments for all qualifying DV applicants. If the applicant has the qualified documents, but his or her lottery rank is not current, the Offeror shall hold further processing of the case until it becomes current, and then support outreach to notify the applicant regarding next steps.

· The Offeror shall accommodate new processes and systems for DV processing as they are implemented and made available.

· The Offeror shall provide input for DV operational and technical discussions and work with other CA offices, as directed, to ensure smooth operation of the DV program.

· The Offeror shall execute DV program administrative and technical steps as specified on a rolling 24-month program management calendar.

vi. Non-immigrant visas

· The Offeror shall process all types of petition-based non-immigrant visa (NIV) applications according to Government standards and guidelines, which generally includes creating and reviewing a record in the appropriate Government visa system (currently the Petition Information Management Service (PIMS)), entering data into the system, reviewing petition documents and/or data fields, and notating and/or attaching petition documents and data to applicant and petitioner records.

· In limited instances of legacy NIV processing (e.g., for T and U visas), the Offeror shall support outreach to provide the applicant, an agent, or an attorney with further instructions.

· The Offeror shall review all records for errors and ensure data integrity. The Offeror shall also forward to the FPU any petition that cannot be clearly associated to a petitioner already existing in an applicable Government system or database.

· The Offeror shall accommodate new processes and systems for NIV processing as they are implemented and made available.

vii. CAT-1 files

· The Offeror shall track, organize, and scan Category I visa ineligibility files (aka “CAT-1” files) received from posts into the appropriate Government system (i.e., currently the CCD) and link those files to related systems (i.e., currently CA’s Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) database). This activity will use workstations and software provided by CA for indexing, notating, and scanning files into the appropriate records, and for connecting files to existing and/or new system entries.

· The Offeror shall retain the physical files until otherwise instructed based on a Government approved destruction schedule, which may include physically destroying paper files by approved methods.

Performance Requirements

· Unless otherwise noted, the Offeror shall complete basic processing (i.e., data entry and data validation services) for immigrant visa petitions (Family, Employment, SIV, and COM forms), including I-129F and asylee/refugee follow-to-join petitions, not more than ten (10) business days from receipt or from having a priority date earlier than the Dates for Filing Applications in the Visa Bulletin, or as agreed upon with the COR.

· The Offeror shall process cases designated for expedited processing by forwarding these cases to Post within three (3) business days of system identification for Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) and Child Citizenship Act (CCA) cases and within six (6) business days for all other expedited processing cases.

· The Offeror shall complete basic processing (i.e., data entry and data validation services) for adoption based petitions not more than three (3) business days from receipt.

· The Offeror shall retrieve and update cases that meet the Dates for Filing Applications or Final Action Dates as listed in the Visa Bulletin from storage and complete the processing of each petition in no more than ten (10) business days.

· The Offeror shall provide document review for case completion in no more than ten (10) business days from the date a case meets criteria for initial review (financial evidence, civil documents, fees, and DS-260 received).

· The Offeror shall provide document review for case completion in no more than ten (10) business days from the receipt of new submissions following initial review.

· The Offeror shall notate the case record when a case achieves “documentarily complete” status within one (1) business day to ensure accurate and timely systematic reporting to the Visa Office.

· The Offeror shall process adjustment of status communications for DVs within ten (10) business days upon receipt.

· The Offeror shall complete processing of CAT-1 files within ten (10) business days.

· The Offeror shall complete standard processing for applicable NIV petitions within three (3) business days and accelerated processing (currently applied to petitions for visa classes O, P, U, and T, as well as urgent/expedited cases as necessary within one (1) business day.

· Time that cases spend referred to the FPU, outside of standard FPU processing, shall not be included in processing time calculations for case fulfillment.

Staffing Requirements

· At a minimum, any individual supporting case fulfillment activities shall possess / maintain a Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) determination. Additionally, a minimum of 25% of individuals supporting case fulfillment activities for immigrant visa cases shall possess / maintain a SECRET security clearance. As case fulfillment processing evolves over the life of the contract, the Government will shift the minimum percentage up or down accordingly.

· Any individual involved with direct access to Category I visa ineligibility files and associated systems and/or records shall possess / maintain a SECRET security clearance.

· The Offeror shall not exceed a 12:1 ratio of case fulfillment staff to staff supervisors.

Additional Context for the VSS Case Fulfillment Capability Separate from requirements identified above, the following information is demonstrative of current performance and/or intended to provide supporting detail regarding the depth and breadth of activities that the Government will expect the Offeror to perform.

a. General

· As an example of transmitting case records, CSCs currently scan immigrant visa petitions and supporting documents, data enter information from the scanned image, and electronically transfer the data and images upon completion of case fulfillment. The Government expects that electronic document processing modules will continue to expand and serve as a centralized and globally available repository of these files. Additionally, some posts return revocation memoranda to the CSCs via electronic means for eventual transmission to USCIS and other Government agencies.

· As an example of accommodating revised work processes, USCIS created and expanded the use of a provisional waiver for unlawful presence during operations under the current contract. As a result, the CSCs had to incorporate additional process requirements and ensure they did not perform interview scheduling services for affected cases until USCIS adjudicated the provisional waiver.

· CA has created an electronic document processing system (which is directly linked to several case processing functions) that facilitates document management, including upload, viewing, markup, and transmission.

b. Immigrant visas

· Current petitions include those that meet the Dates for Filing Applications or Final Action Dates as listed in the Visa Bulletin.

· Minimal processing applies to cases for which the CSCs do not collect fees, review forms or documents, or schedule interviews. Currently these include adoption petitions, refugee and asylee follow-to-join petitions, and I-129F petitions, but may change per Government direction. These cases are data entered, scanned if applicable, quality controlled, and forwarded to Post.

· The Government may designate a case for expedited processing because of humanitarian reasons or per request from USCIS, Congress, or other Government source. The Government may also direct a case for expedited processing when the beneficiary will reach the age of 21 within the next 120 days and a visa is available. In these cases, the Government will typically require the Offeror to identify eligible cases using Government approved criteria, pull the identified files and/or prepare files for electronic access for these cases, update the system to reflect the documents received, send either the physical or electronic file to Post along with an annotation explaining the reason for the expedited handling, send other pertinent case-specific information needed by Post, and support outreach to the petitioner, applicant, and/or agent indicating that the case is being forwarded to Post.

· In compliance with the Child Citizenship Act, the Government may also designate a case for expedited processing when the beneficiary will reach the age of 18 within the next 120 days and a visa is available.

· A case is “documentarily complete” when the Government has received, reviewed, and accepted all fees, forms, and/or documents necessary for a visa interview and adjudication.

· Document requirements differ for various visa categories and for applicants based on their previous residence and/or interviewing location.

· Even when foreign documents are not accompanied by an English translation, document review staff will still make comparisons to post provided exemplars, reciprocity schedule descriptions, and other available Government resources prior to acceptance.

· The written descriptions of acceptable and unacceptable documents and visual exemplars are subject to change.

c. Fee payment verification

· Most payments are received online, and procedures have been established with a separate lockbox vendor to eliminate cases of over-payment or under-payment, so such situations are infrequent (see Section C.4.3.1 Intake – Receipt of fees).

d. Special immigrant visas

· Currently, the CSC site in Portsmouth supports the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan by processing Chief of Mission (COM) applications.

e. CAT-1 files

· Inquiries regarding records in Category I visa ineligibility files are received via official communications from consular posts abroad and from VO.

C.4.1.2 Investigation, Authentication, and Analysis This capability comprises the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures associated with responding to fraud-related inquiries and conducting fraud-related reviews. While overseas posts continue to perform similar functions locally and ultimately interpret the presence of fraud indicators within the purview of their adjudicatory responsibilities, VO is centralizing common fraud functions within the CSCs to promote greater global standardization and efficiency in support of global visa operations. To better respond to CA’s unchanged mission of strengthening national security, this is a growth area for the pre-adjudication support that the CSCs provide and for the Visa Support Services (VSS) program. Two examples of this are CSC responses to fraud-related inquiries on specific subsets of cases before adjudicators receive them, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to serve as an intermediary between consular sections and USCIS regarding revocation notices. Core services that the Government requires the Offeror to provide in support of investigation, authentication, and analysis include:

i. Fraud research and analysis, across all visa types, to provide support for fraud prevention by reviewing petitions and supporting documents for fraud indicators; conducting research on petitioners, beneficiaries, employers, and other facets of petitions using a variety of public and private resources; and providing visa adjudicators with factual evidence and information for use during visa interviews and adjudications.

ii. Fraud documentation and reporting, across all visa types, to apply judgment regarding the criticality of found information in regards to immigration law and visa adjudication; write narrative memorandums for stakeholders at Post; accurately refer cases to USCIS Fraud Detection National Security (FDNS) for additional fraud review, either prior to transmission to Post or at Post’s request; brief Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) officers on cases with potential criminal nexuses; screen revocation memos for content and quality; and draft revocation memos based on fraud research and key indicators ascertained by visa adjudicators at consular sections overseas.

While general support requirements for investigation, authentication, and analysis are summarized by the services described above, the Offeror shall be able to accommodate revised work processes, new procedures, and fluctuating demand for services as a normal course of doing business.

Detailed Requirements This section captures specific requirements regarding the Offeror’s initial operating capability for the delivery of investigation, authentication, and analysis support. Note that the Government refers internally to the group executing this support as the fraud prevention unit, or FPU.

i. General

· The Offeror shall support CSC efforts to establish and maintain a feedback loop with stakeholders (e.g., overseas posts, CA’s Office of Fraud Prevention Programs (FPP), FDNS, etc.) to validate and improve detection of fraud indicators and application of investigation, authentication, and analysis techniques.

· The Offeror shall define and implement continuity of operation plans to prevent degradation or disruption of fraud documentation and reporting services.

· The Offeror shall only use investigation report formats approved for use by the Government.

· The Offeror shall use a wide range of tools and information sources, including but not limited to Government and commercially available databases, various DHS and other Government systems, and publicly available information on the internet.

· The Offeror shall use a wide range of research and investigation techniques, including but not limited to data analysis and phone interviews with applicable entities.

· The Offeror shall obtain Government approval for all standard process and operating procedure changes, and shall submit proposed changes for already approved content to the Government for review and approval not less than seven (7) business days in advance of the proposed/required implementation date.

· The Offeror shall support urgent FPU process and procedural changes in situations that do not allow for a minimum seven (7) business day lead time (e.g., in response to Executive Orders, Presidential Proclamations, etc.) and provide the Government with desired changes upon request.

· Upon request and within mutually established parameters (to be determined with the Offeror upon award), the Government shall allow the Offeror to augment existing processes and procedures on a case-specific basis.

· The Offeror shall maintain efficient and effective collaboration and information exchange, both among FPU staff and with staff providing services outside of the FPU.

· Commensurate with access to necessary Government systems, both CSCs shall be capable of providing the full range of investigation, authentication, and analysis support.

· The Offeror shall fully define continuity of operation plans to prevent degradation or disruption of investigation, authentication, and analysis support such that these can be plans can be implemented once all Government-furnished interfaces are in place.

ii. Prescreening and analyzing petitions

· The Offeror shall prescreen selected petitions, applications, and supporting paperwork in electronic and/or hard-copy formats for possible fraud indicators or other criteria (such as adherence to applicable regulations or policy) prior to cases being transferred to and/or adjudicated by overseas posts.

· The Offeror shall provide support to routine fraud prevention and other pre-adjudication screening activities in response to special requests for assistance from CA, overseas posts, and other Government entities.

· With oversight from the Fraud Prevention Managers (FPMs), the Offeror shall coordinate investigative activities with the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), VO, Fraud Prevention Programs (FPP), and other Government entities.

· The Offeror’s investigative and analytical methodologies shall be appropriately documented, consistently applied, and produce repeatable, objective findings to the extent possible. Additionally, findings from quantitative analyses shall include measures of statistical significance.

· The Offeror shall analyze data to establish and validate profiles, identify additional areas of investigation, and provide background on potential or apparent fraud trends or items of concern that should be addressed by the appropriate Government entity.

· Fraud-related and other pre-adjudication screening will be considered complete when the FPU has vetted the case against all fraud and screening indicators (e.g., as designated by the Government, outlined in training programs, etc.) and provided a report or, as appropriate, a short communication of the results of that vetting, and any other pertinent items of concern.

· The Offeror shall make all investigation reports available to the FPM, Deputy FPM, and/or other Government designees for review. The Offeror shall also record investigations in applicable Government systems (i.e., such as the Enterprise Case Assessment System, or ECAS).

· The Offeror shall not retain separate records of review results except for those approved by the Government (e.g., log files needed to monitor trends and maintain appropriate internal controls, etc.).

· The Offeror shall upload and reference investigation results and/or analysis in the appropriate system and make original copies available for destruction upon review and determination.

· The Offeror shall carefully follow procedures to prevent personnel from taking actions that are properly within the realm of consular and related regulatory and adjudicatory authority.

· The Offeror shall document procedures and results pertaining to all written products to refute any potential claims regarding inappropriate profiling.

· The Offeror shall maintain high quality and professionalism for all written reports and communications such that they are suitable and admissible in judicial proceedings.

iii. Process returned IV petitions

· The Offeror shall track and route all consular revocation requests (e.g., to USCIS) and all reaffirmed petitions (e.g., to the proper Post).

· The Offeror shall receive, record, review, and correct recommendations to revoke petitions or visa applications in accordance with documented procedures. This typically includes validating that requests are properly documented and noted in the appropriate Government systems, and often results in forwarding the request to USCIS for further processing.

· The Offeror shall receive and record notices of reaffirmation or revocation of petitions from USCIS in accordance with documented procedures. This typically includes validating that requests are noted in the appropriate Government system and often results in forwarding the notice and related case information to the proper overseas Post.

iv. First-time NIV petitioner research

· The Offeror shall conduct comprehensive research on all first-time petitioning U.S. entities to verify the bona fides of the organization as presented in petition documentation and identify anomalous information indicative of visa fraud.

· Research includes, but is not limited to, conducting in-depth queries of U.S. entities in: government, private, and commercial databases; social media accounts; and through liaising with embedded law enforcement agencies.

· The Offeror shall use its research findings to create an electronic petitioner record (e.g., in PIMS), and shall make available any adverse information to visa adjudicators, USCIS Immigration Officers, Defense Security Services (DSS) representatives, and other bureaus and agencies as appropriate.

v. Requests for assistance

· The Offeror shall receive and respond to requests for assistance from overseas posts, CA, DSS, and other Government agencies, typically submitted via a Government system (e.g., ECAS) or email. Types of assistance can include, but are not limited to, client verification research and phone interviews, phone calls to property management companies to elicit information on work locations, phone calls to purported performance venues to verify information, and comprehensive company research for specific entities.

· The Offeror shall analyze and evaluate all information to determine the correct course of action needed to satisfy the request in a timely manner.

vi. NIV application prescreening

· The Offeror shall review electronic NIV applications (e.g., DS-160s) of select visa classes to identify the U.S.-based petitioner, conduct applicable research and analysis, and include timely and accurate content in the electronic NIV application system (e.g., in the remarks field) for which relevant petitioner specific information exists.

vii. Consular return review

· The Offeror shall receive, record, and review recommendations to revoke NIV petitions. The Offeror shall work with the original drafter as needed to address any identified discrepancies or deficiencies, and upon resolution forward the revocation request to the appropriate USCIS entity.

viii. J-1 employment verification

· The Offeror shall receive lists of potential J-1 visa applicants containing details of the planned employment of the Exchange Visitor while in the United States.

· The Offeror shall research receiving employers to identify any potentially prohibited placements in accordance with J-1 program rules and regulations, or situations which may pose serious risk to Exchange Visitors' health and/or safety.

· The Offeror shall report all potentially adverse information to the DOS Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau (ECA) for resolution.

ix. Department of Labor (DOL) complaint submission

· The Offeror shall review financial and payroll documents included in NIV petitions and evaluate factors such as rate of pay, geographical location, and purported wage category to identify potential DOL violations and file official labor complaints when appropriate.

· The Offeror shall track complaints submitted as well as any determinations made by the DOL as a result of the complaint.

x. Ad-hoc support

· The Offeror shall work with the FPM and other Government staff as necessary to plan for and implement new initiatives (beyond those highlighted above) upon request. Such requests will arise throughout the contract as the Government explores new methods and procedures for detecting and deterring visa fraud in partnership with stakeholders and in response to shifting priorities.

Performance Requirements

· The Offeror shall maintain an accuracy rate of 99% with regard to critical errors in all deliverables, using Government approved and/or provided critical error categories.

· The Offeror shall maintain an accuracy rate of 97% with regard to non-critical errors in all deliverables, using Government approved and/or provided non-critical error categories.

Staffing Requirements

· Unless otherwise noted, any individual supporting an FPU unit shall be available to travel for training and familiarization purposes, shall be a U.S. citizen, and shall possess / maintain a SECRET security clearance.

· Any individual supporting immigrant visa (not including diversity visa) related activities in an FPU unit whose role is limited to assisting with clerical and administrative work (e.g., general clerks) shall possess / maintain an MRPT determination.

· The Offeror shall provide an adequate number of staff supervisors to effectively manage individual programs, with the concurrence of the FPM, and shall not exceed a 12:1 ratio of FPU staff to staff supervisors.

· The Offeror shall maintain ongoing compliance with Government developed or approved staff certification requirements and staff allocation guidelines (refer to Section J, Attachment B – Current State Snapshot for information regarding FPU certification levels and staff allocation guidelines).

· At least one analyst supporting the FPU at each center shall be fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish (refer to contract-wide language…