VSS_3.0_RFP_B_C_E_F_G_H_J_L_M_Amendment_0001_Changes_Accepted.docx

SECTION B — SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 GENERAL

This is a Performance-Based Services contract. The contractor shall provide all management supervision, labor, and materials necessary to execute a comprehensive solution that meets the Government’s requirements and deliverables while satisfying the performance requirements as set forth in this contract.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a single-award, hybrid contract. This contract will use a combination of firm fixed price, labor hour, and cost reimbursable arrangements.

B.3 CONTRACT TERM

The period of performance of this contract shall include a base period of twelve (12) months from the effective date of the contract, and up to four (4) additional twelve (12) month option periods. The effective date of the contract will coincide with either the date of contract award or the date the contractor receives the required facilities clearance. The transition will begin upon the effective date of the contract and be included as a part of the base period.

B.4. CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE

This contract includes Firm-Fixed Price (FFP), Labor Hour (LH), and Cost Reimbursable (CR) contract line item numbers (CLIN). FFP CLINs will comprise the transition and the primary work products of the centers, LH CLINs will comprise distinct capability and service areas for which outcomes and levels of effort cannot be easily and reliably predicted on a unit basis, and a CR CLIN will cover travel and other direct costs. Refer to Section J, Attachment F – Pricing Tables for the complete CLIN structure.

B.4.1 TRANSITION – FFP

Pricing for this CLIN, if used, includes all costs associated with all activities for the period of the base year between the effective date of award and the contractor’s proposed go-live date as indicated in the contractor’s transition plan. During this transition period, no other CLINs would be applicable to work performed.

B.4.2 CORE MISSION FULFILLMENT SERVICES – FFP

Unit pricing for each FFP CLIN includes all costs associated with the activities, services, and capabilities used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to the work product associated with that CLIN.

The Government has established the baseline volume for each FFP CLIN as noted below. Note that the base year volumes are reduced in anticipation of the transition phase that will occur during that timeframe. While this is the most realistic estimate of workload for each contract year that the Government can provide at the current time, the Visa Office acknowledges that any number of developments beyond their control may affect the volume of work received and expected in a given year. To that end, the Government will closely monitor circumstances that may reduce the efficacy of volume estimates and, if necessary, seek to revise baseline volumes prior to each option year. The Government expects the contractor to work closely with the Government on the impact of adjusting baseline volumes beyond the base year of the contract.

Year

If the actual volume does not exceed the baseline volume established by the Government, the contractor shall be entitled to receive the entire price quoted for the baseline CLIN for that period of performance.

For actual volume that does exceed the baseline volume, the Government will utilize a “step” CLIN construct whereby each step CLIN will include an amount of units equal to 10% of the baseline CLIN. For example, per the table above, the baseline volume for the base year of NIV Fulfillment (CLIN 003A) is 364,500 units; therefore, each step CLIN will include up to 36,450 additional units above and beyond the first 364,500 units. If the volume of units produced exceeds 364,500, additional units would be counted against the first step CLIN (CLIN 003B). If the volume of units produced exceeds 400,950, additional units would be counted against the second step CLIN (CLIN 003C). This pattern would continue for each of the remaining step CLINs. Once the total volume of units in a period of performance exceeds the baseline amount, the contractor shall be entitled to receive payment only for those units actually produced above the baseline. All baseline and step CLIN volumes are included in Section J, Attachment F – Pricing Tables.

The contractor shall notify the Government, as early as is practical but not later than 75% of funds expended on a baseline CLIN, if they anticipate exceeding the baseline volume and provide an estimate for the total volume expected for the period of performance. The contractor shall continue to monitor production volume on a continuous basis and notify the Government if funding for additional step CLINs are needed.

At a minimum, costs for each work product should capture the applicable portions of following VSS services:

C.4.1.1 Case Fulfillment

C.4.1.3 Biometric Validation

C.4.2.1 Inquiry Management

C.4.2.2 Outreach

C.4.3.1 Intake

C.4.3.2 Paper Handling

C.4.3.3 Distribution

C.4.4.1 Service Management and Quality

C.4.4.3 Personnel Management

B.4.2.1 IV Intake (x01A thru K) An IV intake unit shall be considered complete and countable at the point which the center has completed initial processing of a petition and either a) conducts formal outreach with the applicant, agent or attorney to provide further instructions; or b) forwards the case to the interviewing consular section for additional processing. Each case will only trigger a single IV intake unit regardless of steps taken either to satisfy performance requirements or to perform additional processing at a center after either portion of initial processing is completed (i.e., additional outreach with an applicant would not trigger an additional IV intake unit for each occurrence of communication).

B.4.2.2 IV Fulfillment (x02A thru K) An IV fulfillment unit shall be considered complete and countable the first time one of the following conditions occurs: a) the center validates that the case is documentarily complete and ready for scheduling; b) the case is terminated; or c) the case is transferred back to USCIS. Each case will only trigger a single IV fulfillment unit, regardless of any additional steps taken either to satisfy performance requirements or to continue processing at a center after one of the conditions described above occurs.

B.4.2.3 NIV Fulfillment (x03A thru K) An NIV fulfillment unit shall be considered complete and countable the first time one of the following conditions occurs: a) the center validates that the data records for each petition are complete, accurate, and available to the interviewing consular section; b) processing for a CAT-I file is complete; or c) processing for a DS-156 paper application is complete. Each NIV petition, CAT-I file, and DS-156 application will only trigger a single NIV fulfillment unit, regardless of any additional steps taken either to satisfy performance requirements or to continue processing at a center after one of the conditions described above occurs.

B.4.2.4 DV Fulfillment (x04A thru K) A DV fulfillment unit shall be considered complete and countable for each DV applicant when the DV case for that applicant is transferred to an interviewing consular section or domestic office for additional processing. Each DV case may include more than one applicant. Each unique applicant will only trigger a single DV fulfillment unit, regardless of any additional steps taken either to satisfy performance requirements or to continue processing at a center.

B.4.2.5 Biometric Validation (x05A thru K) A biometric validation shall be considered complete and countable at the point which the center has completed the biometric validation process for an individual and submitted the results of that process on the relevant Government processing system. Each individual will only trigger a single biometric validation unit, regardless of additional steps taken either to satisfy performance requirements or to continue processing after initial submission.

B.4.3 SPECIALIZED MISSION FULFILLMENT SERVICES – LH

Labor hour pricing for each LH CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to the service area associated with that CLIN. The contractor shall assume a standard 40-hour work week and must obtain authorization from the Government prior to exceeding this standard for any individual supporting a LH CLIN.

The Government will review the services and products being delivered under LH arrangements on an ongoing basis. At such time as the Government can establish a reasonable and predictable level of effort and capture that effort on a unit basis, the Government will seek to convert applicable services and products to FFP arrangements.

The contractor shall notify the Government, as early as is practical but not later than 75% of funds expended on an individual CLIN or Sub-CLIN, if they anticipate exceeding the cost ceiling and provide a revised estimate for the total level of effort expected for the period of performance. The contractor shall continue to monitor effort on a continuous basis and notify the Government if additional revisions are needed.

B.4.3.1 Fraud Prevention Unit (x06 and x06A-1 thru -y / x06B-1 thru -y) Labor hour pricing for this CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to Section C.4.1.2 (Investigation, Authentication, and Analysis) requirements.

B.4.3.2 IT Management Services (x07 and x07A-1 thru -y / x07B-1 thru -y) Labor hour pricing for this CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to Section C.4.4.2 (Information Systems Management) requirements.

B.4.3.3 Post Liaison Unit (x08 and x08A-1 thru -y / x08B-1 thru -y) Labor hour pricing for this CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to the post liaison portion of Section C.4.2.2 (Outreach) requirements.

B.4.3.4 Freedom of Information Act Services (x09 and x09A-1 thru -y / x09B-1 thru -y) Labor hour pricing for this CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to the FOIA management portion of Section C.4.2.1 (Inquiry Management) requirements.

B.4.3.5 Site Support Services (x10 and x10A-1 thru -y / x10B-1 thru -y) Labor hour pricing for this CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy the Section C requirements relevant to Section C.4.3.4 (Center Site Support) and Section C.4.3.5 (Office Management) requirements.

B.4.3.6 Project Support Services (x11 and x11A-1 thru -y / x11B-1 thru -y) Labor hour pricing for this CLIN includes all individuals, labor categories, burdened labor rates, and hours worked that are directly involved in delivering the competencies, activities, processes, and procedures used to satisfy an approved project charter submitted by the contractor during contract performance.

B.4.4 SPECIALIZED MISSION FULFILLMENT SERVICES – FFP

This CLIN includes all costs associated with the activities, services, and capabilities used to satisfy the objectives of approved project charters and subsequently to deliver designated work products.

The contractor shall notify the Government, as early as is practical but not later than 75% of baseline funds expended on an individual CLIN, if they anticipate exceeding the established unit volume and provide an estimate for the revised total volume expected for the period of performance. The contractor shall continue to monitor volume on a continuous basis and notify the Government if additional funding / units are needed. All ceiling prices quoted by the contractor shall be evenly divisible by the number of units associated with each CLIN, thereby establishing a clear per unit price for each CLIN.

B.4.4.1 Project Support Services (x12A, x12B, etc.)

Unit pricing for this CLIN includes all costs associated with the activities, services, and capabilities used to satisfy the objectives of each approved project charter and to deliver the each charter’s designated work products.

B.4.5 OTHER DIRECT COSTS

Pricing for these Cost Reimbursable CLINs shall include all costs for travel and other direct costs (ODC) at each center that the contractor can reasonably expect to incur in the delivery of VSS services. The primary and intended use of these CLINs is for travel and center-specific materials.

The contractor shall notify the Government, as early as is practical but not later than 75% of baseline funds expended on an individual CLIN, if they anticipate exceeding the established ceiling and provide an estimate for the revised ceiling expected for the period of performance. The contractor shall continue to monitor volume on a continuous basis and notify the Government if additional funding is needed.

B.4.5.1 Travel / Other Direct Costs (x13A and x13B) The Government has set a notional cost ceiling for all travel / other direct cost CLINs (x13A and x13B) to include all travel and other direct costs (ODC) associated with the delivery of VSS services at the NVC and KCC, respectively.

B.5 PERFORMANCE BASED PRICE ADJUSTMENTS

Prices listed in the contractor’s proposal and subsequently incorporated in the contract will be subject to the accepted performance based price adjustments. Adjustments shall be submitted in the Contractor’s invoices in accordance with the performance disincentive plan.

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 service centers: 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 centers rely are aligned to four categories: national security, customer service, logistics and administrative support, and management.

The VSS program requires the contractor to manage the centers in an integrated manner, with consistent and consolidated management reporting and oversight spanning the entire scope of services. Additionally, the Government expects the contractor 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 centers 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 centers 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 centers 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 centers to adopt a flexible management and operating structure and increase the interoperability of services. This will enhance the centers 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 centers 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 center’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 centers 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 centers 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, centers, and other stakeholders.

C.3 — APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

The contractor 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 contractor 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.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 contractor to perform in order to meet the needs of the VSS program. The Government seeks a responsible contractor 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. Please note that Section J, Attachment A – Constraints and Mandatory Program Requirements is also applicable to contract performance and will be enforced upon award.

C.4.1 Objective 1 - National Security Services The contractor 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 visa centers 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor’s initial operating capability for the delivery of case fulfillment support.

i. General

· The contractor 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, data share, and domestic/international shipment), and any new technologies as they are deployed.

· For petition data received electronically, the contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor shall screen all supporting documentation submitted with a petition, checking for case completeness and data integrity per VO and Government regulations.

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

· The contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 centers 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor upon award), the Government shall allow the contractor to augment existing processes and procedures on a case-specific basis.

· The contractor 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 centers shall be capable of providing the full range of case fulfillment support.

· The contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor shall transmit the relevant materials to the interviewing consular section via approved Government systems and methods.

· In addition to routine processing, the contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor shall support outreach to the applicant, sponsor, or designated representative to request what is needed to satisfy case requirements.

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

iii. Fee payment verification

· The contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor shall conduct relevant research and provide necessary data to a designated Government employee for decision.

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

· The contractor 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 contractor shall perform a second review on the match, referring certain cases to the Government as determined for verification. Once verified, the contractor shall remove the selectee from consideration as a DV recipient.

· The contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor 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 contractor shall hold further processing of the case until it becomes current, and then support outreach to notify the applicant regarding next steps.

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

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

vi. Non-immigrant visas

· The contractor 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 contractor shall support outreach to provide the applicant, an agent, or an attorney with further instructions.

· The contractor shall review all records for errors and ensure data integrity. The contractor 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 contractor shall accommodate new processes and systems for NIV processing as they are implemented and made available.

vii. CAT-I files

· The contractor shall track, organize, and scan Category I visa ineligibility files (aka “CAT-I” 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 contractor 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 contractor 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.

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

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

· The contractor shall review routing requests from other units within ten (10) business days from the day the inquiry was received, indicated by notation in the system, including outgoing communication to all parties on the case after a review is performed.

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

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

· The contractor 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.

· The contractor shall conduct case fulfillment support such that they maintain compliance with lost document performance requirements as described in Section C.6.3.1.

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 contractor 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 contractor to perform.

a. General

· As an example of transmitting case records, centers 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.