Visa Fraud

The sale, provision or transfer of an otherwise legitimate visa, the misrepresentation of a traveler's reasons for entering a country, or the forgery or alteration of a visa itself, with the specific conduct covered varying by country. In the United States it is a federal offense prosecuted under statutes addressing fraud and misuse of visas, false statements, and fraudulent identity documents, with penalties ranging up to ten years imprisonment for a basic offense and as much as twenty five years when the fraud is connected to international terrorism; the severity of a given case often depends on whether it is tied to other criminal activity such as drug trafficking or human smuggling. United States authorities report that most cases originate with individuals providing false information to gain entry or refuge, though organized smuggling operations and, in rarer cases, terrorism also drive visa fraud.