Reading Room Document

Authority of the State Department Office of Security to Investigate Passport and Visa Fraud

Section 209 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 did not confer on the Inspector General of the Department of State the authority to investigate passport and visa fraud by persons unconnected with the Department of State, and, accordingly, did not limit any inherent or derivative authority the Secretary of State might have to investigate such fraud. Special Agents assigned to the Office of Security of the Department of State may conduct consensual questioning of individuals and may request that an individual consent to being questioned elsewhere, provided that a reasonable person would understand that compliance with such a request is voluntary. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/23656/download.

August 17, 1984