| BY GLENN R MORALES, ATTORNEY AT LAW, | | | | democratic policy, or who wish to commit terrorist |
| PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW The Consulates of | | | | acts, or to deal in prohibited substances, or to illegally |
| the United States of America, located in most | | | | extract technology for arms trafficking or unfair |
| countries around the world, are in charge of receiving, | | | | commercial competition, including the trade and |
| processing and authorizing the granting of | | | | distribution of fake products, thus violating international |
| "Non-Immigrant" (B1-B2, L1, H1, others.) or "Immigrant" | | | | laws and agreements on Copyrights or Industrial |
| visas (Residences) to citizens of other nationalities so | | | | Property Rights, (Trade Marks, Patents on Inventions, |
| that they can enter U.S. territory through its various | | | | etc.), or Author's Rights, known internationally as |
| points of migration inspection, at airports, seaports or | | | | Intellectual Property Rights. The Consular Officers, who |
| land borders. The State Department of the United | | | | are sent by the U.S. State Department to the many |
| States administers and puts into operation the | | | | American Consulates around the world, carry a great |
| migratory, technological and legal instruments for the | | | | responsibility on their shoulders, as they are the ones |
| granting of American visas through its various | | | | who receive the American visa requests and must |
| Consulates and the international factors that influence | | | | interview the foreign candidate to evaluate, to verify |
| in the work of the State Department when it has to | | | | and evaluate the family background of the individual as |
| decide whether to granting a new visa or renew an | | | | well as his social, commercial and economic |
| already valid one are many and varied. It should be | | | | connections in the country where he lives. A series of |
| emphasized that American Consulates collaborate in | | | | administrative and technological mechanisms come into |
| the security of American citizens living abroad, offering | | | | play before an American visa can be granted to |
| them: (a) the delivery of new American passports, (b) | | | | anyone. Information about the candidate must be |
| Notary Public Services, (c) the location of medical | | | | crossed checked by other federal governmental |
| services, (d) visits to American citizens imprisoned | | | | organisms to verify whether he is a delinquent, either in |
| abroad, (e) matters related to deaths, marriages, births, | | | | his own country or abroad, whose present situation or |
| etc., (f) in obtaining economic funds, (g) aid in | | | | passed conduct may be a threat to the U.S. |
| emergency evacuations and dehorns, and (h) attention | | | | community or to the system of federal and state laws |
| to general emergencies through the Office of Aid to | | | | of the United States of America. Consular Officers |
| Citizens Abroad of the State Department. The | | | | must closely observe many faces, lists of requests |
| Consular Officers who work at the various U.S. | | | | and newspaper clippings to determine whether the |
| Consulates around the world, play a vital role in the | | | | foreign candidate is deserving or not of an American |
| control and direct security of U.S. territories and of U.S. | | | | visa, and they execute their task in a way that |
| citizens. They handle thousands of requests for | | | | sometimes pleases and in other cases annoys the |
| American visas from foreign citizens who wish to | | | | applicant. It has always has been quite clear that |
| enter the United States, either for family reunions, | | | | consular criteria for the rejecting or cancelling a |
| business matters, pleasure, studies, or work, among | | | | foreigner's American visas are based on the |
| other reasons. However, there are other groups or | | | | candidate's present, passed and future economic |
| individuals who seek to destabilize American | | | | aspects, both within or outside the United States. U.S. |