T5 B41 Notes 6-26-03 to 9-2-03 3 of 4 Fdr- Tab 6- National Name Check Program Brief 073

8/14/2019 T5 B41 Notes 6-26-03 to 9-2-03 3 of 4 Fdr- Tab 6- National Name Check Program Brief 073

1/7

NATIONAL NAME CHECK

PROGRAM


2/7

NationalName Check Program

The Na tional Nam e Check Program (NNCP) has the mission of diinformationfrom the FBI's Central Records System in response to requestsagencies, congressional com mittees, the federal judicia ry, friendly foreigagencies,an d state an d local criminaljustice agencies. For allexcept law enfothe program is to be operated on afee-for-servicebasis, with the beneficiary paying for it, not the Ame rican taxpayers. The Central Records Sys tem cadministrative,personnel and investigative files. The NNCP has its genes10450, issued during the Eisen howe r Admin istration. This executiveorder ad

securityissues,and mandates National Agency Checks (NAC )as part of the pvetting and background investigation process. The FBI is a primary NACGovernment em ployees.From this modest beginning, the NNCP has grownmore and more customers seeking background informationfrom FB I files on ibestowinga privilege - - Whether that privilege is governmen t employmensecurityclearance; attendance at a White House function; a Green card oradmission to the bar; or a visa for the privilege of visiting our hom eland;moreand state agencies regularly request an FBI nam e check. In addition to segovernmentalcustomers, the FBI conducts numerous name searches in dircounterintelligence,counterterrorismand homeland securityefforts of the FBprocesses200,000 visa requestsper year, including74,000 Visas Condor.Prior2001, the FBI processed approximately 2.5 million name check requests

FBI Name C heckProcess

It may be helpful to the Comm ission to follow along w ith Attach mthe FBI visa nam e check work process. Consularofficers worldwide determirequestfalls into one of the special visa categories re quiring additional scofficer will submit their name check requests by cable, simultaneously to Departmentheadquarters.

In the next step of the process, the FBI communications center fornames to be checked electronicallyto the name checkprogram. The name is e

checked against the FBI Universal Indices (UN I). The searches seek all iindividual'sname andclose date of birth, wheth er a mainfile name or referenexplanation, amain file name is that of an individualwho is, himself,the subjinvestigation,whereasa reference is someone whose name appearsin an FBIReferencesmay be associates, witnesses, conspirators, or a myriad of othexplain why an FBI Agent believed it important to index a particular nam


3/7

If there is a match w ith a name in a FB I record, it is designated as the system has stopped on a possible m atchwith the name being checked, bubeing must reviewthe file or indices entryto further refine the names "Hit"oncomes up with a name an d birth date match,it is designatedan "Ident." An "Ieasier to resolve.

Resolution Rate

Approximately85% of name checks are electronically returned as hwithin 72 hours. A "No Record" indicates that theFBI's Central Records Syidentifiableinformation regardingto this individual.

Because a name an d birth dateare not sufficientto positively correlateindividual,additional review is required. A secondary m anual nam e searcadditional10% of the requests as having a "No Record", for a 95% overalrate. This is usually accomplished within a week of the request. The remaas possibly beingthe subjectof an FBIrecord. The FBIrecord must now be rreviewed. If therecords were electronically uploaded intothe FBI Automated(ACS)electronic recordkeeping sy stem, it can be viewe d quick ly. If not,informationmust be retrieved from the existingpaper record. Review of this ideterminewhetherthe informationis identified w iththe subjectof the requestrequest is closed as a "No Record."

The information in thefile is reviewed for possible derogatory infor1% of the requests are identifiedwith an individu al with possible derogatoryrequestsare forwarded to the appropriate FBI investigative divisionfor furtheinvestigativedivision determines there is no objection to the visa reques t, to the name check dissem ination desk for forw arding to the State Departmobjection to the visa request, the investigative division willprepare a written Opinion (SAO ) and forw ard it to the State Department. In reviewing theshas identified individ uals attempting to enter the United States who are oFBI.

Most nam e check requ ests that are over 30 days old are the result

retrieve andreview field office record information. Some delay occursat subdesks, but this is to be expected.These analysts are assigned to the investigare primarily assignedto the analysisof intelligence reportsfrom around the wsupport on-going inve stigations, or to support theflow of intelligence to poliare the best professionals, however,to review informationin our records and tinformeddecision on w hethe r a requester of a visa represents a threat to o


4/7

In summary,How long does it take to complete a visa request name chthe graph,92% arecompleted in 30 days, 98-99%of the requests are resolved


5/7

NAME CHECK s^a-

111oo

SUBMISSION

A.FBI

rr\MM

CENTER

A. ERRORS

NAME SEARCH FILE REVIEW DISSEMINATION

-D.-*

MANUALSUBMISSIONS

NO RECORD-DUPLICATES

MANUALFILE

REVIEW

-.-

NO RECORD ** /S NO RECORD

CT/CD

NO DERINFO

LJJ\* ( * > "

Oz

1 -1

A.Consularoffices submittheirnamecheck requestsby cable to both theFBIand State. The FBIcommunications center batches thecables. Cablesin thewrong format

re rejected..FBIcommunications centerfwds

batchelectronicallyand the name isbatch-checked againstthe electronicFBI Universal Indices (UNI).5 Approximately85% ofname checksare electronically returnedas a "no

record"within48 hours. (A "norecord"indicates that theFBI'sCentral Records System containsnoidentifiable record relating to this,individual.)jj ^wc t o s^- Duplicate'submissionsare notcheckedand the duplicate finding isreturned toState.- Errors do no tenter the name checkprocess. FBI provides papernotification to State of error cables.

C. A secondary search conducted usually identifies anadditional 10% as a "no record" for a 95% response ratewthin one month.D.The remaining 3% are identified as having an FBI recordwhich may, or may not, be identical to the subject of therequest.E.The FBI records are reviewed for derogatory information.1% o the requests are identified wth an individual wthrelevant information. These requests are forwarded to theappropriate operational desk.

F. If thdeskdethere ito the vthe reqreturnedissemfor forState.-IfthereobjectirequeswillpresecuritopinioState.


6/7

Number of Names Checked

O

Q)

Of*Q >

3(0

O3-CD

O7TV)

(Oto

OoCO


7/7

NUMBER OF VISAS

r

o

C OmTl

Oo

3O Oz m

2 71mo

>m zD

mD O

Documents

T5 B41 Notes 6-26-03 to 9-2-03 3 of 4 Fdr- Tab 6- National Name Check Program Brief 073