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 The apparent lack of anything untoward in Malik's interview in
Pakistan for a K-1 “fiancée” visa that she was subsequently granted
underscores the difficulty facing President Barack Obama’s
administration as it seeks ways to improve security vetting of visa
applicants. Current and former U.S. officials with knowledge of the
visa vetting process said that even if the interview and security
checks had been more stringent, it is unlikely they would have
turned up any red flags on Malik.
The one-paragraph interview record, details of which have not
previously been reported, cites documents that Malik used to prove
her relationship with U.S.-born partner Syed Rizwan Farook,
including a photograph of their engagement ceremony, e-mails and
financial transfers between them, the source said.
The file shows that Malik told the consular officer who conducted
the May 22, 2014 interview that she had met Farook online. The
record says Malik correctly specified the date of Farook's birthday
and his job as a food safety inspector - tests to confirm that she
genuinely knew him.
 It contained no information about her political or religious views.
The documents that Malik is believed to have shown to the
interviewing officer were not retained in the file, the source said.
The brief interview report does not specify exactly where in
Pakistan the interview took place, how long it lasted or the
specific questions that Malik was asked.
After being granted the visa, Malik joined Farook in San Bernadino,
California, where they married. She subsequently was granted a
permanent residence, or Green Card, visa which required an
additional security vetting process and an interview in the United
States. On Dec. 2, the couple carried out an attack in San Bernadino
that killed 14 people and which U.S. officials believe was inspired
by the extremist Islamic State group.
Although the primary focus of a K-1 visa process is to authenticate
an applicant's relationship with a U.S. person, it also involves
security clearances, including checks with U.S. spy, law enforcement
and counter-terrorism agencies.
In the wake of the shootings, President Barack Obama ordered a
review of the K-1 visa procedure and of a separate program that
waives visas for citizens of some countries. The United States
issued 35,925 K-1 visas in 2014, and rejected 15,838 applicants,
according to State Department data.
A State Department official said that "all required procedures were
followed" in Malik's case, and declined to give further details.
HEAVY VISA WORKLOAD
Several Congressional committees are investigating how Malik was
granted her visa in Pakistan and have obtained copies of all or
parts of her visa files compiled by the State Department and the
Department of Homeland Security.
While the probes are at an early stage, questions have been raised
on Capitol Hill about the effectiveness of the visa vetting process
and whether it needs to be tightened.
Some lawmakers have asked for the administration's review to include
a requirement that consular officers examine social media postings
in vetting security risks.
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The State Department said it already employs social media screening
on a "case by case" basis and was working with other agencies to
expand its use.
In Malik's case, however, investigators say it appears there was
little, if any, suspicious public online activity to find.
Although Malik's apparent lack of previous militant activity would
have made her hard to spot, the apparently routine nature of her
interview highlights vulnerabilities in the U.S. vetting system, the
current and former U.S. officials said.
U.S. authorities in Pakistan could have -- but did not -- seek a
more extensive background investigation of Malik, which would have
sought further details from security agencies in Washington and more
on-the-ground checks in Pakistan.
The current and former officials said that consular officers who
process applications and interview applicants are often junior and
overburdened with casework.
Paul Pillar, a former CIA analyst, said the State Department should
boost its funding for consular services to allow officers to spend
more time examining each application, increasing the likelihood of
rejection.
"One cannot expect U.S. consular officers to conduct the equivalent
of an FBI background investigation on every visa application; the
sheer volume of applications they must review would preclude doing
so," he said.
Jessica Vaughan, a former U.S. diplomat and consular officer now
with the Center for Immigration Studies, a group which favors
tougher visa enforcement, said that front-line visa officers often
favor "customer service" -- rapid processing of applications -- over
thorough background or security checks.
The process could be improved quickly by increasing the number of
screeners, undertaking more extensive background checks and making
the interviews more rigorous, she said.
Asked whether heavy workloads were undermining the effectiveness of
screening, a State Department official said the department has
"increased staffing appropriately" to meet a rise in global U.S.
visa applications.
(Editing by Stuart Grudgings)
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