The Visas Mantis is a pre-check name-check procedure designed for all USG-sponsored programs.  It was developed due to law enforcement and intelligence community concern that U.S. produced goods and information are vulnerable to theft.  The Visas Mantis cables must be submitted for all cases (business, education, training, scientific exchange) that fall under the purview of section 212(a)(3)(i)(II) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and involving fields on the Technology Alert List (TAL).  All visa processing posts should have ceased the usage of the prior designators:  BUSVIS, SPLEX, CHINEX AND VIETEX.  The primary program security objectives are to: 

• stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile delivery systems;
• restrain the development of destabilizing conventional military capabilities in certain regions of the world;
• prevent the transfer of arms and sensitive dual-use items to terrorist states, and
• maintain U.S. advantages in certain militarily critical technologies.

Visas Eagle Mantis vs. Visas Donkey Mantis

Visas Eagle Mantis and Visas Donkey Mantis are pre-check name-check procedures used for visa applicants in any visa category, when an applicant falls under the purview of INA section 212(a)(3)(A)(i)(II).

The Visas Eagle Mantis is a no-response pre-check procedure that permits a post to process a case to conclusion after a ten-working day suspense period, without the Department's reply.  The procedure may be used for all USG-sponsored visa applicants, including, but not limited to, U.S. Government agencies/entities.  

The Visas Donkey Mantis is a pre-check procedure that requires the Department's authorization prior to processing a case to conclusion.  It is used for any visa applicant subject to INA 212(3)(A)(i)(II) who does not qualify for the Visas Eagle Mantis procedure.  Cases that cannot wait until the conclusion of the ten working-day suspense period should be submitted as Visas Donkey Mantis, noting it is an expedited request in the subject line.  The cable must include the reason expedited handling has been requested (i.e., unforeseen imminent travel, medical emergency, etc.).

Duration of Mantis   

Unless otherwise notified, a Visas Mantis clearance (Eagle or Donkey) will remain in effect for the duration of the USG-sponsored applicant's program, provided that the applicant will perform the same duties/functions and will conduct the same work assignment or participate in the same program at the same facility/organization.  A change in any of the above would demand a new Mantis review.  During the course of the visa interview, the consular officer must inquire whether anything has changed in the applicant's program.

Should a Mantis-cleared applicant depart the U.S. for a period of not more than 30 days, it is not necessary for the post to submit a new Mantis cable or a new Mantis review upon the applicant's return if they are continuing the same work.  However, posts are requested to send a Visas Eagle Mantis cable on a post-check basis in such a case.  The prior visa may serve as proof that the applicant previously completed the Mantis clearance process.  Posts may also assist with the tracking of Mantis clearance by annotating the visa with the Visas Eagle Mantis cable number (for example, Eagle Mantis 99 Post 999999) or, in the case of Visas Donkey Mantis, the State authorization cable number (for example, Donkey Mantis 99 State 99999).    

State Sponsors of Terrorism

A Visas Donkey Mantis cable is mandatory for all applicants bearing passports of, or employed by states designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism, who seek to engage in a commercial exchange or academic pursuit involved in one of the critical fields of the Technology Alert List.  Presently, there are seven countries on the Department's List of State Sponsors of Terrorism:

Cuba
Iran
North Korea
Sudan
Syria

Posts must be alert to cases involving foreign nationals affiliated with the entities in a region subject to the Nonproliferation Export Control regulations.  The countries are:

• China
• India
• Israel
• Pakistan
• Russia

 The visa interview may reveal that employees from a nuclear research center from certain countries may require a Visas Eagle Mantis cable (if USG-sponsored), or Visas Donkey Mantis cable (if not USG-sponsored). Since February 1997, the Federal Register has published several Commerce Department rules which added entities to the Entity List, a listing of foreign end users involved in proliferation activities.

The Entity List is based on the Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative (EPCI), which has been implemented in the Export Administration Regulations. General Prohibition Five of the EAR prohibits exports to certain end-users or end-uses without a license. BXA maintains, in the form of Supplement 4 to the Part 744, an "Entity List" to provide notice informing the public of certain entities subject to such licensing requirements. 

These end users have been determined to present an unacceptable risk of diversion to developing weapons of mass destruction or the missiles used to deliver those weapons. Publishing this list puts exporters on notice that any products sold to these end users may present concerns, and will require a license from the Bureau of Export Administration. While this list will assist exporters in determining whether an entity poses proliferation concerns, it is not comprehensive. 

Interagency groups involved in the export control process reviewed the activities of the published entities of concern and determined that exports to these entities would create an unacceptable risk of use in, or diversion to, prohibited proliferation-related activities. Publishing this Entities List allows the U.S. government to identify for U.S. businesses some of the organizations and companies that may be involved in proliferation activities. 

The development of a list of entities of concern arises from the EPCI initiative begun in 1990 to stem the spread of missile technology as well as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Under EPCI the Commerce Department can impose licensing requirements on exports and re-exports of normally uncontrolled goods and technology where there is an unacceptable risk of use in, or diversion to, activities related to nuclear, chemical or biological weapons or missile proliferation, even if the end user is not primarily weapons-related.

 The Bureau of Export Administration requires an export license for otherwise uncontrolled items subject to the Export Administration Regulations before allowing shipments to these end users because of risk use in or diversion to prohibited proliferation activities. 

Technology Alert List

As of this writing there are sixteen (16) categories on the Technology Alert List (TAL): 

Conventional Munitions	Technologies associated with warhead and large caliber projectiles, fusing and arming systems.
Nuclear Technology	Technologies associated with the production and use of nuclear material for military applications.
Missile/Missile Technology	Technologies associated with air vehicles and unmanned missile systems.
Aircraft and Missile Propulsion and Vehicular Systems	Technologies associated with liquid and solid rocket propulsion systems, missile propulsion, rocket staging/separation mechanisms, aerospace thermal and high- performance structures.
Navigation and Guidance Control	Technologies associated with the delivery and accuracy of unguided and guided weapons, such as tracking and homing devices, internal navigation systems, vehicle and flight control systems.
Chemical and Biotechnology Engineering	Technologies associated with the development or production of biological and toxin agents, pathogenics, biological weapons research.
Remote Imaging and reconnaissance	Technologies associated with military reconnaissance efforts, such as drones, remotely piloted or unmanned vehicles, imagery systems, high resolution cameras.
Advanced Computer/Microelectronic Technology	Technologies associated with superconductivity supercomputing, microcomputer compensated crystal oscillators.
Materials Technology	Technologies related to the production of composite materials for structural functions in aircraft, spacecraft, undersea vehicles and missiles.
Information Security	Technologies associated with cryptographic systems to ensure secrecy of communications.
Lasers and Directed Energy Systems	Technologies associated with laser guided bombs, ranging devices, countering missiles.
Sensors	Technology associated with marine acoustics, missile launch calibration, night vision devices, high speed photographic equipment.
Marine Technology	Technology associated with submarines and deep submersible vessels, marine propulsion systems designed for undersea use and navigation, radar, acoustic/non-acoustic detection.
Robotics	Technologies associated with artificial intelligence, computer-controlled machine tools.
Advanced Ceramics	Technologies related to the production of tanks, military vehicles and weapons systems.
High Performance Metals and Alloys	Technologies associated with military applications.

Thoroughness Most Expedient

Posts are reminded that it is of the utmost importance that the information provided in the Visas Eagle Mantis or Visas Donkey Mantis cables be detailed.  Many security advisory opinions (SAO) or name-check cables contain vague or incomplete information.  Cables that do not contain sponsor (or project manager) and contact information, or which do not state the specific purpose of visit, itinerary, etc. will delay the traveler.  The Visa Office will, at the request of other USG agencies, instruct posts to suspend the processing of a visa case in order to obtain additional information.  The Mantis review turnaround time will be directly affected by the completeness of the information in the Mantis cable of SAO.  

NOTE: The following sample of the Visas Eagle Mantis cable format reflects the minimum information required.  A Visas Eagle Mantis cable should be as thorough as a Visas Donkey Mantis cable.  The significant difference between the two procedures is the processing time - ten-day no response suspense period for the former and awaiting Department reply to proceed for the latter.  To facilitate cable distribution, visa issuing posts are requested to include the abbreviated nationality code (see 9 FAM Part IV, Appendix I, Exhibit VIII) in the subject line, such as illustrated in the sample cable format below. 

Sample Visa Mantis cable format (minimum required info):

Subject: Visas Eagle Mantis - Chin - USG-sponsored program/or/

Subject: Visas Donkey Mantis - RUS - USG-sponsored program 

Tags: CVIS, PARM, CM (surname, first name)

Pre-Clearances

Due to the high volume of cases and the limited resources available, it is not possible to pre-clear individual visa applicants or program participants as a matter of routine.   However, USG-sponsoring agencies could facilitate the Mantis review for participants in a given program in the long term by providing to the law enforcement/intelligence community a program description that may satisfy concerns regarding the planned activities for visa applicants visiting the U.S. as participants in such programs. 

10. Some USG-sponsoring agencies with representation at U.S. posts abroad may wish to initiate program pre-clearance requests for some programs. Program pre-clearance requests initiated by U.S. posts abroad should be submitted only in the Visas Donkey Mantis format, as the interagency review for a USG-sponsored program will take more than fifteen (15) working days to complete. The role of the Visa Office in the interagency program pre-clearance process will be to:

Sample program pre-clearance request cable format:

Subject: Visas Donkey Mantis - program title and number 

Tags: CVIS, PARM

Students, Exchange Visitors, Temporary Workers 

Any F-1, J-1 or H-1 visa applicant (regardless of nationality) who has departed the U.S. for a short term (not more than thirty (30) days) does not require a new Mantis cable (Donkey or ten-day Eagle).  However, posts are instructed to send a Visas Eagle Mantis cable on a post-check basis for any applicant who falls in this category.  The subject line should be annotated "returning scholar", "returning exchange visitor" or "returning temporary worker", whichever is applicable, and include in the remarks the nature of the conference the applicant attended or the nature of business the applicant conducted while outside the U.S.