Is a consular officer entitled to meet privately with a detained foreign national?
A. Yes, as a general rule. The VCCR entitles consular officers to converse with their nationals. It does not explicitly state that such conversations may be private, but some of the bilateral agreements do contain such explicit requirements. The Department of State believes that consular officers should normally be able to converse in private. This does not mean, however, that the conversation cannot be observed for security reasons. If a consular officer insists upon a private meeting but the detained national objects to meeting privately, you should seek guidance from the Department of State. Q.
Related Questions
- I’m a foreign national, and my visa requires that I have medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. Do I meet this requirement under the AD&D or Life Plan?
- Does the U.S. citizen petitioner need to attend a K-1 visa consular appointment with the foreign national beneficiary?
- Is a consular officer entitled to act as legal counsel for a detained alien?
