Nine charged in US asylum, visa fraud schemes

Georgian prosecutors have charged nine people and arrested three as part of an investigation into two alleged organised criminal groups accused of facilitating fraudulent asylum and visa applications for the United States.

The Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday said the investigation was conducted jointly with the Regional Security Office of the US Embassy and uncovered schemes involving forged documents, immigration fraud and financial deception.

Prosecutors said one of the groups targeted Georgian citizens seeking asylum in the United States. Investigators identified 366 individuals who allegedly sought assistance from the group. 

Members of the organisation are accused of creating false asylum claims, including fabricated accounts of persecution on political or other grounds, and supporting those claims with forged documents in exchange for substantial fees.

The group allegedly charged between $1,000 and $1,500 for preparing asylum cases, up to $3,000 for forged documentation and a further $6,000 to $8,000 for handling and supporting applications.

Prosecutors also alleged that two members of the organisation defrauded Georgian citizens held in US immigration detention by promising assistance and collecting money without providing the promised services. Investigators said the suspects obtained $10,000 from four individuals.

The investigation further found that members of the group allegedly offered assistance in obtaining Canadian visas using forged financial and employment documents. In one case, a suspect is accused of producing counterfeit paperwork for an undercover investigator in exchange for $800.

A second alleged criminal group is accused of helping Georgian citizens obtain US visas through the use of forged official documents. Prosecutors said the group advertised its services online and assisted 65 Georgian citizens with visa applications submitted to the US Embassy.

The investigators said some applicants successfully obtained visas using the documents before embassy checks uncovered irregularities. 

Authorities said all affected visas were subsequently revoked. Prosecutors alleged that between January 2025 and February 2026, members of the group received more than $142,000, 15,095 lari and €1,560 from clients.

The suspects face charges including fraud, facilitating unlawful residence abroad, assisting the submission of false information in support of international protection claims and the production and distribution of forged official documents. If convicted, they could face up to nine years in prison.

The Prosecutor's Office said it will seek pre-trial detention for all nine defendants and that the investigation remains ongoing.