Visa scandal rocks Armenian Foreign Ministry

A shocking scandal has erupted in Armenia, as a Foreign Ministry employee stands accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to obtain US visas for unsuspecting families.

Report informs via Armenian media that two women, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their harrowing story with Armenian media outlets. They had planned to travel to the United States with their families, totaling eight people, and sought assistance from the Ava Travel agency. The agency's director, Nune Sofyan, assured them that she could arrange the visas, proposing a plan to "employ" several family members at the Armenian Foreign Ministry to simplify the application process.

The cost of this dubious service was a staggering $7,000 per person. Desperate to make their American dream a reality, the women sold their apartments and handed over $10,000 to Sofyan. However, the demands did not stop there. The agency later requested an additional $7,000, claiming it was intended for Umrshatyan to facilitate a trip to the US Embassy.

Umrshatyan did indeed drive the applicants to the embassy in an official ministry vehicle, but their hopes were dashed when their visa applications were denied. Realizing they had been deceived, the women demanded a refund and sought help from Deputy Foreign Minister Vaan Kostanyan, whom they had seen in Umrshatyan's company. Kostanyan claimed that Umrshatyan had been dismissed before his appointment and that he had referred the matter to the prosecutor's office upon learning of the situation.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed that Umrshatyan had been employed from March 2022 until late October 2024. Curiously, he disappeared immediately after his dismissal on October 28, leading to speculation that he fled Armenia to evade justice.