WASHINGTON, Dec 31: The US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) said on Tuesday it would require from Wednesday all commercial airlines to submit detailed passenger manifests before arriving or departing the United States.

The programme, part of an ongoing effort to enhance public safety and national security, was mandated by Congress in the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act.

The new law, passed in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001, hijacked airline attacks, requires the submission of advanced information on all temporary foreign visitors to the United States.

Passenger information that must be submitted in advance includes their complete name and date of birth, their citizenship, sex, passport number and country of issuance and information on their US visas or alien registration number as well as an address in the United States.

“The advance submission requirement will help the INS verify the identities of individuals being transported, while ensuring enforcement of US immigration laws,” the INS statement said.

Commercial air carriers have been required to submit similar information to the US Customs Service since last December.

The new rules, which President George Bush signed into law earlier this year, impose a series of strict requirements for foreign visitors. The United States has been changing its visa system over the past year to keep out people it fears may plan to attack the country.—Reuters