US govt toughens entry laws

Published September 13, 2002

LOS ANGELES, Sept 12: The US government on Wednesday, coinciding with the first anniversary of Sept 11 attacks, introduced a new set of laws for immigrants, visitors and students.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) announced the introduction of special registration that will let the government keep track of arrivals and departures of non-immigrants.

Some of approximately 35 million non-immigrants who enter the US every year will be required to register with the INS in accordance with the special registration procedures. Under the new procedure certain non-immigrants will be required to take their fingerprints and photographs on arrival in the US at the airports.

If the non-immigrants stay in the US for 30 days or more, they will have to appear in person at the nearest INS office and will have to notify the INS when they changed address, employment, school, etc. Similarly, non-immigrants will also have to notify the INS that when they will leave the country.

“They must do so only by reporting in person to an INS officer at a specially designated port of departure. Not all ports are entry points. There are also ports through which a non-immigrant subject to special registration may depart,” it said.

According to new procedure, non-immigrants who are nationals or citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria and non-immigrants, who have been designated by the State Department at American embassies or consulates, or any other non-immigrant identified by the INS officers at airports, seaports and land points of entry, must get them registered.

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