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State Dept.: We Don't Want to Lose Even One Student

By MAURA HARTY

We at the U.S. State Department are keenly aware that fostering academic and scientific exchanges is crucial to the national security of the United States. That is why we have greatly improved the visa process with the goal of balancing, in Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's words, "secure borders" and "open doors." In no other area have we worked as hard to achieve a balance as with students, scientists, researchers, and exchange visitors.

The security changes required in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, have been criticized for discouraging students and scholars from studying or teaching in the United States. However, working with other government agencies and academic and scientific groups, we have made real progress in improving the transparency, efficiency, and predictability of the visa process. I am pleased to note that we have turned a corner.

For instance, because students and exchange visitors are subject to admissions deadlines, last spring we instructed all of our consular sections worldwide to give priority to such visa applicants. In response they developed innovative and effective ways of doing so, and most student applicants receive visa appointments within one week -- some the very next day after requesting it. A student applying for a visa in Beijing, Istanbul, or Mumbai today, for example, can secure an appointment within two days.

We have also made reforms in the Visa Mantis system, which carries out interagency security checks on applicants for visas to study in approximately 200 scientific and technical fields related to national security. Although the screening process applies to only a small number of all visa applicants worldwide (2.5 percent), it was dependent upon outdated technology, and we recognized early on that it needed to be overhauled so that the several federal agencies involved could communicate with each other quickly and clearances could be processed promptly. As a result, we have now automated the clearance process, thereby eliminating the possibility of cases' being lost and providing for greater tracking and accountability.

Thanks to further restructuring of the Visa Mantis process, as of the beginning of September, 98 percent of the special technology clearances are being processed within 30 days of receipt. That has enabled us to clear a backlog of some 2,000 cases. We have also extended Visa Mantis clearances to one year for those returning to participate in the same programs. Moreover, we are actively exploring with other agencies the possibility of expanding the validity of certain clearances to better facilitate travel for continuing students who require a new visa.

Another result of our close cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security is the smooth implementation of Sevis, the DHS database used to track foreign students in the United States. Sevis is an important tool in eliminating fraudulent applications. Because it has given consular officers increased confidence when adjudicating student-visa cases, it has, in turn, helped speed up the processing of visa applications.

Our efforts to improve the transparency and predictability of the application process have resulted in visa applicants' having more -- and more accurate -- information as they plan their travel. U.S. embassies and consulates have been asked to post the current waiting times for visa appointments on their Web sites and to update the information regularly. We also recently overhauled our department Web site (http://www.travel.state.gov) to make it more user-friendly and to provide additional resource material. Having more information about the process helps visa applicants be better prepared when they come for an interview. I urge you to join the 200 million people who visited the site last year alone!

The loss of even one qualified student to another nation is one too many. When a student goes elsewhere, we haven't lost only the student. We have lost his or her parents, who have clearly decided to spend their money elsewhere. We have very likely lost younger siblings, who will follow in the footsteps of an older brother or sister. Most important to me, though, we have lost the chance for a student to see the wonders of America through his or her own eyes, rather than through the prism of a foreign news-media outlet that may be biased. When a student grows up and becomes a social, civic, political, or perhaps religious leader at home, we want that leader to have had the quintessential experience of life on an American college or university campus. A young person's positive experience in America strengthens and enriches our nation. And we are informed every day in what we do by our desire to welcome those students to our shores.

The State Department shares the goal of the American academic and scientific communities in striving to attract foreign students, professors, and scientists to our colleges and research institutions. The global market for international educational opportunities is becoming increasingly competitive. That is the environment in which we are all working. We have turned the corner in our ability to provide predictable and efficient service to those who want to know more about America. Now we need to regain the competitive advantage that America has always enjoyed. Student-visa issuances for January through June 2004 increased 11 percent over the same six-month period in 2003. Let us continue to work together to build on that positive trend.

Outdated information and misperceptions that may, in some cases, have discouraged students and scholars from traveling to the United States need not become self-fulfilling. We in the State Department are doing our part to support the resurgence of students and scientists applying for -- and receiving -- their visas in a timely manner. We ask academic and research organizations and the news media to join our efforts to attract students and scientists to our country, a nation that welcomes them and is the premier destination in the world for education and scientific research.

Maura Harty is assistant secretary of state for consular affairs.

2006 U.S. Visa Lottery Opens in November Program offers 50,000 permanent visas for immigrants to the United States The U.S. Department of State will issue 50,000 permanent residency visas to the winners of a lottery that opens for registration November 6.

Applications from would-be immigrants in eligible countries will be accepted from November 5, 2004, through January 7, 2005, the State Department announced September 29. The program is formally known as the Diversity Visa Lottery because it offers visas to citizens of nations that have a traditionally low level of immigration to the United States. In so doing, it is designed to bring greater racial and ethnic diversity to the nation.

» Learn more

New Procedures Await Visa-Waiver Visitors to United States Additional entry, exit requirements begin September 30

Visitors eligible to travel to the United States without a visa will encounter new procedures at U.S. ports of entry starting September 30, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Asa Hutchinson says the changes will make travel safer and enhance security for U.S. citizens at the same time.

Under the US-VISIT program, travelers from 27 nations participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will be digitally fingerprinted and photographed as they pass through immigration checkpoints. At a briefing September 27, Hutchinson said the procedures have been working well since first instituted in January 2004 for visitors traveling to the United States on a visa.

Media Note: Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC September 29, 2004 2006 Diversity Visa Lottery Program Registration

Applications for the 2006 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery will be accepted between November 5, 2004 and January 7, 2005. Persons seeking to apply must register electronically, online through the designated Internet website, www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. The 2006 Diversity Visa Lottery marks the second year that electronic registration is required. Paper entries and mail-in requests for Diversity Visa Lottery registration are not accepted.

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Daily Press Briefing Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC September 30, 2004

DEPARTMENT Additional Stops for Secretary Powell's Western Hemisphere Trip 2006 Diversity Lottery / Internet Application Process / Number of Applicants / Number of North Korean Applicants

QUESTION: Richard, yesterday you guys put out your announcement about the annual Diversity Lottery -- Visa Diversity Lottery -- 50,000 --. And as with the year before, it's all -- has to be done by -- through the internet, no paper submissions. And as I asked last year, I'm just wondering if you guys have thought about the -- if you've noticed, thought about, and/or noticed any implications of this --

MR. BOUCHER: This is --

QUESTION: -- given the fact that a large number, a large segment of the world's population doesn't have access to the internet, or much less a computer. And in particular, don't you find it perhaps a bit cruel that you include North Korea as a country from where people can submit these applications when your own Human Rights Report says that internet access in North Korea is limited to high-ranking officials with "the need to know," and that the government monitors all kinds of electronic exchanges. Are these the people that you're looking for from North Korea to come to this country?

MR. BOUCHER: Matt, where should I begin? (Laughter.) All right, number one, two months ago we put out the results -- maybe it was three or four months ago, how time flies.

QUESTION: That was the last one.

MR. BOUCHER: We put out the results of the last time -- of the last round. At that time, I think we made very, very clear that we had studied carefully the internet application process, and we had had very, very similar percentages of applicants from different countries and areas as we had with the paper process, that there was apparently no drop-off from developing countries or so-called disadvantaged areas in countries that we have had a, I think, a very sound number of applications and the same basic proportions of applications from different places as we had with the paper process; and overall, it was more secure and more convenient and more efficient for all of us to do it that way. I think, as you know, many, many countries, even if there's not widespread internet access, that people that need to get a machine for some time can get to an internet caf? which we've seen in our travels all around the world.

QUESTION: I don't recall any in Pyongyang.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't recall any in Pyongyang, either, so I'll deal with the question of North Korea as well. You'll also remember, from your study of these lotteries over many years, that the identification of nations is the place of birth of the applicant, not necessarily his current place of residence, and there are many North Koreans who are -- no longer reside in North Korea who would be eligible under those conditions and we want to make sure that this lottery's available to them. We would certainly wish that people in North Korea still would have the opportunity as well, but the fact that it applies to North Koreans in practical terms this way means it applies -- that North Koreans who are still in their country, North Koreans who are out of their country have the ability to apply. I know there are severe restrictions on the internet use in North Korea, but frankly, there are a lot of restrictions on people sending letters to the U.S. Government as well. So I'm not sure that the choice of medium would affect the inability of people in North Korea to apply.

QUESTION: And the results that you just talked about, you are -- you have them there? You will -- how many North Koreans applicants were there?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know.

QUESTION: There were four.

MR. BOUCHER: Is that right?

QUESTION: Yes. According to what you posted up there. Now, unfortunately, the results for previous lotteries don't seem to be easily accessible on the website so I can't tell whether there is a -- whether that marks a -- if it stayed the same or if it's a noticeable decrease.

MR. BOUCHER: Well, as you know --

QUESTION: But certainly, I would think that there are probably, given the desperate situation in North Korea, more than four North Koreans who would like to apply for a U.S. lottery -- a visa --

MR. BOUCHER: I'm sure there are more than four North Koreans who would have liked to apply in previous years by letter, many of which were not able to. I don't know what the numbers are for previous years. But I think it's generally understood that given the conditions in North Korea that people inside North Korea will find it very difficult to apply by whatever means, and the choice of the means of application is not necessarily disadvantaging them; it's their government's policies and practices that's a disadvantage to them.

QUESTION: Thank you.

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U.S. Immigration Application Backlog Decreasing, Official Says Agency says it Strives for Reform, Better Customer Service

Washington -- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) has made significant progress in reforming an "old, embattled" bureaucracy and is making solid inroads in reducing a longstanding backlog in immigration applications, according to CIS Director Eduardo Aguirre.

Formed from the remnants of the long-beleaguered Immigration and Naturalization Service and folded into the Department of Homeland Security, CIS has been in business since March 2003. Speaking in Washington September 21, Aguirre said the agency has been able to halve the case backlog, which he likened to "Mount Everest, a seemingly awesome task."

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Biometric Identification Technology Operational, U.S. Says Deployment of Technology Deemed Critical to Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced September 21 that integrated 10-point biometric identification technology is operating in each U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol station in the United States.

The new capability allows CBP Border Patrol agents to simultaneously search the FBI's fingerprint database. The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and DHS' Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) provide rapid identification of individuals with outstanding criminal warrants through electronic comparison of 10-point digital fingerscans against a national database, according to a DHS press release issued September 21.

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Machine-Readable Passport Requirement

The State Department is continuing its efforts to notify visitors of the new guidelines for entry into the United States. As the October 26 deadline for Visa Waiver Program travelers to possess machine-readable passports approaches, our embassies and consulates have engaged in extensive outreach to make certain that eligible individuals are aware of this requirement. We are confident that Visa Waiver travelers will not be deterred or inconvenienced by this change.

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Celebrate Citizenship, Celebrate America

From coast to coast, the USCIS welcomes more than 20,000 new citizens to the United States during Citizenship Day events. USCIS commemorates Citizenship Day on September 17 with a special ceremony on Ellis Island, where Director Aguirre addresses candidates for citizenship before taking their Oath of Allegiance. This event kicks-off Constitution Week, which will be celebrated by USCIS in communities from New York City to Honolulu.

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U.S. and Poland Sign Agreement to Begin Screening Program at Warsaw Airport

Today an agreement was signed between the United States and the Republic of Poland that is designed to facilitate and promote safe travel between the two nations, specifically the travel of bona fide passengers on direct flights from Warsaw’s F. Chopin International Airport to the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner and Wieslaw Czyzowicz, Republic of Poland’s Undersecretary of Finance and Chief of Customs, and Mr. Pawel Dakowski, Republic of Poland’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, signed the agreement.

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CBP holds events across the country to present new DHS badges

On August 6, 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner and senior Homeland Security executives presided over ceremonies in Newark, Detroit, and San Ysidro, in which CBP Officers, CBP Agriculture Specialists, and CBP Border Patrol Agents received the first Department of Homeland Security law enforcement badges. These ceremonies celebrate our efforts to achieve "One Face at the Border,” one unified frontline border agency at and between our Nation's ports of entry to manage and secure America’s borders -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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DHS SEVIS Program Ramps Up For Fall Semester

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today marked the start of the second year of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a nationwide registration program for international visitors, with a welcoming event today at Dulles International Airport for some of the 220,000 foreign students and exchange visitors expected to arrive in the United States this fall.

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Statement of Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Press Conference at Dulles Airport

America is a welcoming country. It always has been. And still is.

We welcome foreign students — properly VISAed foreign students — to our country to study and learn about our country and culture, — and this helps us learn about theirs.

But let me say this:

No more Hani Hanjours!

Hani Hanjour was one of the 9/11 terrorist who — as the 9/11 Commission recently reported — entered the U.S. with a student VISA on December 8, 2000, but never showed up at the school he was supposed to go to.

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Extension of Requirement for Biometric Passport Issuance by Visa Waiver Program Countries

On August 9, 2004, President Bush signed H.R. 4417 to extend by one year, the requirement for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to include biometrics in passports. The passage of this legislation and the signing by the President extends for one year, to October 26, 2005, the deadline by which new passports issued for use in the Visa Waiver Program must be biometrically enabled. This extension was necessary to avoid potential disruption of international travel and provide the international community adequate time to develop viable programs for producing a more secure, biometrically enabled passport. Visa Waiver Program travelers will still have to present a Machine-Readable passport for visa free travel as of October 26,2004.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Broadens Authority, Directs More Leeway for Admitting No Risk Visitors to the United States

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner announced today new discretion for CBP officers to grant no-risk travelers who overstayed under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) on a prior visit a one-time parole. The use of discretion by CBP supervisors will avoid the detention and handcuffing which Commissioner Bonner said was "inappropriate" for minor violations of the Visa Waiver Program.

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Department of Homeland Security to Begin Biometric Exit Pilot as Part of US-VISIT Program

Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security: Asa Hutchinson speaks at Chicago O’Hare Press Conference, together with US-VISIT Director: Jim Williams and Chicago Dept of Aviation Commissioner: John A. Robertson.

August 3, 2004

As a part of the border management system introduced at airports and seaports earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced that it will pilot and evaluate US-VISIT automated biometric exit procedures for foreign visitors.

The exit pilot program will be expanded from its current locations, Baltimore -Washington International Airport and Miami’s International Cruise Line Terminal, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport beginning in August 2004. It will be piloted at the following airports and seaports in September 2004:



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Journalists Entering the United States Required to Have "I" Class Visas

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, members of the press that travel to the United States in the capacity of representative of foreign press, radio, film, or other foreign information media, coming to engage in journalism, must have an "I" visa, even if they are nationals of a visa waiver country. Holding an "I" visa allows a working journalist to enter the United States for as long as needed to work on an assignment and will avoid a port of entry turnaround. The Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101(1)(15)(B) specifically excludes such persons from the use of a "B" visa or visa waiver entry.

U.S. Modifies Visa Rules for Foreign Reporters

Foreign journalists will be able to enter the United States even if they hold a wrong visa, says the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau in the Department of Homeland Security.

In a May 21 news release, CBP said it gave its border agents discretionary authority to admit foreign media representatives with visas other than the "I" visa required for working journalists. But journalists who benefit from the new rule once will be required to have the proper visa for subsequent trips to the United States, it said.

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U.S. Must Remain Welcoming to Foreign Visitors, Powell Says

The United States must continue to be a "welcoming" country even as it takes steps to secure its borders, Secretary of State Colin Powell says.

Speaking May 12 to U.S. travel industry representatives in Washington, Powell said that openness, which has enriched U.S. democracy, culture and economy, is a "vital" part of U.S. foreign policy and will become even more important as globalization progresses.

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New U.S. Entry Procedures Required for Foreign Visitors

Starting January 5, foreign visitors entering the United States with a visa are subject to new requirements under a program designed to both enhance U.S. border security and ease travel. Travelers entering at 115 airports and 14 seaports are now required to present fingerprints and pose for a digital photograph employing biometric methods -- physical characteristics unique to each individual -- to establish identity.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing the new procedures known as US-VISIT. "US-VISIT is actually a continuum of security measures that begin overseas, at the U.S. consular offices issuing visas, where biometrics will be collected to determine if the applicant is on a database of known or suspected criminals or terrorists," said DHS Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson in a January 5 press release. "When the visitor gets to our border, we use the same biometrics -- these digital 'fingerscans' -- to verify that the person at our port is the same person who received the visa or to see if we have learned new information about any involvement in terrorism or crime."

Since November 17, US-VISIT has been in place on a trial basis at the Atlanta, Georgia, airport where officials report that the new requirements add only 15 seconds to the entry process. The program is also to be phased in at land ports -- highways entering the United States from Mexico and Canada -- by the end of 2005.

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U.S. to Launch New Program to Facilitate Foreign Visitors

The Bush administration will launch a new security program January 5, 2004, that will serve the dual purpose of speeding the entry of legal foreign visitors into the United States while keeping out potential security threats.

In a December 10 interview in Miami, Asa Hutchinson, under secretary for borders and transportation in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the program, called US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology), is an example of the how the Bush administration seeks to apply the latest in high technology to increase security at U.S. ports of entry.

The new procedures will require most visitors traveling on visas to the United States to have two fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and a digital photograph taken by immigration officials upon entry at U.S. air and seaports. The program, Hutchinson said, will minimize the possibility of document fraud and identify individuals who are on a terrorist watch list with the goal of preventing them from entering the country.

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U.S. Terminates Re-registration Requirements for Visitors

Effective December 2 the Bush administration terminated its mandatory re-registration requirements under the National Security Entry/Exit Registration System (NSEERS), says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Spokespersons for Arab-American groups welcomed the announcement.

A new more inclusive system will focus on individuals instead of on "broad categories" of people, Department of Homeland Security's Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson told reporters.

Hutchinson called the phasing out of the NSEERS domestic interview requirement "another important step forward ... to maintain the integrity and security of our nation's immigration systems."

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Federal Trade Commission Alleges Fraud by Visa Services Company

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has obtained a court order to shut down a business concern that the agency alleges was defrauding consumers attempting to participate in the diversity immigrant visa program. In a November 10 press release, the FTC reported that a firm known as USA Immigration was attempting to charge fees for services provided for free by the U.S. Department of State.

The diversity visa program is administered annually by the State Department under congressional mandate, issuing resident visas to individuals selected by lottery from a pool of qualified applicants. The FTC alleges that USA Immigration and its operators misled consumers into believing their company was affiliated with the U.S. government. The application process is free, but the FTC reports that USA Immigration charged customers fees to apply for the opportunity to receive a visa. A U.S. court has issued a temporary restraining order, prohibiting the company from making further misrepresentations and freezing the firm's assets. The two operators were arrested in October and face charges of mail and wire fraud.

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New Entry-Exit System for Visitors to U.S. Will Be Fast and Effective

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demonstrated new procedures that will require most visitors traveling on visas to the United States to have two fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and a digital photograph taken by immigration officials upon entry at U.S. air and seaports starting January 5, 2004.

The procedures, developed in response to a congressional mandate, are part of the US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) -- an automated entry/exit system -- and will be in place at 115 airports and 14 major seaports in early 2004. The enhancements to the immigration process will be phased in at U.S. land borders throughout 2005 and 2006.

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Departments of State, Homeland Security Share Visa Oversight

The U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have devised a new system for the two agencies to work together to maintain a visa process that protects the nation at the same time it keeps U.S. borders open to legitimate travel and commerce. The new agreement, required by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, was announced September 29 by the Department of State.

The agreement calls for the State Department to continue to manage the visa process while DHS "will establish and review visa policy and ensure that homeland security requirements are fully reflected in the visa process," according to the statement for J. Adam Ereli, the deputy spokesman for the State Department.

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Machine-Readable Passports for Visa Waiver Program Travel Postponed

The Secretary of State has granted a postponement until October 26, 2004, as the date by which Visa Waiver Program travelers from 21 countries must present a machine-readable passport at a U.S. port of entry to be admitted to the country without a visa. The Department of State consulted with the Department of Homeland Security before making this decision.

The countries for which the postponement has been granted are: Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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U.S. Issues 20,000 Immigrant Visas to Cubans in 2003
Burden now on Cuban government to grant necessary exit permits

Under the auspices of the Migration Accords with Cuba, the United States issued more than 20,000 immigrant visas to Cuban nationals in Fiscal Year 2003, according to a September 22 press statement issued by the State Department.

The State Department indicated that the burden is now on the Cuban government to grant exit permits to those Cubans who have received U.S. travel documents. The State Department also called upon the Cuban government to cease denying permits to doctors, information technology professionals, and family members of Cubans who have sought freedom in the United States.

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Diversity Visa Program Registration Turns Electronic

Effective this year, all applicants who register to participate in the Diversity Visa lottery program must do so electronically through a designated Internet website, www.dvlottery.state.gov. Applicants may access the website between Saturday, November 1, 2003, and Tuesday, December 30, 2003, to fill out the electronic diversity visa entry form. Paper entries and mail-in requests for diversity visa registration will no longer be accepted.

The Department of State is implementing the new electronic system in order to improve efficiency and make the diversity visa petition process less prone to fraud, thus making it less vulnerable to use by persons who may pose a threat to the security interests of the United States.

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Homeland Security and Department of State take immediate steps to make air travel even safer

WASHINGTON, DC –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State have suspended two programs that allow certain international air passengers to travel through the United States for transit purposes without first obtaining a visa. The programs, known as the Transit Without Visa program (TWOV) and the International-to-International transit program (ITI), have been suspended. The action takes effect at 11:00 a.m., Saturday August 2, 2003. (Note: All times are U.S. EDT). This action does not affect U.S. citizens or citizens from visa waiver countries.

Homeland Security issued instructions to all airlines to no longer allow passengers to utilize these transit programs. Homeland Security agencies are also taking additional steps to increase security at airports and on airplanes that normally transport and process passengers under these programs. These new measures are in addition to significant increases in aviation security implemented since September 11 such as reinforced cockpit doors, deployment of federal air marshals, enhanced federalized baggage and passenger screening and armed Federal Flight Deck Officers piloting some jetliners.

It is the intention of both Departments to reinstate the TWOV and ITI programs as soon as additional security measures can be implemented to safeguard the programs from terrorists who wish to gain access to the U.S. or U.S. airspace without going through the consular screening process. Officials have already begun this process of identifying possible steps that could be taken to further secure the transit programs. Homeland Security and the Department of State are soliciting comments from the public about the action and will reassess the suspension over the next 60 days after reviewing the responses. Current intelligence will also be a factor considered when deciding to re-implement the program.

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Required Use of Machine-Readable Passport for Visa Waiver Program Travel

Starting October 1, 2003, travelers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program must have a machine-readable passport. Any traveler without a machine-readable passport will be required to obtain a visa before coming to the United States.

This requirement is mandated by the USA Patriot Act of 2001. Immigration inspectors may deny entry to any traveler attempting to enter on a visa-waiver basis without a machine-readable passport after October 1, 2003.

Countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program have long been required to have a program for the issuance of machine-readable passports, but the October 1, 2003, requirement makes the use of such a passport mandatory for visa-free entry. It applies to both adults and children. Citizens of Belgium have been required to present a machine-readable passport for visa-waiver entry since May 15, 2003.

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Diversity Visa Lottery 2004 (DV-2004) Results

The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2004 diversity lottery. The diversity lottery was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and makes available *50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Approximately 111,000 applicants have been registered and notified and may now make an application for an immigrant visa. Since it is likely that some of the first *50,000 persons registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance, this larger figure should insure that all DV-2004 numbers will be used during fiscal year 2004 (October 1, 2003 until September 30, 2004).

Applicants registered for the DV-2004 program were selected at random from the approximately 7.3 million qualified entries received during the one-month application period that ran from Noon on October 7, 2002 through Noon on November 6, 2002. An additional 2.9 million applications were either received outside of the mail-in period or were disqualified for failing to properly follow directions. The visas have been apportioned among six geographic regions, with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any single country. During the visa interview, principal applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent or show two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience within the past five years. Those selected will need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly. Applicants should follow the instructions in their notification letter and must fully complete the information requested.

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First 100 Days of The BCIS

On March 1, services formerly provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS). In support of the DHS overall mission, the immediate priorities of the new BCIS are to implement solutions for improving immigration customer services, continue to eliminate immigration adjudications backlogs and promote national security. The BCIS will continue efforts to fundamentally transform and improve the delivery of immigration and citizenship services.

This new Bureau includes approximately 15,000 employees and contractors, and is headed by the Director of BCIS, Eduardo Aguirre Jr., who reports directly to the Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security.

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Greater scrutiny for Visa applications

Visa applications are now subject to greater scrutiny than in the past. For more applicants than previously, a personal appearance will be a required as a standard part of visa processing. Additionally, applicants who are affected by security review procedures are informed, when they submit their applications, of the need for additional screening and to expect delays.

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US VISIT Electronic Entry-Exit System

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is setting up a new electronic entry-exit system, called US VISIT, that will collect and share information, including biometric identifiers, on visitors to the United States, according to a department fact sheet released May 19.

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U.S. Making Progress on Foreign Student Data System

Problems associated with the implementation of a new data system for monitoring foreign students in the United States are being addressed immediately, aggressively and accurately, say U.S. immigration officials.

Speaking before Congress and numerous educational associations in recent months, officials say the Student Exchange and Visitor Information Program (SEVIS) will enhance homeland security by combating fraud and ensuring that international students comply with the terms of the visas through which they entered the United States. But they say the system has also faced technical challenges.

The $36 million Internet-based student registration system enables U.S. academic institutions to maintain accurate and timely data on foreign students, exchange visitors and their dependents, and communicate this information to the departments of Homeland Security and State in real time.

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U.S. Committed to Achieving Both "Secure Borders" and "Open Doors"

"Secure borders" and "open doors" -- two goals of U.S. visa policy -- are not mutually exclusive, according to Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Speaking April 16 at a forum on "Sustaining Exchanges While Securing Borders" in Washington, Harty said the United States values visitors from overseas, and she outlined government efforts taken to achieve both security and openness.

"We are an open society. We welcome the diversity and richness of experience that attends international exchange. We must not, as Secretary [of State Colin Powell] Powell has said so eloquently, become a gated America," Harty told an audience of international educators gathered at George Washington University.

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Remarks by Secretary Ridge to the Association of American Universities

Speaking to the members of the Association of American Universities on April 14, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge called for a partnership with American universities in protecting America's security without hindering the free flow of commerce and the free exchange of ideas.

Secretary Ridge described steps his Department is taking together with universities to strengthen homeland security while fostering the universities' mission to "educate your students and further our understanding of the world." Those steps include streamlining new systems designed to manage and monitor the cases of foreign students and exchange visitors (SEVIS), strengthen and expedite the visa clearance process, and consult with the scientific community to speed visa approvals for qualified scientists and researchers (IPASS).

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Immigration Interior Enforcement Chief Says SEVIS a Powerful Tool for Enhancing Homeland Security

Johnny Williams, Interim Director for Immigration Interior Enforcement in DHS's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) testified before the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims on April 2 that the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a new Internet-based system to manage and monitor the cases of foreign students and exchange visitors and their dependents during their stay in the United States, has been up and running since January 1. Despite some minor problems, which the Bureau is addressing, the system has proven to be an effective tool for combating fraud and for ensuring that individuals comply with the terms of their visas.

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Academic Leaders Concerned About Backlog of Student Visas and Problems with Tracking of Foreign Students

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 26, 2003 - A backlog of visas for foreign students and scholars and problems with a new tracking system for foreign students are hampering work at U.S. universities and potentially harming U.S. security, two academic leaders told the House Science Committee at a hearing today.

A witness from the State Department acknowledged the problems, but said they were in the process of being worked out.

The Committee heard from Janice Jacobs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services at the State Department; Dr. Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton University; and Dr. David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, a group that represents many U.S. universities. The hearing focused on issues related to foreign students and scholars in science, mathematics and engineering, particularly graduate students.

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State Department Strives for Balance Between Security and Intl. Exchange

The Department of State is working with other U.S. government agencies to improve security in the processing of visas for international students and visitors, at the same time it supports the national interest in promoting scientific and academic exchange.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services Janice Jacobs told the House Science Committee March 26 that improving systems to exchange information with law enforcement agencies was one of the key steps toward enhanced security. "We've made enormous progress in identifying individuals who may represent a threat to our nation through enhanced interagency data sharing," said Jacobs.

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New nonimmigrant Visas Photo requirement

The photograph format for nonimmigrant visa applications has changed. The new format is similar to that required for U.S. passport processing.

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New Rules Require Visas and Passports for Certain Permanent Residents of Canada and Bermuda

Washington, DC – Under interim rules published earlier this year, nationals of British Commonwealth countries and Ireland who are residents of Canada and Bermuda, and were not previously required to present a passport and non-immigrant visa to enter the United States will now be required to present these documents for entry into the United States.

The rules published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2003, will affect nationals of approximately 54 countries. However, these rules do not affect the documentary requirements for citizens of Canada or the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda.

These new requirements are among a series of measures that have been implemented to ensure the safety of the American people by strengthening visa screening procedures and monitoring.

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U.S. Campuses Remain Welcoming Environment for International Students

International student advisors at U.S. colleges and universities say changes in U.S. visa regulations, and media portrayal of the United States as an unwelcome environment for foreign students, have affected student enrollments from Middle Eastern countries.

Yet they say U.S. campuses continue to value the many contributions that international students make to their educational institutions and they continue their efforts to create a welcoming environment for them.

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