Homeland Security effectively ends “Special Registration” requirement
April 29, 2011
By notice in the Federal Register effective April 28, 2011, the Department of Homeland Security effectively ended the requirement that non-immigrants from certain countries comply with the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System or “NSEERS,” a national travel registration system. The notice provides the following summary:|
SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is eliminating redundant programs by removing the following countries from, and relieving nonimmigrant nationals or citizens of the following countries from compliance with, the special registration procedures under the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS): Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Over the past six years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented several new automated systems that capture arrival and exit information on nonimmigrant travelers to the United States, and DHS has determined that recapturing this data manually when a nonimmigrant is seeking admission to the United States is redundant and no longer provides any increase in security. DHS, therefore, has determined that it is no longer necessary to subject nationals from these countries to special registration procedures, and this notice deletes all currently designated countries from NSEERS compliance. Dates: Effective Date: This notice is effective April 28, 2011. |
|
NSEERS had required that nationals of the listed countries register their arrival and departure from the United States, and use only designated Ports-of-Entry for purposes of departing the U.S. This additional registration requirement often caused subject foreign nationals to be delayed at the airport and even on occasion miss flights. Those subject to this requirement would have their passports annotated with a Fingerprint Identification Number, or FIN, and failure to comply with the registration requirement, even if inadvertent, could present issues down the road in the immigration process.
The removal of the countries from the listing effectively ends this requirement.
Please contact Matt Raynes at our Bangor, Maine office with questions.
This alert is provided as general information, and is not a substitute for legal or other professional advice.
