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Actions / Alerts Special Registration Has NOT Ended - Many Requirements Continue On September 11, 2002, the U.S. began implementation of National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) at U.S. Ports of Entry and on November 5, 2002, the Domestic Call-In Registration began. Men and boys over the age of 16 from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen were interviewed, fingerprinted, and photographed. All these individuals were required to be re-interviewed, re-fingerprinted, and re-photographed after 30 or 40 days (depending on whether they were here already or were entering) and again after one year. On December 1st, Asa Hutchison, Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security, announced the suspension of the NSEERS program in a Washington Press Conference. Contrary to the reports by different news media, the ONLY major changes in Special Registration requirements are the following:
This new rule applies ONLY to registrants whose re-registration deadline or 30/40-day deadline is on or after December 2, 2003. Anyone who willfully missed a deadline before that date is still considered to have violated Special Registration. All Special Registrants continue to be subject to the following requirements. FOR ALL REGISTRANTS LEAVING THE UNITED STATES
REGISTRANTS WHO CHANGE ADDRESSES, EMPLOYERS, OR SCHOOLS WHILE IN THE UNITED STATES
Some student and exchange visitors are also subject to monitoring under the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). If you are such an alien and DHS is electronically notified of changes in information through SEVIS, that notification fulfills your obligations for special registration purposes, and you do not also need to fill out a form AR-11. However, if you fail to utilize the SEVIS system to report a change, you must do so using the AR-11 You must notify DHS in writing within 10 days of the change, except that you do not have to repeat an address change already reported through the Student and Exchange Visitor System (SEVIS) separately with DHS. Notification must be made by filling out and mailing a change address form for aliens subject to special registration, Form AR-11SR. CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR EMPLOYER
If you change your address or employer,
you must notify DHS by mail within 10 days of the change.
Anyone who does not comply with all the continuing requirements of Special Registration could be subjected to denial of admission to the U.S., denial of immigration benefits, possible criminal prosecution, and/or removal proceedings. What the Rule Does Not Do
-The new rule does nothing for the
thousands of people who were placed in removal proceedings when they
appeared for Call-In. Re-Registration May Still Be Required for Some Special Registrants?
-DHS can require selected individuals
to re-register at any time on a case-by-case basis, with notice of only 10
days.
What is the Effect of US VISIT on
Special Registration? Please contact SAN for new developments and more information regarding: NSEERS, US-VISIT, and SEVIS REGISTRANTS PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES You may be required, at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to report in person to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office and show that you are following your travel plans or the statement of intentions made when you entered. You will receive separate notice to the last address you reported to DHS if you are required to report to an ICE office during your stay in the United States. Again, it is important that you notify DHS of any change in address. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED INTERVIEWS Who must report for an additional interview? At the discretion of DHS, anyone who has been registered at a United States port of entry on or after September 11, 2002 as part of the special registration procedures and who is in the United States may be required to report for additional interviews. You will be given a specific and individual notice if you are required to report for additional interviews. Where must I go for an additional interview? If you are notified that you must report for an additional interview, your notification will advise you as to the time and place of the interview, which will occur at a local ICE office. When you report for your follow-up interview, let an ICE employee or security guard know that you are there for a special registration interview. An ICE officer will request proof of identity, such as your passport, and then direct you to the officer who will conduct the interview. What will happen at the additional interview? At the additional interview, your identity will be verified through a fingerprint scan and photograph. You also will be asked questions to verify your compliance with the immigration laws. What should I bring with me to the interview? • If necessary, you may bring someone to translate for you. You should bring your Form I-94 (Arrival – Departure Record) and any written documents available to show the interviewing officer that you are doing what you said you were going to do when you entered the United States. For example: • If you are visiting the United States as a tourist, you could bring hotel receipts, ticket stubs from places that you have gone or transportation that you have used, credit card receipts in your name that indicate a city or state that you have visited, etc. • If you are staying with friends or relatives, you could bring documents showing their name and address, such as a postmarked envelope or bill. • If you are in the United States because of a job, you could bring a payroll stub, an employment contract, a letter from your employer, etc. • If you are in the United States to go to school, you could bring your class schedule, official notification of your grade(s), your class or yearbook picture, student identification card, evidence of participation in extracurricular activities, etc. For the purpose of the interview, it is in your favor to bring as much documentation as possible. |