The days of overstaying a tourist visa and remaining illegally in the United States are over. So are the days of trying to enter with false papers. Since Jan. 5, the US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) system has been in place and its effects are already being felt.
On January 6, when the first flight from Bangladesh landed at JFK airport, a Bangladeshi national returning to New York from Dhaka was arrested by customs authorities, after being interrogated. According to more than one source, the reason for his arrest were discrepancies found in an immigration form. He was detained until midnight. Employees of Bangladesh Biman Airline confirmed the report.
Abdullah Al Hasan, manager of Bangladesh Biman in North America, told this correspondent that all passengers and crews are fingerprinted and photographed, and that background check are done. For Enayetullah Khan, a well-know editor at a daily newspaper, entering New York from Canada took all of five minutes even with the new system. He said that the officers behaved well with him. Under this entry-exit system, all persons who are coming from abroad, with the exception of 27 largely European countries including Canada, Singapore, Australia and Japan -- who stay in the United States fewer than 90 days—are scrutinized.
According to Kimberly Wiseman, spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department, on Jan. 5, the first day of the new system, a total of 35,015 persons were screened at 115 airports and 14 seaports. As a result, 21 people were arrested.
This program is applicable only for those who arrive here with non-immigrant visas and student visas — U.S. citizens and the green-card holders don’t have to pass through this system. According to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, the program was introduced on experimental basis at JFK Airport and several other international airports. He said that by 2005, the system would be introduced in 156 border outposts by the year 2005 and will apply to all countries. There is a budget of $7 billion for next 12 years to implement the program in the interest of the security of the United States.
When the Special Registration program was announced last year — which affected males16-years and older from 24 Muslim countries and North Korea, who were non-immigrants —it provoked vehement protests around the world. When the U.S. government announced its cancellation, it quickly introduced the US VISIT program, despite opposition from human rights groups and tourism organizations. Many people cancelled their plans to travel to the United States and said they would come only if it was absolutely necessary, thus affecting tourism.
The program, now in full swing, compares fingerprints, photographs, birth dates with a list provided by the State Department, FBI, CIA, and other organizations. All criminal activity while in the United States, entering the country under an assumed name, any violation of immigration law, deportation proceedings, and political asylum applications are all under close scrutiny. According to immigration officers, the processing of an individual takes no more than 10 to 15 seconds. Although the program is not applicable to green-card holders and citizens, background checks are still being run on them.
Once registered in the US VISIT program, U.S. authorities can monitor whether a person overstays his or her visa. Those seeking political asylum or to adjust to their status need to inform the proper authorities as soon as possible.
