US-VISIT Program26 June 2008The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a notice of proposed
rulemaking that would establish an exit program at all air and sea
ports of departure in the United States.
The proposed rule would
require non-US citizens who are subject to the United States Visitor
and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program (US-VISIT) biometric
requirements upon entering the United States to provide biometric
information to commercial air and vessel carriers before departing form
the United States at air and sea ports of entry. The information
would be collected by commercial air and vessel carriers and submitted
to DHS no later than 24 hours after air carrier staff secure the
aircraft doors on an international departure, or for sea travel, no
later than 24 hours after the vessel's departure from a US port.
Attached
is copy of the comments made by the Chamber of Shipping of America,
which recommend that the DHS create an exemption for vessel crew
members and, if they refuse to do so, to place the onus of collection
squarely on DHS, which is where most of the statutes cited in the
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking place this responsibility.
We will keep you informed of this issue.
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