U.S. Sharp Reinforcement for Issuing Visa Next Year

U.S. President George.W.Bush signed the Reformation Bill of Entry by Visa and Reinforcement of Border Security that sharply reinforces inspection for entry and stay in U.S by foreign students, in order to prevent a re-occurrence of the 9.11 attack. (on 14th.)?

This bill stipulates that visas must be impossible to forge and carry documents containing biological information, such as fingerprints and retina of foreigners, who visit the U.S.

At each airport in the U.S, equipment will be arranged to identify whether the visa bearer is himself or not through biological information.

Following this bill, the procedure for issuing a visa is expected to get more complicated. It is now necessary to seal fingerprints and take photographs of retinas (for perceiving face.)

It is obligatory for educational organizations, like universities, to announce to the State government in case a foreign student is absent from class without any reason. (?)

In addition, the State Ministry will reject issuing visas to people from terrorist supporting nations in principle. These include North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Cuba, Sudan, and possibly others. Citizens from these countries will only receive a visa if the State secretary judges that the person is not dangerous for the U.S. and grants an exception.

All flights and ships that visit the U.S. should announce the names of passengers before leaving the nation.

In addition, inspectors at the U.S. border will be increased by 400 people for five years from now on.

President Bush stressed, “We should know who comes to the U.S., why they come, what they do and when they leave.”

The bill was passed in the Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously.

Before this, the U.S Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) had presented last month that tourist visa (B-1) and business visa (B-2) bearers visit days would be reduced from 6 months to 30 days.

Ki-Heung Han eligius@donga.com