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January 18, 2009

Border requirements changing for international travelers

International travelers now face stiffer requirements

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG

CHATEAUGAY — International travelers must now comply with several new border-crossing requirements, which have already landed one man in trouble locally.

waiver countries
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security implemented new rules for some foreign travelers requiring them to obtain travel authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization program if they're coming from countries under the visa-waiver program.

Travel from those countries must be approved prior to any arrivals into the United States.

Only two days after the rules took effect Jan. 12, British citizen Robert Old allegedly attempted to cross into Chateaugay without the prior required approval, Customs and Border Protection officials said.

When the 55-year-old got to the northern border after flying into Canada, border agents found that he had twice been denied a U.S. entry visa.

While conducting additional record checks, agents found that Old did try to apply under the newly created program requirements but was again denied.

Old allegedly told field-operations officers that he was trying to get to Gloversville to visit his girlfriend.

While being processed, he denied his past refusals, but later allegedly admitted that he flew into Montreal and purposely drove to the rural border crossing to try to avoid the new entry requirements.

After investigating his entry attempts, officers arrested Old on federal charges of attempted improper entry by an alien and sent him to Clinton County Jail pending prosecution.

"The newly created (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) program can determine, almost immediately in many cases, if an individual is eligible for (visa-waiver program) travel, and if such travel poses any law enforcement or security risks" James T. Engleman, Customs and Border Protection director of field operations for the Buffalo office, said in a news release.

"People attempting to circumvent these new requirements, such as Mr. Old did, may be subject to criminal and administrative procedures."

OTHER CHANGES
As of Sunday, the federal government also began requiring digital fingerprints and photographs from all foreign citizens when they enter the United States.

Certain travelers also have to provide approved biometric travel documents — such as permanent-resident cards — during their secondary inspections.

Those rules apply to lawful permanent U.S. residents, people who seek admission on immigrant visas, international citizens seeking refugee admission and Canadian citizens who are required to obtain arrival-departure records.

People who have been paroled into the United States and those seeking admission under the Guam Visa Waiver Program must also comply.

Border officials said the collection and verification of biometric identifiers protects travelers by making it "virtually impossible" for anyone else to use their travel documents.

The new requirements apply to most foreign citizens entering the United States regardless of their native country or travel methods, officials said.

Those under 14 and over 79 are exempt from these new procedures.

Because of the new demands, border officials said they will continue to review their staffing and processing times to help facilitate all international travel while keeping safety and security their highest priority.

E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com

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