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INS wants details on those traveling in or out of U.S.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A proposed immigration rule would require commercial transportation companies to submit detailed manifests of all passengers and crew members to the federal government before any aircraft or other vessel arrives in or departs the United States. The manifest would have to be submitted electronically, and exemptions allowed under current law would be eliminated, the Immigration and Naturalization Service announced. The INS published the proposed rule Friday for a 30-day period of written comment, after which the rule would be finalized and put into effect. It would implement Section 402 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. Congress passed the border security act overwhelmingly and President Bush signed it into law last May. "Once the rule becomes final, they will be required to supply the detailed manifest on everyone," said Bill Strassberg, INS spokesman. "In the past, American citizens were exempt, but after the rule is finalized that will no longer be the case." This information must be submitted in advance: complete name; date of birth; citizenship; sex; passport number and country of issuance; country of residence; U.S. visa number, date and place of issuance, where applicable; alien registration number, where applicable; address while in the United States; and other information the attorney general may feel is necessary. Current law exempts U.S. citizens, lawful permanent resident aliens, immigrants and certain in-transit passengers from the manifest lists. The requirements are also exempted for carriers traveling directly between the United States and Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. The new rule drops those exemptions, but institutes a $1,000 per violation penalty for failing to abide by the rule. The rule was to have been implemented on January 1, but the INS said it would not impose penalties for those carriers who violate it before the final rule becomes effective. Carriers will be required to submit passenger manifests between that time, however. Ferries are not covered under the new rule.
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