増田＠YCCです。
裏を取りたい情報がでてきたのでご存じの方がいらっしゃいましたら教えてく
ださいませ。

アメリカ滞在

先日カーラジオでJ-WAVEを聞いていたら「現在アメリカではテロ対策のた
め観光での滞在期限を現行の３ヵ月から１ヵ月に短縮する方向で検討してい
る」という話が聞こえてきました。
どういう番組で誰が話していたのかは聞き流していたので覚えていません。

これは本当のことなのでしょうか？　それとも私の聞き違い？
どなたかこの件について確かな情報をお持ちでないでしょうか。



西羅（にしら）です。

増田さん、渋谷さん、皆さん、こんにちは！
渋谷さんは、またヨセミテに行かれるのですか？うらやましい限りです。


で、本題です。　どうやら、本当みたいですよ。

英語ですが、THE LAW OFFICE OF SHEELA MURTHY, PC　（www.murthy.com）
から引用します。


------------
Proposal to Reduce Tourist Stays to Only 30 Days!

Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner James W. Ziglar
announced a significant proposal for change in the tourist visa regulations.
In testimony given March 19, 2002 before the House Subcommittee on
Immigration and Claims, the Commissioner stated that the INS is considering
regulatory changes that would result in most holders of tourist visas being
allowed entry for a period of 30 days. This is a dramatic reduction from the
previously generous provisions, whereby the INS routinely granted tourists
the right to remain legally in the U.S. for up to 6 months.

Mr. Ziglar also announced significant changes with respect to persons
requesting a change of status from B-2 (tourist or visitor for pleasure) to
F-1 or M-1 (student). These issues were confirmed in a meeting on March 20,
2002 between senior officials of INS and the Washington D.C. Chapter of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which was attended by
several attorneys from The Law Office of Sheela Murthy.

Tourist : Length of Stay Change

Currently, most individuals entering on B-2 visas are allowed to remain in
the U.S. for six months. The INS inspector at the Port of Entry determines
the length of the authorized stay. Unless there are reasons to limit the
stay, such as recent, multiple prior visits, permission to remain in the
U.S. for six months has been given fairly routinely. The proposal would
limit this "routine" period to one month.

Although the Commissioner did not release any further details on this
subject, INS officials at the above-mentioned AILA meeting indicated that
periods of more than a month would be allowed but would require documented
reasons justifying the need for a longer stay.

For our MURTHYBULLETIN and MurthyDotCom readers this change may mean that
extended visits by family members will become more difficult. Many older
parents visit their permanent resident children for several months at a
time. Due to the expense of the trip and the great distance involved, such
relatively lengthy visits are the only way that many immigrant families can
remain in close contact. Given that the INS Ports of Entry are increasing
their scrutiny of repeat visitors, it may now be quite difficult or even
impossible to have family visitors in the country for fairly brief visits
more than occasionally. The proposed change has not yet been implemented and
we will be following this issue closely.

Restrictions on Changing to Student Status

As a direct reaction to the events of September 11th, the INS is proposing
changes to the procedure in effect when an individual applies to change
status from tourist to student. Presently, one can start attending classes /
courses at the time the application for change of status is filed with the
INS. The proposed changes would require such a person await the INS approval
of the change of status before being legally eligible to attend classes.
Generally, the INS has taken approximately 6 to 9 months to approve the
change of status in the past. The current proposal would greatly reduce the
waiting time for a decision on a change of status to 30 days or less.

The ability to file the change of status from tourist to student is also
under scrutiny. An intending student may be held strictly to the requirement
that s/he declare her/his intention to be a student at the Port of Entry in
order to be allowed to change status after entering as a tourist. If this
intent is not declared, the individual would have to leave the U.S. and make
an application for a visa at a U.S. consulate abroad in order to enter as a
student rather than filing for the change of status with the INS in the
U.S., as is often the case now.

These changes are intended to reduce or eliminate the ability of individuals
to "linger" in the U.S. for protracted periods of time while awaiting
decisions on changes of status from tourist to student. These procedures
would work in combination with new requirements mandating that the school
notify the INS if the student does not enroll in school right away or
maintain valid student status during the course of study. These measures are
all geared towards ensuring that students do not violate their student
status or have the time to become involved in various illegal activities
without being apprehended or detected promptly by the INS.

The Law Office of Sheela Murthy, P.C.



増田＠YCCです。

渋谷さんアメリカへはいつ行くんですか？
西羅さん、情報ありがとうございます。どうやら間違いないようですね。

> 先日カーラジオでJ-WAVEを聞いていたら「現在アメリカではテロ対策のた
> め観光での滞在期限を現行の３ヵ月から１ヵ月に短縮する方向で検討してい
> る」という話が聞こえてきました。
> どういう番組で誰が話していたのかは聞き流していたので覚えていません。
> 
> これは本当のことなのでしょうか？　それとも私の聞き違い？
> どなたかこの件について確かな情報をお持ちでないでしょうか。

今日の朝日新聞に以下のような記事がありました。

『米移民局（ＩＮＳ）は、観光や商用のビザの期限を大幅に短縮する方針を決
めた。米同時多発テロの実行犯にビザの発給を認めた反省などから、ＩＮＳが
見直しを進めていた。
　９日付の米紙ロサンゼルス・タイムズが報じた。　同紙がＩＮＳ当局者の話
として伝えたところによると、観光ビザは現行の６カ月を３０日以内に短縮
し、商用ビザの最長期限も現行の１２カ月から６カ月に制限する。また、米国
内の学校に入学を希望する外国人は、学生ビザを取得しなければ、学籍登録が
できないようになる。今年夏から実施する見通しという。　
　ＩＮＳは米同時多発テロの実行犯とされるモハメド・アタ容疑者らが正式な
ビザで米国に入国していたため、外国人テロリストの入国を阻止することを目
的に対策を検討していた。』