Salam Permias, Mudah-mudahan berita di bawah bermanfaat.
Jabat erat, Ahmad Syamil Jonesboro, AR www.clt.astate.edu/asyamil ------------------------------------------------- Foreign Nationals : Carry your Immigration Documents with You! http://www.murthy.com/UDfndoc.html Subsequent to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy have been informed of cases were INS is increasing its security procedures. It is important for most of you to carry relevant documents with you at all times to enable freedom of travel. We have heard that when certain folks are departing the U.S. and the I-94 date has expired, even if the applicant had filed the petition to extend status several months ago with the INS Service Center, the INS officers at the airport have been incorrectly insisting that such persons are out of status. In one instance, the inordinate delay of the INS had resulted in the person's not having the valid and un-expired I-94 card, showing that she was in valid status. The INS officer in this incident apparently threatened the individual that she could never enter the U.S. again for violating the law! INS law allows the person to remain legally in the U.S. if the petition to extend status was filed when s/he was in legal status, as in this case. We are bringing such incidents to the attention of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). With the stepped-up airport security procedures, there are several other reports released by AILA of foreign nationals in nonimmigrant (temporary) status being asked for their documents, including passport, I-94 card and I-797 Approval Notice, even when traveling within the U.S. Obviously for foreign travel a person would be carrying at least the passport, and generally these other items as well. But apparently now INS officers expect that nonimmigrants carry their documents even when traveling within the U.S. Various classes of people over the age of 18 are required by law, under Section INA Section 264(e), to carry their "registration" documentation with them at all times. What constitutes a registration document for different classes of individuals, including nonimmigrants, is outlined in 8 CFR section 264.1. Please note that the INS regulations actually require that a nonimmigrant carry the I-94, though this requirement has not necessarily been enforced in the domestic travel situation. Permanent residents are required to carry the evidence of lawful permanent resident status. Rather, until recently, it was necessary only to carry a photo identification of some sort, like a driver's license. Also, prior to the recent incidents, one would encounter INS Officers only on the way into the U.S. at a port of entry, but now it is common to have INS officers looking at passengers' documents when traveling within the U.S. or when departing the U.S. Under these circumstances, and given that the regulations refer to carrying the proof of one's status, we recommend carrying such documents, even when traveling on domestic flights within the U.S. and at all times.
