Special Registration Experience in Central New York by W. Purwinto, Syracuse, New York.
On March 4, 2003, I received a letter signed by Dr. Michael B. Smithee, Associate Director of LESCIS (center for international services) at Syracuse University, re Special Registration for male college/university students and/or those who are now 16 years old man and older from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Kuwait who were last admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant on or before September 30, 2002. Special registration is a part of National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS). Before this procedure, INS (now BCIS: Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services under U.S. Departement of Homeland Security) publicized a procedure applied to nonimmigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria who entered the U.S. since September 11, 2002. It was anticipated that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen may be added to the list, as well as for nonimmigrants who have made unexplainable trips to Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. It was noted that �...this list is subject to change at any time.� After I received Mike�s letter, I followed up and prepared with anything that was required and would possibly be needed for registration (e.g. passport, I-94, IAP-66, sponsor�s letters, academic transcript, all grade reports or report of standings, certification of full time student, letter of employment, rental agreement, proof of local residence, awards and certifications (e.g. Phi Beta Delta and Who�s Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities), credit card, social security card, driver license, student ID, list of instructors, contacts� addresses and phones� numbers, and anything else that supported why I have been in the U.S. with several educational activities. On March 7, 2003, I went to SU-LESCIS and intended to meet one of my counselors to check my preparation. Mike Smithee and Skip Greenblatt were off, Pat Burak (Director) was in the office, and their secretary notified Tara Fletcher that I was there. Tara gave me a special registration work sheet containing all questions that might be asked by INS. And I showed her my I-877 form (rev. 11/7/02) that I have downloaded from www.permiaschicago.org/docs/sampleform.pdf and filled it in. Tara suggested that I should be conservative enough to bring everything that would be supporting (which I have prepared as mentioned above) and let her know or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] when I decided to go to INS office. On March 10, 2003, I came back to SU-LESCIS to let them know that I planned to go to INS at Thousand Islands (bridge) Port of Entry/Departure (POE/D), upstate New York, next day. I met Mike, and told him that I was ready to go. Mike took me to Tara who later asked me to write my full name, birth date, immigration status, and my visiting time at INS, so she could fax it to INS soon (a day before my visit). On Tuesday morning, 3-11-2003, about 10:15AM I drove myself from Syracuse to Thousand Islands POE/D through highway I-81 North. I arrived there at 11:50AM. Spent 1.5 hours driving for 105 miles. The building occupied by both the U.S. Custom and INS that have their offices accross each other. I checked in at 11:55AM. There were three officers behind the reception counter who greeted me with their standard performance. I told them that I was there for special registration while I showed them a letter from my previous sponsor. One officer who later I knew that he was a supervisor (I forgot his name) on duty asked my ID (passport, I-94 and IAP-66). And he gave my ID to another fellow officer named P. Radley. Officer PR asked me what status did I have, under what educational program, and when the last time I entered the U.S. Then he asked all of my IAP-66 since the last time I entered. At 12:05PM he asked me to sit and wait while he took all of those docs to a room. He went out of the room and made a phone call. At 12:20 officer PR came back to me with more hospitable and friendly, and gave me three informational handouts including �Special registration procedures for visitors and temporary residents,� �Listing of designated INS interviewing offices for special registration� and �Designated ports-of-departure (POD) alphabetical list and list by state�. He asked me to read these info while I was waiting. At 12:35PM officer PR invited me to sit near by the desk with a black Dell pc on it. At that point I knew why I had to wait for almost half an hour. Before him there were a couple of officers who used the same pc. I assumed that they only had one pc for special registration. While he stood up in front of the pc, he started with his interview based on a computerized form appeared on the screen (record of sworn statement). He went through some questions that similar to I-877 form that I have downloaded from a Chicago website. Only the oath was slightly different and longer than the one on I-877. I answered all of those with honest, straight forward, and full of cooperation. After he finished to type my data, he asked me to stand up to fingerprint. He gave me a tissue to clean up my right and left pointing fingers. He used a tissue to clean up the adapter-alike scanner called Fingerprint Capture Device �Verifier Model 300� by CrossMatch Technologies, Inc. that was hooked up to the pc. And then he took a picture of me using a pc camera. It took 30 minutes for all of this data and images stored in the database shared around the States. Officer PR marked my I-94 and stamped my passport stating that I got a fingerprint identification number for special registrant (FINS). This was done at 1:15PM. So, after my little overwhelming preparation that took several days for me, it was only my passport, I-94, IAP-66, a credit card and verbal statement that he needed. No more no less. As you know, I was too conservative to prepare everything possible. To fully prepare with all necessary and appropriate documents and information is worth the visit. On special registration hand out it said that �For the purpose of the interview, it is in your favor to think creatively and to bring as much documentation as possible. You may also be asked additional questions of a national security or law enforcement nature.� In my case these questions were not applied. The last 10 minutes from 1:15-1:25PM was for another explanation. My visit took 1.5 hours total. I went back home at 2:10PM. Before I left POE/D I shook officer PR�s hand and thanked him. He said: �Have a good trip.� At 3:45 I stopped by at SU-LESCIS to report that I was done with the interview. Officer PR asked me to report to INS for an annual interview if I will finish my program more than a year from now. And for that he suggested me to go to INS at Albany, New York. He added that any special registrant who travels out of the U.S. must report for leave registration to INS at one of designated Ports-Of-Departure. Special registrant who changes his/her address, school and employment must report to INS by mail within 10 days and use Form AR-11 (Alien�s change of address card). He also confirmed that Tuesday through Thursday is the best time to register or interview (for POE/D, Fridays, weekend, and Mondays are the busiest days due to high volume of commuters and travelers). And to notify the INS point of interview a day before is a must for them to standby. Or otherwise they will tell registrant if they are shorthanded. Officer PR told me that soon before August 2003 INS (BCIS) will distribute a new SEVIS form (DS2019 or 1920?) to replace IAP-66. So all valid IAP-66 will be terminated by August. All other forms such as I-20 will also be terminated and replaced before August 2003. All training participants or students who hold this kind of form will be checked their passport and I-94 prior to form replacement. Those participants who are required to go to special registration must do so before a new SEVIS form issued to them. Since then every single participant and his/her nonimmigrant dependent will get a new SEVIS form per person. For further info on special registration and its forms, visit www.immigration.gov, call the National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 or go to INS District and Sub-offices. ====================================================== -- __________________________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup
