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September 28, 2001 Canadian
Border Crossing Cards Expire October 1, 2001 WASHINGTON
– On October 1, 2001, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will
begin implementing the legal requirements for the new biometric border crossing
cards (BCCs). For temporary business or
pleasure visits to the United States, the vast majority of Canadians, and
certain persons who share a common nationality with Canadians or British
subjects, are not required by existing INS regulations to have visas, border
crossing cards (BCCs) or other entry documentation. However, some Canadian permanent
residents from other countries, “landed immigrants,” must present proper
documents for admission to the United States.
In lieu
of a visa and passport, many of these landed immigrants have presented a
Canadian border crossing card (CBCC), issued by the Department of State (DOS)
before 1999. On October 1, 2001, the
CBCC is invalid for admission because it does not contain a biometric identifier
that can be matched to the bearer, as required by section 104 of the Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). Holders of the CBCC will be required to
present a valid B-1/B-2 visa, which may be obtained from a United States
consulate, and an unexpired passport. Individuals
who present a combination B-1/B-2 visa and BCC document issued by DOS may be
admitted on the basis of the unexpired B-1/B-2 visa. Unlike previously, a valid passport is now also required. The
INS also will continue to admit the limited group of Canadians who have valid
multiple-entry waivers of inadmissibility that have been separately documented
on an INS-issued BCC (Form I-185).
Although the non-biometric Form I-185 itself is invalid on October 1,
2001, IIRIRA did not affect the validity of the multiple-entry
waivers. A multiple-entry waiver
documented on Form I-194, rather than a BCC, is also acceptable, provided the
alien is otherwise admissible. – INS –
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