Living In USA

One effect of these changes has been the reorganization of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). In the United States, permission to enter the United States is determined by two different parts of the United States government. Visas, which are stamps in passports, are granted by the Department of State at a U.S. consulate or embassy in your country. The visa is just the first step; it is simply permission to apply for entry at a port of entry (usually an international airport) for a particular purpose. The second is clearing immigration at your port of entry. The official at the airport is an employee of the Customs and Border Patrol, part of which was formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service. This new agency combines the immigration inspectors at points of entry into the United States, the customs department, and the part of the Department of Agriculture that looks for illegal plant imports. Customs and Border Control is part of the new Department of Homeland Security.

One of the most significant changes in the process of coming to the U.S. is a new requirement that biometric data (primarily fingerprints) be taken on each person entering the country. Although it is to be phased in over time, it is quite likely that by the time you read this, it will be required of everyone. Even those from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (those coming for short stays, for tourism or business, primarily from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Western Europe) will be required to have a passport with biometric identifiers.