November 1 2002

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affiars and International Trade warned Canadians who were born in, or are citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Saudia Arabia, and Yemen to carefully consider whether they really need to travel to the U.S. before doing so. This includes entering the U.S. for transit to or from a third country.

This warning comes in response to the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS), implemented on September 11, 2002 at ports of entry. It authorizes the INS to keep track of the arrival and departure of all nonimmigrants who were born in, or are citizens of the above listed countries. These individuals must be photographed and fingerprinted, and have their entry and exit from the U.S. verified. The registration process is done for every entry, and can result in delay at the port of entry.