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Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it also encompasses controls imposed on internal borders within a single state.
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Green card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). As of 2019, there are an estimated 13.9 million green card holders, of whom 9.1 million are eligible to become United States citizens. Approximately 65,000 of them serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual has the ability to work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is a program of the United States federal government that allows nationals of specific countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism, business, or while in transit for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. It applies to all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which also have an additional program with waivers for more nationalities; American Samoa has a similar but separate program.
The visa policy of the United States consists of the requirements for foreign nationals to travel to, enter, and remain in the United States. Visitors to the United States must obtain a visa from one of the U.S. diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt or Visa Waiver Program countries. The same rules apply for travel to all U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with additional waivers, while similar but separate rules apply to American Samoa.
A B visa is one of a category of non-immigrant visas issued by the United States government to foreign nationals seeking entry for a temporary period. The two types of B visa are the B-1 visa, issued to those seeking entry for business purposes, and the B-2 visa, issued to those seeking entry for tourism or other non-business purposes. In practice, the two visa categories are usually combined and issued as a "B-1/B-2 visa" valid for a temporary visit for either business or pleasure, or a combination of the two. Nationals of certain countries do not usually need to obtain a visa for these purposes.
The Schengen Area is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the EU, it mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in Schengen, Luxembourg.
Visitors to the mainland of the People's Republic of China must obtain a visa from one of the Chinese diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. The two Special Administrative Regions – Hong Kong and Macau – maintain their own independent border control policies and thus have their own separate visa requirements.
South Korea maintains a visa waiver agreement list and a designated visa-free entry list with countries not included on those lists requiring a visa to enter the country. In addition, foreigners wishing to engage in certain activities such as diplomatic work, gainful employment, study or residence must apply for the appropriate visa prior to engaging in that activity in country.
The visa policy of the United Kingdom is the policy by which His Majesty's Government determines visa requirements for visitors to the United Kingdom, and the Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man and those seeking to work, study or reside there. All intended entrants must obtain a visa unless they are exempt.
An A Visa is a category of non-immigrant visas allowing travel to the United States issued to ambassadors, diplomats, government officials, and their support staff.
Visa requirements for crew members are administrative entry restrictions imposed by countries on members of the crew during transit or turnaround.
The C-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows individuals to travel to United States for the purpose of immediate and continuous transit to or from the headquarters of the United Nations, or for United Nations officials transiting the US to another foreign nation. The holders of such a visa are considered "geographically restricted nonimmigrants".
The NATO-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows representatives from NATO member states, their official staff, and their immediate family members to travel to the United States. Recipients are normally exempt from inspection, and the visa is valid for the duration of the individual's stay in the US.
The S-5 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for individuals who are witnesses, informants, or otherwise supplying information regarding a criminal organization and whose presence in the US is necessary for law enforcement to pursue investigation or prosecution. The S visa class, including the S-5 and S-6 visas, was created in 1994 by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act.
The C-3 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows governmental officials and their families, attendants, servants and employees to travel to United States for the purpose of transiting through the country. The maximum duration of stay is 29 days.
The CW-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for temporary workers to be employed in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
The S-6 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for individuals who are witnesses, informants, or otherwise supplying critical information regarding a terrorist organization and who will be placed in danger by supplying that information to US officials. In response to the September 11 attacks Congress passed legislation allowing aliens with information on terrorist organizations to come into the United States to provide information to law enforcement officials, such as the FBI. The legislation became P.L. 107-45 on October 1, 2001 and amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide permanent authority for the "S" visa, which had originally been set to expire on September 13, 2001. Individuals must also be eligible for a cash reward under the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956
Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, labeled the "Muslim ban" by critics, or commonly referred to as the Trump travel ban, was an executive order by US President Donald Trump. Except for the extent to which it was blocked by various courts, it was in effect from January 27, 2017, until March 6, 2017, when it was superseded by Executive Order 13780. Executive Order 13769 lowered the number of refugees to be admitted into the United States in 2017 to 50,000, suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days, suspended the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely, directed some cabinet secretaries to suspend entry of those whose countries do not meet adjudication standards under U.S. immigration law for 90 days, and included exceptions on a case-by-case basis. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) listed these countries as Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen. Iraq was also included until it was dropped following sharp criticism from the Iraqi government. More than 700 travelers were detained, and up to 60,000 visas were "provisionally revoked".
The D-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to the United States for those serving as a crewman on marine vessel or aircraft, who will depart on a different vessel than that on which they arrived. Those who will depart on the same vessel would normally instead qualify for a D-1 visa. Individuals are not eligible for a D-1 visa if their vessel is in dry dock, is a fishing vessel, they are a coasting officer, or if they are destined for the outer continental shelf. The maximum duration of stay is 29 days. Travelers may present a seaman's book rather than a passport as identification. Those serving on a private yacht normally would not be eligible unless they are sailing out of a foreign home port, and will be in US waters for more than 29 days.
References
- 1 2 3 Immigration pocket field guide. Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. 2013. p. 21.
- ↑ "Crewmember visa". state.gov. US Department of State. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.