[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 8, Volume 1] [Revised as of January 1, 2001] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 8CFR212.1] [Page 232-236] TITLE 8--ALIENS AND NATIONALITY CHAPTER I--IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PART 212--DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS: NONIMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS; ADMISSION OF CERTAIN INADMISSIBLE ALIENS; PAROLE--Table of Contents Sec. 212.1 Documentary requirements for nonimmigrants. A valid unexpired visa and an unexpired passport, valid for the period set forth in section 212(a)(26) of the Act, shall be presented by each arriving nonimmigrant alien except that the passport validity period for an applicant for admission who is a member of a class described in section 102 of the Act is not required to extend beyond the date of his application for admission if so admitted, and except as otherwise provided in the Act, this chapter, and for the following classes: (a) Canadian nationals, and aliens having a common nationality with nationals of Canada or with British subjects in Bermuda, Bahamian nationals or British subjects resident in Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands. A visa is not required of a Canadian national in any case. A passport is not required of such national except after a visit outside of the Western Hemisphere. A visa is not required of an alien having a common nationality with Canadian nationals or with British subjects in Bermuda, who has his or her residence in Canada or Bermuda. A passport is not required of such alien except after a visit outside of the Western Hemisphere. A visa and a passport are required of a Bahamian national or a British subject who has his residence in the Bahamas except that a visa is not required of such an alien who, prior to or at the time of embarkation for the United States on a vessel or aircraft, satisfied the examining U.S. immigration officer at the Bahamas, that he is clearly and beyond a doubt entitled to admission in all other respects. A visa is not required of a British subject who has his residence in, and arrives directly from, the Cayman Islands or the Turks and Caicos Islands and who presents a current certificate from the Clerk of Court of the Cayman [[Page 233]] Islands or the Turks and Caicos Islands indicating no criminal record. (b) Certain Caribbean residents--(1) British, French, and Netherlands nationals, and nationals of certain adjacent islands of the Caribbean which are independent countries. A visa is not required of a British, French, or Netherlands national, or of a national of Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, or Trinidad and Tobago, who has his or her residence in British, French, or Netherlands territory located in the adjacent islands of the Caribbean area, or in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, or Trinidad and Tobago, who: (i) Is proceeding to the United States as an agricultural worker; (ii) Is the beneficiary of a valid, unexpired indefinite certification granted by the Department of Labor for employment in the Virgin Islands of the United States and is proceeding to the Virgin Islands of the United States for such purpose, or (iii) Is the spouse or child of an alien described in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or (b)(1)(ii) of this section, and is accompanying or following to join him or her. (2) Nationals of the British Virgin Islands. A visa is not required of a national of the British Virgin Islands who has his or her residence in the British Virgin Islands, if: (i) The alien is seeking admission solely to visit the Virgin Islands of the United States; or (ii) At the time of embarking on an aircraft at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, the alien meets each of the following requirements: (A) The alien is traveling to any other part of the United States by aircraft as a nonimmigrant visitor for business or pleasure (as described in section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Act); (B) The alien satisfies the examining U.S. Immigration officer at the port-of-entry that he or she is clearly and beyond a doubt entitled to admission in all other respects; and (C) The alien presents a current Certificate of Good Conduct issued by the Royal Virgin Islands Police Department indicating that he or she has no criminal record. (c) Mexican nationals. A visa and a passport are not required of a Mexican national who is in possession of a border crossing card on Form I-186 or I-586 and is applying for admission as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure from continguous territory; or is entering solely for the purpose of applying for a Mexican passport or other official Mexican document at a Mexican consular office on the United States side of the border. A visa is not required of a Mexican national who is in possession of a border crossing card and is applying for admission to the United States as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure from other than contiguous territory. A visa is not required of a Mexican national who is a crewman employed on an aircraft belonging to a Mexican company authorized to engage in commercial transportation into the United States. (c-1) Bearers of Mexican diplomatic or official passports. A visa shall not be required by a Mexican national bearing a Mexican diplomatic or official passport who is a military or civilian official of the Federal Government of Mexico entering the United States for six months or less for a purpose other than on assignment as a permanent employee to an office of the Mexican Federal Government in the United States and the official's spouse or any of the official's dependent family members under 19 years of age, bearing diplomatic or official passports, who are in the actual company of such official at the time of entry into the United States. This waiver does not apply to the spouse or any of the official's family members classifiable under section 101(a)(15) (F) or (M) of the Act. (c-2) Aliens entering pursuant to International Boundary and Water Commission Treaty. A visa and a passport are not required of an alien employed either directly or indirectly on the construction, operation, or maintenance of works in the United States undertaken in accordance with the treaty concluded on February 3, 1944, between, the United States and Mexico regarding the functions of the International Boundary and Water Commission, and entering the United States temporarily in connection with such employment. (d) Citizens of the Freely Associated States, formerly Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Citizens of the Republic of [[Page 234]] the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia may enter into, lawfully engage in employment, and establish residence in the United States and its territories and possessions without regard to paragraphs (14), (20) and (26) of section 212(a) of the Act pursuant to the terms of Pub. L. 99-239. Pending issuance by the aforementioned governments of travel documents to eligible citizens, travel documents previously issued by the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands will continue to be accepted for purposes of identification and to establish eligibility for admission into the United States, its territories and possessions. (e) Aliens entering Guam pursuant to section 14 of Pub. L. 99-396, ``Omnibus Territories Act.'' (1) A visa is not required of an alien who is a citizen of a country enumerated in paragraph (e)(3) of this section who: (i) Is classifiable as a vistor for business or pleasure; (ii) Is solely entering and staying on Guam for a period not to exceed fifteen days; (iii) Is in possession of a round-trip nonrefundable and nontransferable transportation ticket bearing a confirmed departure date not exceeding fifteen days from the date of admission to Guam; (iv) Is in possession of a completed and signed Visa Waiver Information Form (Form I-736); (v) Waives any right to review or appeal the immigration officer's determination of admissibility at the port of entry at Guam; and (vi) Waives any right to contest any action for deportation, other than on the basis of a request for asylum. (2) An alien is eligible for the waiver provision if all of the eligibility criteria in paragraph (e)(1) of this section have been met prior to embarkation and the alien is a citizen of a country that: (i) Has a visa refusal rate of 16.9% or less, or a country whose visa refusal rate exceeds 16.9% and has an established preinspection or preclearance program, pursuant to a bilateral agreement with the United States under which its citizens traveling to Guam without a valid United States visa are inspected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service prior to departure from that country; (ii) Is within geographical proximity to Guam, unless the country has a substantial volume of nonimmigrant admissions to Guam as determined by the Commissioner and extends reciprocal privileges to citizens of the United States; (iii) Is not designated by the Department of State as being of special humanitarian concern; and (iv) Poses no threat to the welfare, safety or security of the United States, its territories, or commonwealths. Any potential threats to the welfare, safety, or security of the United States, its territories, or commonwealths will be dealt with on a country by country basis, and a determination by the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service that a threat exists will result in the immediate deletion of that country from the listing in paragraph (e)(3) of this section. (3)(i) The following geographic areas meet the eligibility criteria as stated in paragraph (e)(2) of this section: Australia, Brunei, Burma, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan (residents thereof who begin their travel in Taiwan and who travel on direct flights from Taiwan to Guam without an intermediate layover or stop except that the flights may stop in a territory of the United States enroute), the United Kingdom (including the citizens of the colony of Hong Kong), Vanuatu, and Western Samoa. The provision that flights transporting residents of Taiwan to Guam may stop at a territory of the United States enroute may be rescinded whenever the number of inadmissible passengers arriving in Guam who have transited a territory of the United States enroute to Guam exceeds 20 percent of all the inadmissible passengers arriving in Guam within any consecutive two-month period. Such rescission will be published in the Federal Register. (ii) For the purposes of this section, the term citizen of a country as used in 8 CFR 212.1(e)(1) when applied to Taiwan refers only to residents of Taiwan [[Page 235]] who are in possession of Taiwan National Identity Cards and a valid Taiwan passport with a valid re-entry permit issued by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It does not refer to any other holder of a Taiwan passport or a passport issued by the People's Republic of China. (4) Admission under this section renders an alien ineligible for: (i) Adjustment of status to that of a temporary resident or, except under the provisions of section 245(i) of the Act, to that of a lawful permanent resident; (ii) Change of nonimmigrant status; or (iii) Extension of stay. (5) A transportation line bringing any alien to Guam pursuant to this section shall: (i) Enter into a contract on Form I-760, made by the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in behalf of the government; (ii) Transport only an alien who is a citizen and in possession of a valid passport of a country enumerated in paragraph (e)(3) of this section; (iii) Transport only an alien in possession of a round-trip, nontransferable transportation ticket: (A) Bearing a confirmed departure date not exceeding fifteen days from the date of admission to Guam, (B) Valid for a period of not less than one year, (C) Nonrefundable except in the country in which issued or in the country of the alien's nationality or residence, (D) Issued by a carrier which has entered into an agreement described in part (5)(i) of this section, and (E) Which the carrier will unconditionally honor when presented for return passage; and (iv) Transport only an alien in possession of a completed and signed Visa Waiver Information Form I-736. (f) Direct transits--(1) Transit without visa. A passport and visa are not required of an alien who is being transported in immediate and continuous transit through the United States in accordance with the terms of an agreement entered into between the transportation line and the Service under the provisions of section 238(d) of the Act on Form I- 426 to insure such immediate and continuous transit through, and departure from, the United States en route to a specifically designated foreign country: Provided, That such alien is in possession of a travel document or documents establishing his/her identity and nationality and ability to enter some country other than the United States. (2) Waiver of passport and visa. On the basis of reciprocity, the waiver of passport and visa is available to a national of Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolian People's Republic, People's Republic of China, Poland, Romania, or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics resident in one of said countries, only if he/she is transiting the United States by aircraft of a transportation line signatory to an agreement with the Service on Form I-426 on a direct through flight which will depart directly to a foreign place from the port of arrival. (3) Unavailability to transit. This waiver of passport and visa requirement is not available to an alien who is a citizen of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cuba, India, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or a national of a Republic of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (effective August 16, 1993) which includes Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Macedonia. This waiver of passport and visa requirement is not available to an alien who is a citizen or national of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) or Democratic Republic of Vietnam and is a resident of the said countries. (4) Foreign government officials in transit. If an alien is of the class described in section 212(d)(8) of the Act, only a valid unexpired visa and a travel document valid for entry into a foreign country for at least 30 days from the date of admission to the United States are required. (g) Unforeseen emergency. A nonimmigrant seeking admission to the United States must present an unexpired visa and a passport valid for the amount of time set forth in section 212(a)(7)(B) of the Act, or a valid border crossing identification card at the time of application for admission, unless the [[Page 236]] nonimmigrant satisfies the requirements described in one or more of the paragraphs (a) through (f) or (i) of this section. Upon a nonimmigrant's application on Form I-193, a district director at a port of entry may, in the exercise of his or her discretion, on a case-by-case basis, waive the documentary requirements, if satisfied that the nonimmigrant cannot present the required documents because of an unforeseen emergency. The district director or the Deputy Commissioner may at any time revoke a waiver previously authorized pursuant to this paragraph and notify the nonimmigrant in writing to that effect. (h) Fiancees or fiances of U.S. citizens. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this part, an alien seeking admission as a fiancee or fiance of a U.S. citizen pursuant to section 101(a)(15)(K) of the Act shall be in possession of a nonimmigrant visa issued by an American consular officer classifying the alien under that section. (i) Visa Waiver Pilot Program. A visa is not required of any alien who is eligible to apply for admission to the United States as a Visa Waiver Pilot Program applicant pursuant to the provisions of section 217 of the Act and part 217 of this chapter if such alien is a national of a country designated under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, who seeks admission to the United States for a period of 90 days or less as a visitor for business or pleasure. (j) Officers authorized to act upon recommendations of United States consular officers for waiver of visa and passport requirements. All district directors, the officers in charge are authorized to act upon recommendations made by United States consular officers or by officers of the Visa Office, Department of State, pursuant to the provisions of 22 CFR 41.7 for waiver of visa and passport requirements under the provisions of section 212(d)(4)(A) of the Act. The District Director at Washington, DC, has jurisdiction in such cases recommended to the Service at the seat of Government level by the Department of State. Neither an application nor fee are required if the concurrence in a passport or visa waiver is requested by a U.S. consular officer or by an officer of the Visa Office. The district director or the Deputy Commissioner, may at any time revoke a waiver previously authorized pursuant to this paragraph and notify the nonimmigrant alien in writing to that effect. (k) Cancellation of nonimmigrant visas by immigration officers. Upon receipt of advice from the Department of State that a nonimmigrant visa has been revoked or invalidated, and request by that Department for such action, immigration officers shall place an appropriate endorsement thereon. (l) Treaty traders and investors. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this part, an alien seeking admission as a treaty trader or investor under the provisions of Chapter 16 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) pursuant to section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Act, shall be in possession of a nonimmigrant visa issued by an American consular officer classifying the alien under that section. (m) Aliens in S classification. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this part, an alien seeking admission pursuant to section 101(a)(15)(S) of the Act must be in possession of appropriate documents issued by a United States consular officer classifying the alien under that section. (n) Alien in Q-2 classification. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this part, an alien seeking admission as a principal according to section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) of the Act must be in possession of a Certification Letter issued by the Department of State's Program Administrator documenting participation in the Irish peace process cultural and training programs. (Secs. 103, 104, 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (8 U.S.C. 1103, 1104, 1132)) [26 FR 12066, Dec. 16, 1961] Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting Sec. 212.1, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section in the printed volume and on GPO Access.