| The State Department has issued
a final rule making various amendments to its Visa Waiver Program regulations
to reflect several statutory changes to the program. The following is the
rule published in the Federal Register on May 7, 2002: [Federal Register:
May 7, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 88)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 30546-30547]
From
the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07my02-4]
Click here to view the PDF. =======================================================================
----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT
OF STATE 22 CFR Part 41 [Public Notice 4009]
Visas: Passports
and Visas Not Required for Certain
Nonimmigrants--Visa Waiver Program ACTION:
Final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY:
This rule amends the Department of State's regulation
regarding the Visa Waiver
Pilot Program (VWPP) by removing from it the
list of countries designated
to participate in the Visa Waiver Program
(VWP), by changing all references
to the VWPP to references to the VWP,
and by adding a paragraph to require
that an alien denied admission
under the VWP obtain a visa before again seeking
admission into the
United States. Each of the amendments is necessitated by
a statutory
change. Readers will now be referred to the Department of Justice
(INS)
regulations for the list of VWP-designated countries, the VWP will only
be referred to as such, rather than the VWPP, and an alien from a VWP
country
refused admission to the United States under the VWP will be
permitted to
file a visa application as the only form of appeal from
such a denial. DATES:
Effective date: The rule takes effect on May 7, 2002. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT: Patrick Chairge, Legislation and
Regulations Division, Visa Office,
Room L603-C, SA-1, Department of
State, Washington, DC 20520-0106, 202-663-1202. SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION: What Is the History of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?
Authority for the Visa Waiver Program is contained in section 217
of the Immigration
and Nationality Act, added initially by section 313
of the Immigrant Reform
and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Until the
enactment of the Visa Waiver Permanent
Program Act (VWPPA), Public Law
106-369, on October 30, 2000, the VWP was
a pilot program, known as the
Visa Waiver Pilot Program (VWPP). Under the
original provisions of the
VWPP, the Attorney General acted jointly with the
Secretary of State to
determine which countries would be designated to have
their nationals
participate in the VWP. However, prior to the enactment of
the VWPPA,
Public Law 104-208 amended the statutory language to permit the
Attorney General, after consultation with the Secretary of State, to
make
that determination. In addition, among the other changes made to
the VWP by
the VWPPA was the addition of a requirement that aliens
denied admission into
the United States under the VWP must obtain a
visa prior to again seeking
admission. The Department previously has
promulgated regulations regarding
the VWP at 22 CFR 41.2(l). How Is the Department Amending Its Regulation?
Effective February 21, 2002, the Attorney General, after
consultation with
the Secretary of State, terminated Argentina as a
country designated to participate
in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Under the Department's existing regulation
the removal of Argentina
would necessitate an amendment by the Department
to its list of VWP
countries found at 22 CFR 41.2(l)(2). However, in view
of the fact that
final authority for designating countries to participate
in the VWP now
rests with the Attorney General, the Department is taking this
opportunity to eliminate the list of designated countries entirely from
its
regulation and is replacing it with a cross reference to the
authoritative
list contained in the VWP regulation of the Department of
Justice (INS) found
at 8 CFR 217.2(a). Further, the Department is
changing the name of the program
used in its regulation to the Visa
Waiver Program in order to reflect the
program's permanent status per
the VWPPA. Finally, the Department is also
adding a new paragraph 2 to
the regulation to require consular officers to
accept and adjudicate a
properly filed visa application from a national of
a program country
who has been denied admission under the Visa Waiver Program
by virtue
of an INA 212(a) inadmissibility. Pursuant to the VWPPA, no other
means
of administrative or judicial review of a denial is permitted. [[Page
30547]] Regulatory Findings Administrative Procedure Act The
Department's implementation of this regulation as a final rule
is based upon
the ``good cause'' exceptions found at 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B)
and (d)(3). Publication
of this regulation as a final rule will
expedite implementation of Public
Laws 106-369 and 104-208, both
already in effect. The change of the name of
the program and the
removal of the list of countries from the current regulation
serve only
to conform the existing regulation to the relevant statutes without
any
administrative interpretation or additional burden being placed on the
public. Likewise, the application requirement for persons refused
admission
simply informs the public of a new statutory requirement,
placing it in the
context of the relevant Department regulation. In
view of these circumstances,
the Department does not believe that a
solicitation for comments would serve
any useful purpose. Regulatory Flexibility Act The Department of
State, in accordance with the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)),
has reviewed this regulation and, by
approving it, certifies that this rule
will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 This rule will not
result in the expenditure by State, local, and
tribal governments, in the
aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100
million or more in any year,
and it will not significantly or uniquely
affect small governments. Therefore,
no actions were deemed necessary
under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 This rule is not a major rule as defined by section 804 of the
Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Act of 1996. This rule will not
result in
an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a
major increase
in costs or prices; or significant adverse effects on
competition, employment,
investment, productivity, innovation, or on
the ability of United States-based
companies to compete with foreign-
based companies in domestic and export markets. Executive
Order 12866 The Department of State does not consider this rule to be a
``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, section
3(f),
Regulatory Planning and Review. In addition, the Department is
exempt from
Executive Order 12866 except to the extent that it is
promulgating regulations
in conjunction with a domestic agency that are
significant regulatory actions.
The Department has nevertheless
reviewed the regulation to ensure its consistency
with the regulatory
philosophy and principles set forth in that Executive
Order. Executive Order 13132 This regulation will not have substantial
direct effects on the
States, on the relationship between the national government
and the
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among
the
various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance with section 6
of Executive Order 13132, it is determined that this rule does not have
sufficient
federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a
federalism summary
impact statement. Paperwork Reduction Act This rule does not impose
any new reporting or record-keeping
requirements. The information collection
requirement (Form DS-156)
contained by reference in this rule was previously
approved for use by
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork
Reduction
Act as OMB control number 1405-0018. List of Subjects in 22
CFR Part 41 Aliens, Nonimmigrants, Passports and visas.
For the reasons
set forth in the preamble, the Department is
amending the regulations at 22
CFR 41.2 to read as follows: PART 41--[AMENDED] 1. The authority
citation for Part 41 continues to read as follows: Authority: 8 U.S.C.
1104; Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681-795
through 2681-801. 2. Revise
Sec. 41.2(l) to read as follows:
Sec. 41.2 Waiver by Secretary of State
and Attorney General of
passport and/or visa requirements for certain categories
of
nonimmigrants.
* * * * *
(l) Visa waiver program. (1) A visa
is not required of any person
who seeks admission to the United States for
a period of 90 days or
less as a visitor for business or pleasure and who
is eligible to apply
for admission to the United States as a Visa Waiver Program
applicant.
(For the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to apply
for
admission to the United States as Visa Waiver Program applicants, see
8
CFR 217.2(a)).
(2) An alien denied admission under the Visa Waiver Program
by
virtue of a ground of inadmissibility described in INA section 212(a)
that
is discovered at the time of the alien's application for admission
at a port
of entry or through use of an automated electronic database
may apply for
a visa as the only means of challenging such a
determination. A consular officer
must accept and adjudicate any such
application if the alien otherwise fulfills
all of the application
requirements contained in Part 40, Sec. 41.2(l)(1).
Dated: March 22, 2002.
Mary A. Ryan,
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 02-11164 Filed 5-6-02; 8:45 am]
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