United States: Meaning of the annotations "special registrant FIN" and "visas eleven 02 state 235178" on a B1/B2 visa (2002-August 2003)

Following attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001, American authorities implemented a special registration system whereby foreign citizens meeting certain criteria are required to register with the authorities upon arrival in the United States (US n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b). These special registrants are "fingerprinted, photographed, asked to show documents, and interviewed as to the length and purpose of [their] stay" (ibid.). According to a document that addresses frequently asked questions about special registration by the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration and Services (BCIS) that was published on the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Website, special registrants are issued with a fingerprint identification number (FIN), at their interview, that is written on their I-94 card and serves as proof of their registration (ibid. n.d.c).

In a telephone interview, the Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs at the Embassy of the United States, in Ottawa, stated that "special registrant FIN" is an annotation related to registration procedures implemented by the American authorities following the events of 11 September 2001 (ibid. 25 Aug. 2003). She added that this annotation was likely placed by an immigration official either when the individual entered the United States or, if he had remained in the country for more than 30 days, when attending a subsequent interview (ibid.).

According to the Minister-Counselor, the annotation "visas eleven 02 state 235178" indicates that the mission sought additional information-for example, a name check-from the US Department of State in Washington before issuing a visa to the applicant (ibid.). The six-digit number is a cable reference number confirming that a response was received from Washington (ibid.). The Minister-Counselor further noted that a negative inference should not be drawn from either of these annotations (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

United States (US). 25 August 2003. Embassy of the United States, Ottawa. Telephone interview with the Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs.
_____. n.d.a. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). "Special Registration Procedures for Visitors and Temporary Residents." [Accessed 25 Aug. 2003]
_____. n.d.b. Embassy of the United States, Islamabad. "Special Registration Procedures upon Arrival to and Departure from the United States. [Accessed 25 Aug. 2003]
_____. n.d.c. National Institutes of Health (NIH). "BCIS (formerly INS) Special Registration Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)." [Accessed 25 Aug. 2003]