NSEERS: Designated Countries Removed

On April 28, 2011, DHS announced removal of several countries from the Special Registration procedures under the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, known as NSEERS. 

Countries removed from NSEERS include the following: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. This relieves nonimmigrant nationals or citizens of these countries from compliance with Special Registration requirements.

Special Registration, established in 2002, required nonimmigrant nationals or citizens of countries on the NSEERS list to provide fingerprints, a photograph, and any additional information required by DHS to DHS at the time the nonimmigrant applies for admission at a US port of entry. In addition, nonimmigrants subject to NSEERS were in some cases required to appear in person at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office to provide additional information or to provide documentation confirming compliance with the conditions of their status and admission. Also, such nonimmigrants were required to depart through specified ports to record their departures from the US.

The decision to remove all currently designated countries from NSEERS was based on the implementation of several new automated systems that capture arrival and exit information on nonimmigrant travelers to the US. Recapturing this data manually when a nonimmigrant is seeking admission to the US is now redundant and no longer provides any increase in security.  Thus, DHS has determined that it is no longer necessary to subject nationals from these countries to special registration procedures, and this notice deletes all currently designated countries from NSEERS compliance.