The US State Department is taking steps to simplify travel into the country and counter the complications of security measures that have been piled on since the September 11th terrorist attacks. At a 17 January press conference, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced new visa application submission and screening procedures aimed at making travel to the US easier for foreign nationals, including students and researchers. The goal, Rice said, “is to get travel back up to pre-9/11 levels without downgrading security.”
At the press conference, Rice outlined the three pillars of the new procedures. First, on arrival in the US, visitors will be told in a selection of languages how to clear customs. Second, since US driver’s licenses will no longer be accepted as identity cards for travel to Canada or Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security is issuing a replacement travel document for...
