加对美即将实行新的边境安全政策表示不满
加拿大政府对美国规定加拿大公民自3月17日起进入美国境内必须事先获得签证的严格限制表示不满,认为此举将成为影响两国关系的重大政治问题。
《多伦多之星》报道援引加拿大外长格雷厄姆的话说,边境问题关系到美国与加拿大两国人民的利益,美加两国政府不仅需要考虑边境的安全,也需要考虑两国的经济发展。
格雷厄姆说,他已对美国国务卿鲍威尔表示,希望美国将来实行针对所有赴美国的外国公民的出入境注册制度时,考虑免除对加拿大公民的注册要求。
美方在今年1月初宣布,将从今年3月17日起实行一项新的旨在加强美加边境安全的计划。这一计划将改变目前加拿大公民到美国不需要签证的做法,规定在加拿大居住的英联邦国家移民必须事先获得访问签证,方可进入美国境内。
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Written by CBC News Online staff
U.S. tightens visa requirements to cover Commonwealth
Last Updated Fri, 31 Jan 2003 22:12:51
OTTAWA - The United States is going ahead with new travel rules for more than half a million immigrants living in Canada.
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Beginning March 17, landed immigrants from more than 50 Commonwealth countries will need a visa to enter the United States. Right now they can cross the border as freely as Canadian citizens.
But the U.S. government says the new visa requirement is needed to increase security and target people from countries with a high rate of document fraud and abuse.
People from more than 50 Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland will lose the privilege of entering the United States from Canada without a visa. Those countries include India, Pakistan and Singapore.
Leslie Gerson, who is in charge of U.S. consular affairs for Canada, says the change is largely to make U.S. entry requirements the same for citizens of those countries, regardless of where they're from.
"It had been under consideration for some while, I think perhaps the events of Sept. 11 encouraged folks to go forward with it a bit more rapidly," she said.
The U.S. government document proclaiming the new rule says it reflects the high security risk of people coming from countries where document fraud and abuse is high.
In November, Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said he'd encourage the U.S. to back off the new visa rule.
Canada itself requires visas from many commonwealth countries, such as South Africa and Nigeria. But for as many as 600,000 landed immigrants in Canada, visiting the U.S. after March 17 will become more complicated.
The visa will cost $100 US and take up to two months to process.
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If Canada still refuses to check immigrants security background carefully (currently, let everyone landing Canada to be Canadian, called "Canadian Independence"), sooner or later, all Canadian citizens will be required to apply for an USA visa in order to visit USA. ---- That is the best way to provent talent Canadians from leaving Canada.
Why? who know how many terrorists who are planning to kill Americans hide in Canada, just because the "Generous" of the Canadian politcians accept everyone rushing into Canada?
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It is misleading. The new rules will only impact the immigrants come from Common Wealthy Countries.
Canadian citizen won't be affected and immigrants of China will still need the visa.
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搞不清楚这篇文章,是加拿大的“公民”,还是“移民”(持绿卡者)受影响?谁能说明确一点?谢谢!
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