Another take on "Welcome to the U.S."

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004
From:

Please do not forward with identifying information.. I guess I'm not the
only one sensitive about this.  (If you won't post this on IP, could you
at least forward to the person who sent in the last posted message? Tx.)

A cautionary note to the person who posted this:
"I will propose that all of our upcoming North American meetings be held
in Canadian cities at our next Board meeting."

This is not necessarily the best solution!  As a foreign national in US
academia who also requires a visa to Canada, I have had to stop going to
meetings in Canada.   I will go through the trouble of obtaining a US visa
because this is where I work.  But to put me through having to do this one
more time is too much.

Visa experiences are in general not pleasant, but the worst (read: most
demeaning) experience I have EVER had was at the Canadian Embassy in NYC.
I vowed not to bother with a trip to Canada again until the visa
requirements are lifted for my country (as they had been for a while).  I
have since been invited to several meetings for talks in Canada and have
each time declined the invitation.

As for fingerprinting, AP reported that it would start on Jan 6th, but I
came in before then and was fingerprinted at JFK.  Mind you, there is
absolutely no logic to fingerprinting those people who require visas but
not all others.  Those of us who come in with a visa have already been
examined head-to-toe by US officials.  In contrast, those who come in
without a visa the US knows nothing about.  So why not fingerprint those
people?  To be sure, I don't think anyone should be fingerprinted, but I
certainly see absolutely no logic behind current practices. 

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