今年に入り、ESTAで渡米し入国拒否を受けたとご相談をされる方がとても増えています。
これまで弊所HPのブログ上で、入国拒否に関する事例をご紹介してきました。
コロナ以降圧倒的に多い入国拒否理由は「売春を疑われた」ことで入国拒否を受けるケースです。
コロナ禍渡米者数が少なくなっている中、入国審査が慎重になされていたことも要因の一つと考えられましたが、今年に入りコロナも収まりつつあり渡米者数も増えているにも関わらず、依然上記ケースは収まりを見せず、毎月ご相談が増えているように思います。
入国不適格者と疑われた場合、別室での尋問がなされるのですが、過去２５年ほど前までは、このような疑いを含む不法就労や不法滞在を試みているのでは？と疑いをかけられた外国人には、弁護士と相談し証人尋問手続きを要求する権利が与えられていました。
しかし、１９９７年４月１日以降、移民国籍法第２３５条第ｂ項第１号【（INA235(b)(1)) ＊条文下記参照】に基づき、
1）米国に入国するために詐欺的行為を犯していると疑われる者、
または２）必要資料を所持していない者に対しては、弁護士による手続きなど踏まずして、移民局の審査官が国外退去命令を出せる権限が与えられることとなりました。この手続きは、Expedited Removal Procedure (国外退去の略式手続き）と呼ばれ、この手続きに基づき退去させられた外国人は、以降五年間アメリカへ入国することができません。
§ 235.3 Inadmissible aliens and expedited removal.
(a) Detention prior to inspection. All persons arriving at a port-of-entry in the United States by vessel or aircraft shall be detained aboard the vessel or at the airport of arrival by the owner, agent, master, commanding officer, person in charge, purser, or consignee of such vessel or aircraft until admitted or otherwise permitted to land by an officer of the Service. Notice or order to detain shall not be required. The owner, agent, master, commanding officer, person in charge, purser, or consignee of such vessel or aircraft shall deliver every alien requiring examination to an immigration officer for inspection or to a medical officer for examination. The Service will not be liable for any expenses related to such detention or presentation or for any expenses of a passenger who has not been presented for inspection and for whom a determination has not been made concerning admissibility by a Service officer.
(b) Expedited removal -
(1) Applicability. The expedited removal provisions shall apply to the following classes of aliens who are determined to be inadmissible under section 212(a)(6)(C) or (7) of the Act:
(i) Arriving aliens, as defined in 8 CFR 1.2;
(ii) As specifically designated by the Commissioner, aliens who arrive in, attempt to enter, or have entered the United States without having been admitted or paroled following inspection by an immigration officer at a designated port-of-entry, and who have not established to the satisfaction of the immigration officer that they have been physically present in the United States continuously for the 2-year period immediately prior to the date of determination of inadmissibility. The Commissioner shall have the sole discretion to apply the provisions of section 235(b)(1) of the Act, at any time, to any class of aliens described in this section. The Commissioner's designation shall become effective upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register. However, if the Commissioner determines, in the exercise of discretion, that the delay caused by publication would adversely affect the interests of the United States or the effective enforcement of the immigration laws, the Commissioner's designation shall become effective immediately upon issuance, and shall be published in the Federal Register as soon as practicable thereafter. When these provisions are in effect for aliens who enter without inspection, the burden of proof rests with the alien to affirmatively show that he or she has the required continuous physical presence in the United States. Any absence from the United States shall serve to break the period of continuous physical presence. An alien who was not inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States but who establishes that he or she has been continuously physically present in the United States for the 2-year period immediately prior to the date of determination of inadmissibility shall be detained in accordance with section 235(b)(2) of the Act for a proceeding under section 240 of the Act.
INA235(b)(1)に基づき強制退去となった場合、状況によっては、５年以上の入国禁止期間が設定される場合があります。
犯罪歴や、過去の不法滞在歴、強制退去歴や、入国拒否歴などを隠して入国を試みたと判断される場合は、１０年、２０年または生涯にわたり入国を禁止されます。
参考までに、国外退去となった場合に渡される書面に明記される項目を記載いたします。
You have been found to be inadmissible to the United States under the provisions of section 212(a) of the Immigrataion and Nationality Act (Act) or deportable under the provisions of secrtion 237 of the Act as a Visa Waiver Pilot Program violator. In accordance with the ｐrovision of section 212(a)(9) of the Act, you are profibited from entring, attempting to enter, or being in the United States
□ For a period of 5 years from the date of your departure from the United States as a consequence of your having been found inadmissible as an arriving alien in proceedings under section 235(b)(1) or 240 of the Act
□ For a period of 10 years from the date of your departure from the United States as a consequence of your having been found inadmissible as an arriving alien in proceedings under section 235(b)(1) or 240 or of being ordered excluded under section 236 of the Act in proceedings commenced prior to April 1, 1997
□ For a period of 20 years from the date of your departure from the United States as a consequence of being found inadmissible and being previously exluded, deported, or removed from the United States
□ At any time because in addition to be inadmissible, you have been convicted of a crime designated as
a aggrebated felony.
Sworn Statementの中には、ビザを取得すれば再度アメリカに入国できると移民官の説明が記載されていますが、上記入国禁止期間中のビザ申請は許可の可能性は極めて低く、上記条文を適用され入国拒否を受けたとご相談される方へ、そもそも申請自体をお勧めしない場合もあります。
上記手続きに基づき入国禁止期間を設定され、人生設計を崩されて悲しい思いをされた方々を数多く見てきました。
このようなことにならないためにも、入国拒否をうけるのでは？とご自身で想定しうる状況が少しでも思い当たる場合、米国渡航前に専門家にご相談されることをお勧めします。
＃アメリカビザ
＃入国拒否歴
