Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 62 Part 3.djvu/1088

 62 STAT.] BELGIUM-PASSPORT VISAS-OCT. 12, 26 , 1948 required to be in possession of valid passports issued by the Govern- ment of the United States. It is further understood that beginning October 15, 1948, civilian personnel employed by agencies of the Government of the United States or by the American Army, who are American citizens (with the exception of technical counsellors representing commercial in- terests), and personnel of the Red Cross who are American citizens, may proceed to continental Belgium in the same manner as the mili- tary personnel mentioned in the preceding paragraph, provided they are in possession of letters of authority to visit a foreign country is- sued by the appropriate American Army authorities. Such personnel traveling to continental Belgium and who are in civilian clothes, however, are required to be in possession of valid passports issued by the Government of the United States. The Government of the United States is appreciative of these con- cessions upon the part of the Government of Belgium and desires to grant as nearly as possible similar concessions to Belgian nationals who apply for visas with which to proceed to the United States as nonimmigrants. Under the provisions of Section 30, Alien Registration Act of 1940, approved June 28, 1940, any alien seeking to enter the United States who does not present a valid visa or other permit to enter, ex- cept in emergency cases, shall be excluded from admission. In view of this provision of law, the Government of the United States cannot reciprocate in identical terms. However, the Government of the United States will grant passport visas without fees and valid for any number of applications for admission into the United States within a period of twenty-four months from date of issuance, instead of the present twelve months' period of validity of such visas, to Belgian nationals who are proceeding to the United States and its possessions for business or pleasure purposes and who are bona fide nonimmigrants within the meaning of the immigration laws of the United States, provided the Belgian passport of each bearer remains valid during the period of the validity of the visa. All other classes of nonimmigrant passport visas granted Belgian nationals will con- tinue to be valid, as at present, for a period of twelve months, pro- vided the Belgian passport of each bearer remains valid for that period of time. This arrangement will not disturb the reciprocal nonimmigrant passport visa fee arrangement concluded between the Governments of the United States and Belgium and which became effective Feb- ruary 17, 1947, whereby each Government agreed to waive non- immigrant passport visa fees for nationals of the other country. The period of validity of a visa relates only to the period within which it may be used in connection with an application for admission at a port of entry into the United States and its possessions, and not to the length of stay in the United States which may be permitted the bearer after he is admitted. The period of each stay will, as at present, continue to be determined by the immigration authorities. 3709 54 Stat. 673. 8U.S.C. §451. Extension of period of validity for Belgian nationals proceeding totheU.S. 61 Stat. , Pt. 4, p. 4117. Period of validity.

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