AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) has the list of standard questions being asked of all special registrants. Seems fairly innocuous.
Special Registration Questionnaire
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The art of keeping up with yesterday's blogging
Email address?
Father’s/mother’s phone number?
Credit card number?
I’d have a problem with those three right there.
I’ve read some different things about the credit card number requirement and the email. People who go in for registration are advised to only bring one credit card along and that it be one they don’t mind the INS or FBI monitoring in the future. And to get a free email account like from Hotmail that they don’t regularly use and give that address.
Unbelievable. A credit card one doesn’t mind the INS monitoring???!? Is “actually, I don’t want you monitoring ANY” an acceptable answer? Are they going to ask this of temporary business/pleasure visitors they register at the airports? And the implication, I assume, is that they will be monitoring your e-mail also? And dad’s phone # is why, if you disappear the feds will appear on your parents’ doorstep? Innocuous is not the word I would choose by any stretch. My husband is due to register next month. I will be seconding his boss’ advice and strongly suggesting he does NOT. The hell with them.
Incidentally, Al-Muhajabah, I just wanted to comment that I have seen your input on the comments sections of a whole bunch of blogs in the recent past, and I always enjoy what you have to say. I followed the link to your blog also, it’s now one I regularly visit.
I don’t like the idea of asking for a credit card number. I talked to the International student advisor and she told me that she was advising students to take a credit card that they don’t do much with. Strange!
Thanks, dismembermentplan, for your comments.
I agree that asking about credit card numbers and stuff is outrageous. You can easily get a new credit card that you’ll never use; I get credit card offers in the mail all the time. Usually these cards will charge you outrageous interest for late payment, which is why they try to get as many people to sign up as possible. It also means that it’s quick and easy to get one if you need a “throwaway” credit card to show the INS.
Some INS offices are merely looking at the credit card and not taking down the numbers, but others are doing so. Be smart and play it safe.
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