8 U.S.C. § 1221 (ALIENS AND NATIONALITY)
§ 1221. Lists of alien and citizen passengers arriving and departing
(a) Arrival manifests
For each commercial vessel or aircraft transporting any person to any seaport or airport of the United States from any place outside the United States, it shall be the duty of an appropriate official specified in subsection (d) to provide to any United States border officer (as defined in subsection (i)) at that port manifest information about each passenger, crew member, and other occupant transported on such vessel or aircraft prior to arrival at that port.
(b) Departure manifests
For each commercial vessel or aircraft taking passengers on board at any seaport or airport of the United States, who are destined to any place outside the United States, it shall be the duty of an appropriate official specified in subsection (d) to provide any United States border officer (as defined in subsection (i)) before departure from such port manifest information about each passenger, crew member, and other occupant to be transported.
(c) Contents of manifest
The information to be provided with respect to each person listed on a manifest required to be provided under subsection (a) or (b) shall include—
(1) complete name;
(2) date of birth;
(3) citizenship;
(4) sex;
(5) passport number and country of issuance;
(6) country of residence;
(7) United States visa number, date, and place of issuance, where applicable;
(8) alien registration number, where applicable;
(9) United States address while in the United States; and
(10) such other information the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Treasury determines as being necessary for the identification of the persons transported and for the enforcement of the immigration laws and to protect safety and national security.
(d) Appropriate officials specified
An appropriate official specified in this subsection is the master or commanding officer, or authorized agent, owner, or consignee, of the commercial vessel or aircraft concerned.
(e) Deadline for requirement of electronic transmission of manifest information
Not later than January 1, 2003, manifest information required to be provided under subsection (a) or (b) shall be transmitted electronically by the appropriate official specified in subsection (d) to an immigration officer.
(f) Prohibition
No operator of any private or public carrier that is under a duty to provide manifest information under this section shall be granted clearance papers until the appropriate official specified in subsection (d) has complied with the requirements of this subsection, except that, in the case of commercial vessels or aircraft that the Attorney General determines are making regular trips to the United States, the Attorney General may, when expedient, arrange for the provision of manifest information of persons departing the United States at a later date.
(g) Penalties against noncomplying shipments, aircraft, or carriers
If it shall appear to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that an appropriate official specified in subsection (d), any public or private carrier, or the agent of any transportation line, as the case may be, has refused or failed to provide manifest information required by subsection (a) or (b), or that the manifest information provided is not accurate and full based on information provided to the carrier, such official, carrier, or agent, as the case may be, shall pay to the Commissioner the sum of $1,000 for each person with respect to whom such accurate and full manifest information is not provided, or with respect to whom the manifest information is not prepared as prescribed by this section or by regulations issued pursuant thereto. No commercial vessel or aircraft shall be granted clearance pending determination of the question of the liability to the payment of such penalty, or while it remains unpaid, and no such penalty shall be remitted or refunded, except that clearance may be granted prior to the determination of such question upon the deposit with the Commissioner of a bond or undertaking approved by the Attorney General or a sum sufficient to cover such penalty.
(h) Waiver
The Attorney General may waive the requirements of subsection (a) or (b) upon such circumstances and conditions as the Attorney General may by regulation prescribe.
(i) United States border officer defined
In this section, the term “United States border officer” means, with respect to a particular port of entry into the United States, any United States official who is performing duties at that port of entry.
(j) Record of citizens and resident aliens leaving permanently for foreign countries
The Attorney General may authorize immigration officers to record the following information regarding every resident person leaving the United States by way of the Canadian or Mexican borders for permanent residence in a foreign country: Names, age, and sex; whether married or single; calling or occupation; whether able to read or write; nationality; country of birth; country of which citizen or subject; race; last permanent residence in the United States; intended future permanent residence; and time and port of last arrival in the United States; and if a United States citizen or national, the facts on which claim to that status is based.
(June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 4, § 231, 66 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 97–116, § 18(g), Dec. 29, 1981, 95 Stat. 1620; Pub. L. 101–649, title V, § 543(a)(1), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 5057; Pub. L. 102–232, title III, § 306(c)(4)(A), Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 1752; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 308(g)(1), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–622; Pub. L. 107–77, title I, § 115, Nov. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 768; Pub. L. 107–173, title IV, § 402(a), May 14, 2002, 116 Stat. 557.)
heading: Amendments
text: 2002—Pub. L. 107–173 added subsecs. (a) to (i), redesignated former subsec. (c) as (j), and struck out former subsecs. (a), (b), (d), and (e), which related to shipment or aircraft manifest, arrival, form and contents, exclusions in subsec. (a), departure, shipment or aircraft manifest, form and contents, and exclusions in subsec. (b), penalties against noncomplying shipments or aircraft in subsec. (d), and waiver of requirements in subsec. (e).
2001—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–77, § 115(a), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment subsec. (a) read as follows: “Upon the arrival of any person by water or by air at any port within the United States from any place outside the United States, it shall be the duty of the master or commanding officer, or authorized agent, owner, or consignee of the vessel or aircraft, having any such person on board to deliver to the immigration officers at the port of arrival typewritten or printed lists or manifests of the persons on board such vessel or aircraft. Such lists or manifests shall be prepared at such time, be in such form and shall contain such information as the Attorney General shall prescribe by regulation as being necessary for the identification of the persons transported and for the enforcement of the immigration laws. This subsection shall not require the master or commanding officer, or authorized agent, owner, or consignee of a vessel or aircraft to furnish a list or manifest relating (1) to an alien crewman or (2) to any other person arriving by air on a trip originating in foreign contiguous territory, except (with respect to such arrivals by air) as may be required by regulations issued pursuant to section 1224 of this title.”
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–77, § 115(b), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “It shall be the duty of the master or commanding officer or authorized agent of every vessel or aircraft taking passengers on board at any port of the United States, who are destined to any place outside the United States, to file with the immigration officers before departure from such port a list of all such persons taken on board. Such list shall be in such form, contain such information, and be accompanied by such documents, as the Attorney General shall prescribe by regulation as necessary for the identification of the persons so transported and for the enforcement of the immigration laws. No master or commanding officer of any such vessel or aircraft shall be granted clearance papers for his vessel or aircraft until he or the authorized agent has deposited such list or lists and accompanying documents with the immigration officer at such port and made oath that they are full and complete as to the information required to be contained therein, except that in the case of vessels or aircraft which the Attorney General determines are making regular trips to ports of the United States, the Attorney General may, when expedient, arrange for the delivery of lists of outgoing persons at a later date. This subsection shall not require the master or commanding officer, or authorized agent, owner, or consignee of a vessel or aircraft to furnish a list or manifest relating (1) to an alien crewman or (2) to any other person departing by air on a trip originating in the United States who is destined to foreign contiguous territory, except (with respect to such departure by air) as may be required by regulations issued pursuant to section 1224 of this title.”
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–77, § 115(c), directed amendment of heading by substituting “shipments, aircraft or carriers” for “shipments or aircraft” and, in text inserted “, any public or private carrier,” after “or aircraft,” in first sentence and substituted “vessel, aircraft, train or bus” for “vessel or aircraft” in second sentence.
1996—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 104–208 substituted “section 1224” for “section 1229”.
1991—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–232 substituted “Commissioner” for “collector of customs” after “deposit with the”.
1990—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–649 substituted “Commissioner the sum of $300” for “collector of customs at the port of arrival or departure the sum of $10”.
1981—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–116 substituted “subsection” for “subsections”.
heading: Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 107–173, title IV, § 402(c), May 14, 2002, 116 Stat. 559, provided that: “The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to persons arriving in, or departing from, the United States on or after the date of enactment of this Act [May 14, 2002].”
heading: Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 104–208 effective, with certain transitional provisions, on the first day of the first month beginning more than 180 days after Sept. 30, 1996, see section 309 of Pub. L. 104–208, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1991 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 102–232 effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–649, see section 310(1) of Pub. L. 102–232, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 101–649, title V, § 543(c), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 5059, provided that: “The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) [amending this section and sections 1227, 1229, 1282, 1284 to 1287, 1321 to 1323, and 1325 to 1328 of this title] shall apply to actions taken after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1990].”
heading: Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 97–116 effective Dec. 29, 1981, see section 21(a) of Pub. L. 97–116, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.
heading: Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and Transfer of Functions
text: For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service, transfer of functions, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title.
heading: Extension to Land Carriers
text: Pub. L. 107–173, title IV, § 402(b), May 14, 2002, 116 Stat. 559, provided that:
“(1) Study.—
The President shall conduct a study regarding the feasibility of extending the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of section 231 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1221), as amended by subsection (a), to any commercial carrier transporting persons by land to or from the United States. The study shall focus on the manner in which such requirement would be implemented to enhance the national security of the United States and the efficient cross-border flow of commerce and persons.
“(2) Report.—
Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act [May 14, 2002], the President shall submit to Congress a report setting forth the findings of the study conducted under paragraph (1).”