New Requirements for Import Permits for Nonimmigrant Aliens Bringing Firearms and Ammunition Into the United States

Washington, DC -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the United States Customs Service (Customs) announce new regulations affecting the purchase, possession, and importation of firearms and ammunition by nonimmigrant aliens entering the United States. The rules serve to implement the provisions of Public Law 105-277, passed by Congress in 1998 to amend the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Among other provisions relating to domestic sales of firearms and ammunition, the new regulations require nonimmigrant aliens who bring firearms or ammunition into the United States for hunting or sporting purposes to obtain an approved import permit from ATF prior to entering the U.S. The regulations are effective February 19, 2002.

In order to obtain an import permit, a nonimmigrant alien must file an ATF Form 6. The February 2002 revision of the form is currently available on the ATF internet web site at: www.atf.treas.gov. The form will also be available from any ATF field office, and the ATF Imports Branch (650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20226) in the near future. Background information and filing instructions are attached to each form. A nonimmigrant alien applying for an import permit must submit the Form 6 accompanied by documentation (such as a valid hunting license or permit lawfully issued in the United States or an invitation to a shooting match) which establishes that he falls within an exception to the general prohibition on nonimmigrant aliens possessing or receiving firearms or ammunition.

Upon receiving the Form 6, ATF's Firearms Import Branch in Washington, DC, examines it, and either approves the permit application or denies it. If the contemplated importation is approved, the permit is valid for 12 months from the date of approval. ATF then returns the approved permit and attached documentation to the applicant, along with a restriction stating that the specified firearm or ammunition must be taken out of the United States when the individual leave this country.

The ATF Form 6 and any other necessary documents must then be presented to Customs at the time of entry into the U.S. The Customs officer handling the importation will determine whether the entry is in order, and will then allow the nonimmigrant alien to bring the firearms into the U.S.

For further information, contact the ATF web site for the full text of TD-ATF-471 (the rule establishing the regulation changes), for Questions and Answers on the new rules, and for copies of revised Forms 6. Interested persons may also contact Customs at www.customs.gov or your nearest port of entry.