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01/23/2010 04:52 PM

Schumer Seeks Visa Limits For People From "Dangerous" Countries

By: NY1 News

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Senator Charles Schumer wants to make it harder for international travelers from 14 countries to get what he calls "revolving door" visas.

He proposes stricter limits on tourist and business visas for people from countries the United States considers dangerous, including Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran.

Currently, people can come and go as they please for the length of the visa.

The change would require visitors to get a visa every time they wanted to enter the United States, something the senator says would have prevented alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdumutallab from boarding a U.S. bound plane with explosives on Christmas Day.

"If the proposal we're making here today were adopted, the odds are very high Abdulmutallab wouldn't be allowed to get on that plane in Nigeria and the terrorist scare would never have happened," said Schumer.

The senator also said seven of the September 11th hijackers entered the United States using open-ended visas.