This morning I want to talk about our "Know Before You Go" campaign-I want to talk to the millions of American citizens who will be traveling abroad-about some of the things they need to know before they go.

And I want to welcome and talk to the millions of foreign visitors that will be visiting the U.S. over the next few months.

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One Face at the Border: CBP
One of the biggest changes that all will see is that since the Department of Homeland Security was established not long ago, there is now "One face at the border"; for the first time in history-one agency to manage and process everyone, and everything arriving in the U.S. All passengers arriving here at LAX and our other international airports around the country will be greeted by one CBP Officer.

You see-as part of the Department of Homeland Security-we created one agency for our borders.

We did it by merging and unifying U.S. Customs inspectors, all immigration inspectors and the Agriculture inspectors-and the entire Border Patrol in to this one agency.

CBP means "one stop shopping" for arriving passengers at LAX and other airports.

One agency for immigration, customs, and agriculture inspections, one agency for all purposes.

Not three different agencies in three different departments of government.

No more having to run the gauntlet of three different agencies.

One uniform; one face; one agency; and one priority mission: preventing terrorist and terrorist weapons from entering the U.S.

This new organization makes us more effective in keeping terrorists and terrorists weapons out.

America is safer.

But we're also more efficient in processing people arriving than ever before.

And that new agency is CBP-Customs and Border Protection.

Where once we wore "different hats", literally and figuratively, wore different uniforms, were in different agencies that reported up the line to different federal departments, we are now One Face at the Border, one federal agency for the border. All merchandise and all the travelers--foreign visitors as well as returning American citizens--who enter the United States are now processed by this single agency, CBP, and not by three different agencies as was the case until recently. Not only are we coordinating and sharing information better, but duplicative inspections and screenings have been eliminated-and that means that we have streamlined the entrance of travelers into our country.

I hear that one version of our new anti-terrorism mandate is what some call "Fortress America." I can understand why some folks might think that. September 11 did require us to make changes in our procedures for admitting both people and goods into the United States. And we are taking a hard look at all things and people entering the U.S.

But we are not building a wall around America. The fact is that we are a welcoming nation. We extend open arms to welcome all legitimate travelers and tourists to the U.S. -we want you to visit America. We invite people to visit. We as Americans want to learn about your culture, and share ours.

We know that most people traveling to the United States are law-abiding people who condemn terrorist activity. CBP and DHS have no interest in slowing down the tourist or businessman traveling to the U.S. In fact, the more we can speed the entry of the legitimate, low-risk traveler, the more time we can spend on high-risk travelers who do pose a potential threat to the U.S.

One of the lessons we have learned is, that by using advanced information and principles of risk management, we can both increase security and facilitate the flow of people and goods into the U.S. To do that, we need to know who's coming in and what they are bringing.

What Travelers Need to Know
Travelers can play a key role in this by being prepared before taking a trip. A little advance planning can make a big difference in helping us perform our mission and get you out of the airport more quickly.

So here's what foreign guests and returning U.S. citizens need to know before they enter or reenter the United States:

They will need the proper documentation that proves that they are who they claim to be and that they have permission to be in this country. A U.S. citizen needs a current U.S. passport if travelling from Europe, Asia, or Africa-any place outside the western hemisphere. Even in the western hemisphere carrying a passport is highly recommended. Foreign travelers to the U.S. (except from Canada and Mexico) need a valid passport, a visa, and to fill out a form I-94, a form usually provided in flight.

Any foreign national who wishes to visit the United States, whether for business or pleasure, needs to find out, before they plan any other aspect of their trip, whether a travel visa is required for entry into the U.S. This means doing a little homework on the front end.

Currently, the only exceptions to the visa requirement are for citizens of the 27 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program. In general, citizens of visa-waiver countries may come to the United States for pleasure and most business purposes for a stay of up to 90 days without a visa. However, students, journalists, and people employed in the U.S. require a visa-even if they are citizens of a visa-waiver country.

If your country is not on the visa-waiver list, you can find detailed instructions on how to obtain a visa from the U.S. State Department web site at travel.state.gov. The main thing to remember about visas is that you must have an approved visa before you leave home-for travel to the U.S.

Because of the scrutiny given to visa applicants after September 11, we highly recommend contacting the American Embassy or consulate and allowing enough time to apply for and obtain a visa.

That said, the number-one travel document for every traveler, no matter where they're from, is the passport.

U.S.-VISIT
I'm sure you've heard about our new US-VISIT program that began in January of this year. This program uses biometrics-photographs and two inkless fingerprints-to verify that the person seeking entry to the United States is in fact the person that was issued the visa that he or she presents to CBP officers at the port of entry. And we do this in about 10-15 seconds.

The U.S.-VISIT process is clean, it's fast-and in the post 9-11 world, it's necessary. We welcome visitors, but we need to know who is visiting; who's showing up at our door.

US-VISIT doesn't just protect our security, it protects yours as well. It protects everyone travelling to the U.S., it helps keep criminals out of the U.S.

CBP Declaration
Let me turn to 6 important words-"Do you have anything to declare?" U.S. citizens will be bringing home souvenirs and purchases made while abroad. These items must be declared. In part this is to ensure that Uncle Sam is paid his due if they are above the exemption, but it is also to prevent the unintentional introduction of prohibited items, like fruits and food products that may introduce devastating diseases and pests to the United States that could severely damage U.S. agriculture.

All passengers arriving on a plane must complete a Customs and Border Protection declaration form.

Returning U.S. citizens must declare everything they acquired on their trip, including things they didn't pay for, including gifts and even items purchased in so-called "duty-free" shops. The best advice for returning residents is, if you didn't have it with you when you left the United States, play it safe and declare it.

The good news for returning citizens is that the personal exemption-the amount of merchandise a traveler can bring home without having to pay duty-recently doubled from $400 to $800 per person. Above that amount, the duty is ten percent. If you have goods, declare them. A CBP officer will assist you in paying any duty. It's fast. It's the right thing to do. And CBP takes credit cards!

All these details are explained in the newest edition of our brochure Know Before You Go. Our web site is also full of information about what you can and can't bring back, and what procedures apply. The web site is www.cbp.gov. Once there, click on "travel". You'll find the answers to your questions.

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If you've had food or plants taken away by one of our Customs and Border Protection officers or agriculture specialists as you re-enter the country, we want you to understand why.

Certain items brought into the United States from foreign countries are restricted according to U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations because they can harbor foreign animal and plant pests and diseases that could seriously damage American agriculture-America's 's crops, livestock, and environment. Agriculture inspectors are now part of the CBP unified inspection team at our airports. They examine baggage and determine whether food, plants, or related items meet U.S. entry requirements. You are required to declare food or food products-fruit, plants, and so on. Failure to declare these items can result in on the spot fines of $1,000 or more.

Some items are permitted - but the best advice is to declare all items that you're bringing in from other places. That means fruits, vegetables, plant material, anything carried in checked or carry-on luggage.

Be aware that medicines or other prescription drugs should be carried in their original container, the traveler should take no more than they'll need for the trip, and they must be declared to the CBP officer.

There are other restricted or prohibited articles like endangered species or products made from them, so again, I urge you to go to "www.cbp.gov," and click on "travel." I really can't overstate how much information travelers will find there.

Finally, please keep in mind that during the three peak months of travel- June, July, and August, CBP officers will be clearing and processing more than one hundred million travelers-more than one hundred and seven million, if projections hold. That's one heck of a lot of people to process and sort through.

Our officers will be courteous and professional; they will work quickly to process those who pose no threat and are legally entitled to be here, while also keeping an eye out for the few travelers who demand a closer look.

So I ask the travelling public to have some patience. I know that can be hard after a long trip from overseas, but remember that these CBP officers are working day and night, long hours, to protect you and to protect our nation against the threat of terrorism.

Remember, keeping out terrorists and terrorist weapons is our number-one priority. The best way to prevent another terrorist attach is to prevent the terrorists from getting into the U.S. in the first instance.

I want to emphasize that an informed traveler is our best ally. And "CBP-dot-gov" is the best tool for becoming that informed traveler.

Thank you. I'll be happy to take questions.

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*Commissioner Bonner reserves the right to edit his written remarks during his oral presentation and to speak extemporaneously. Thus, his actual remarks, as given, may vary slightly from the written text.