If you haven't applied for a visa in the last two years, you might not be aware that the United States has made impressive strides in coordinating the competing needs of protecting its borders and welcoming foreign visitors to its homeland. A commitment to fostering international exchanges and maintaining an open society is a continuing hallmark of American values.

Recent changes include expedited appointments for student and business visa applications, better technology on biometric documents, and an increase in the number of immigration officials to assist visa applicants. Beyond that, the United States continues to work on even more initiatives to make international travel faster and safer.

This eJournal USA brings together the information you need to make your trip to the United States as easy as possible. It also defines the acronyms of U.S. government travel programs and explains how these fit in with those of other nations.

"See You in the USA" makes clear that the United States wholeheartedly welcomes foreign visitors who desire to study, conduct business, or simply see the sights in its very diverse 50 states.

The journal begins with an explanation of border-crossing procedures and terms, followed by first-person articles of what is it like to be an American official - a consular officer and a customs and border protection officer - on the other side of the window, trying to determine who is a legitimate short-term traveler.

The following section acquaints the foreign visitor with some less familiar ways of approaching the United States, including the suggestion of an American musical tour by renowned music historian John Edward Hasse.

Experts in international student exchange programs give tips on how to both seek admission and pay for a U.S. college education, while international students write about their time in the United States.

Finally, a panel of government and business experts frankly discuss the issues around obtaining business travel visas. This is followed by two business executives - from Santiago, Chile and Hong Kong - describing their experiences with post-9/11 travel to the United States.

It concludes with a bibliography of relevant readings and a list of useful Internet sites.

We welcome you to this edition of eJournal USA

The Editors