Foreign Hunters Must Have License, Federal Permit

Hunters coming to the U.S. must first have a hunting license from Idaho or another state and a federal permit if they intend to bring a firearm with them. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) recently 1 a regulation affecting "nonimmigrant aliens" importing firearms for the purposes of hunting or other "lawful sporting purposes" including competitive target shooting events. The regulation affects firearms and ammunition. Before importing a sporting firearm, the hunter (or shooter) must have a permit issued by the ATF. The permit can be issued after completion of ATF Form 6, formally known as ATF Form 6, Part 1, Application and Permit for Importation of Firearms,Ammunition and Implements of War. The permit will only be approved if the applicant possesses a hunting license issued by a state or an invitation/registration to a legitimate shooting event. The approval process may take six to 12 weeks. The permit is valid for one year from the date of issuance and covers only a single entry (it cannot be reused). The application can be obtained by calling ATF's Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch at 202-927-8320 or by downloading from the ATF website at www.atf.treas.gov. The ATF announcement mentioned that nonimmigrant aliens generally are prohibited from possessing or receiving firearms or ammunition in the United States. However, there is an exception to this prohibition for nonimmigrant aliens in possession of a hunting license or permit lawfully issued in the United States.