Question about Aliens and Firearms

[Boz330]

A friend of mine is moving to The Peoples Republic of Kalifornia from England. He is going to be on a work visa for NASA. He is a Skeet shooter and wants to bring a shotgun but was told he couldn't possess a firearm due to the ATF regs after 9/11. This doesn't seem right since I'm sure people come from other countries to hunt here and should have some way to bring in firearms. He is going to try and get a Green Card and I think that after that he can get a firearm. Does anyone have any expertise in this area? I told him I would see if I could find anything out in that repect. Thanks Guys
Bob

[KCSO]

It isn't a dealer is allowed to sell to a properly registered alien. If you get a current copy of a 4473 it will tell you what papers he needs to get a gun. I don't have one here in front of me or I would post the codes.

[Scrounger]

Here is a post I copied from another forum, The High Road. It talks about that question and has a link to the ATF regulations. Well and good but dealing with people in real time is a whole other thing. If I were you, I'd go to a dealer and attempt to buy the gun of my choice. I would take the referenced link or a printed copy of it, and answer all the questions on the Form 4473 honestly and let the dealer take it up with ATF or whomever. That's why they make the big bucks.:kidding: Have copies of your Green Card or other proof of resident status. Your success will depend on how well you convince the dealer to help you work through this problem and how knowledgeable and cooperative the ATF Agent is.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b13

(B13) May aliens legally in the United States buy firearms?

An alien legally in the U.S. may acquire firearms if he has a State of residence. An alien has a State of residence only if he is residing in that State and has resided in a State continuously for at least 90 days prior to the purchase. An alien acquiring firearms from a licensee is required to prove both his identity, by presenting a government-issued photo identification, and his residency with substantiating documentation showing that he has resided in the State continuously for the 90-day period prior to the purchase. Examples of qualifying documentation to prove residency include: utility bills, lease agreements, credit card statements, and pay stubs from the purchaser’s place of employment, if such documents include residential addresses.


That's direct from the ATF web site. Note it does not mention class of alien: resident alien (green-card holder), student visa, work visa, asylum status, etc.

If you live in Los Angeles, I would suggest you contact the BATFE field office in that city (probably in the Federal Building in Westwood) and ask the question directly. Interdicting gun trafficking is a major ATF priority at this time, but where you are they're mostly looking for guns going to gangs or guns going south of the border.

[Scrounger]

KCSO. Here is a link to an ATF site that shows 4 pages of the Form 4473. Is this the latest version? Anyway, page 3 has the instructions and reference forms you will need. My eyes arent up to reading it without a magnifying glass.

http://www.atf.gov/forms/4473/index.htm