WASHINGTON Ñ The United States plans to significantly reduce immigration from Syria.

The move comes in wake of an immigration bill signed into law by President George Bush that imposes restrictions on those applying from countries that appear on the State Department list of terrorist sponsors. Syria is one of seven such states.

The law would also ban the issuing of certain visas for Syrians and nationals from other countries on the terrorism list. They include such Middle East states as Iran, Iraq and Libya.

U.S. diplomats have already briefed Syrian authorities on how the legislation would affect Syrian nationals. The legislation was signed as Syria and the United States plan to engage in a dialogue this week in Texas.

"This is the the most important bill passed post-9/11," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, said in reference to the Sept. 11 suicide attacks on New York and Washington. "It's the first time security has really become part of immigration policy."

Congress is considering another bill that would place additional restrictions on Syria. The Syria Accountability Act would prohibit the export of dual-use equipment and ban all forms of assistance to Syria.

Under the bill, the United States would be banned from investing in or selling anything other than food and medicine to Syria. Syrian diplomats in the United States would have their travel severely restricted.

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