US VISIT and Biometrics
The Secretary of Homeland Security announced that US-VISIT would have the capability to capture biometrics, initially digital fingerscans and photographs, at airports and seaports by the end of 2003. This objective has been met, and biometrics are currently being utilized in the entry and exit process.
The use of biometric identifiers gives the government an increased security capability and a foundation it can build on over time. Properly used, biometrics have been shown to be highly effective in verifying identity. There is no question that biometrics will significantly help DHS achieve the national security goals of the US-VISIT Program.
No technology in itself will be 100 percent effective all of the time. Highly trained U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers and consular affairs staff are essential, along with back-up systems such as secondary screening at ports of entry. Ultimately, decisions are made at the discretion of the border officer or consular official, supported by the technology - not the other way around.
According to the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State shall jointly establish document authentication standards and biometric identifiers standards to be employed on visas and other travel and entry documents from among those biometric identifiers recognized by domestic and international standards organizations. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommended the use of digital fingerscans and photographs as the biometrics to be used for US-VISIT.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommended, and the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State have approved, the use of digital fingerscans and photographs as the biometrics that will be used in the US VISIT Program for U.S.-issued travel documents. In addition, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has selected facial recognition as the globally interoperable biometrics to be used for international travel. US-VISIT is designed to incorporate all of these technologies because they have been officially recommended by international organizations. They represent the best technologies available as of March 2005 toauthenticate identity and/or check watch lists. As the technology evolves, DHS will incorporate enhancements.
The addition of biometric identifiers, such as digital fingerscans, makes our security systems more effective than the current process. Currently, only biographic data such as a visitor's name is compared against watch lists of suspected terrorists, criminals, and other violators. The use of biometric identifiers in addition to biographic data makes it more difficult for suspects to hide their true identities in an attempt to escape detection and enter the United States illegally.
Biometric identifiers also protect our visitors because it makes it virtually impossible for anyone else to claim their identity should their travel documents be stolen or duplicated. Biometric identifiers will reduce fraud and abuse of the immigration system.
By combining biometric and biographic data and by securely storing the travel records, we can account for visitors who require a visa to travel to the United States.
The Department of State is the administrator of the program and will determine if there is a change in the fee for issuance of a biometric visa.
Congress mandated in the recently amended Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act that by October 26, 2005, equipment and software to allow biometric comparison and authentication of all United States visas and other travel and entry documents be installed at all ports of entry.
This deadline requires VWP countries to certify that they have programs in place to issue their citizens machine-readable passports which incorporate biometric identifiers and comply with standards established by the ICAO.
U.S. citizens will not be required to be digitally fingerscanned or photographed upon entering the United States. However, U.S. citizens wishing to participate in programs such as SENTRI and NEXUS or other facilitated processing programs may voluntarily submit biographic and biometric data to facilitate their travel.
In the future, the Department of State will begin issuing machine-readable United States passports that include digital technology. Facial recognition, which involves electronically calibrated measurements of a person's face to verify identity, was selected by the ICAO as the globally interoperable biometric for identity verification in travel documents.
Initially, US-VISIT will capture biometrics from visitors with non-immigrant visas regardless of country of origin, except for most Canadian citizens. However, as US-VISIT evolves, the program may be expanded in accordance with applicable laws and regulations in order to meet national needs.
The United States has existing agreements with Canada, and under current policy, most Canadians are not subject to US-VISIT.
Additionally, as of September 30, 2004, US-VISIT entry and exit procedures expand to include visitors traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) arriving at airports and seaports.
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