Bangkok, Nov 14: The US Embassy today began taking the fingerprints of applicants for non-immigrant visas to the United States as part of new security measures being introduced worldwide, an embassy spokesman said. The US Embassy in Bangkok, the second-largest American mission in the world after Cairo, Egypt, began collecting the fingerprints using an electronic process that does not require ink and takes just seconds, the spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.
"It's for the protection of the traveler as well as checking to see if the people are good guys or bad guys," the spokesman said.
"We don't want people to feel that their privacy is being invaded. It's for the protection of everyone."
Under the US Homeland Security Act of 2002, all US Embassies must begin fingerprinting applicants for non-immigration visas by October 26, 2004. About 30 US missions will have introduced the measure by the end of November.
Children under the age of 14, adults over the age of 79 and employees of foreign governments and international organisations travelling on official business are exempt.
Travellers entering the united states with non-immigrant visas will have their fingerprints taken and compared with those on their visa application. Visitors who do not require visas will be fingerprinted only when they arrive in the United States.
Bureau Report