Houston, Nov 06: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has unveiled new entry-exit programme for foreign visitors that uses biometric information - fingerprints and photographs - to establish identities. The new system is intended to enhance the security of citizens and visitors, expedite legitimate travel and trade, ensure the integrity of the immigration system and safeguard the personal privacy of the visitors.
Starting January 2004, all visitors requiring visas by the US because of their nationalities will have their fingerprints electronically scanned and digital photos taken and entered into the system. The new US visitor and immigrant status indicator technology, or US visit, is scheduled to be in place at the nation`s major airports and seaports by the end of this year, a DHS release says.
The information is to be entered into a database that would enable immigration and border control authorities to stay abreast of border crossings by visitors. "We are moving rapidly to complete development and deploy the US-visit capability to meet the Congressionally mandated deadline of December 31, 2003," says Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary of Border & Transportation Security of the DHS.
"We are on target to achieve this first increment of US-visit," he says. Bureau Report