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US to make faces, fingerprints scans mandatory
New York, Aug 24: Technologies that scan faces and fingerprints will become a standard part of travel for foreign visitors next year, and for all travelers in the near future.
New York, Aug 24: Technologies that scan faces and fingerprints will become a standard part of travel for foreign visitors next year, and for all travelers in the
near future.
The technology, known as biometrics, has been developing for years, but largely because of security concerns after the attacks on Sept.11, its arrival has been greatly accelerated.
One deadline, the New York Times says is Oct. 26, 2004. In a little more than a year, the state department and immigration bureau must begin issuing visas and other documents with the body-identifying technologies to foreign visitors.
The change is mandated by Border Security Legislation passed by Congress last May. The Federal Government has started issuing border-crossing cards for Mexican citizens and green cards that display fingerprints and photos.
By the same deadline, the 27 countries whose citizens can travel to the United States without visas must begin issuing passports with computer chips containing facial recognition data or lose their special status, the papers said.
People from those countries with passports issued before the deadline may still travel to the United States without visas as long as their governments have begun biometric identification programs.
Bureau Report
The technology, known as biometrics, has been developing for years, but largely because of security concerns after the attacks on Sept.11, its arrival has been greatly accelerated.
One deadline, the New York Times says is Oct. 26, 2004. In a little more than a year, the state department and immigration bureau must begin issuing visas and other documents with the body-identifying technologies to foreign visitors.
The change is mandated by Border Security Legislation passed by Congress last May. The Federal Government has started issuing border-crossing cards for Mexican citizens and green cards that display fingerprints and photos.
By the same deadline, the 27 countries whose citizens can travel to the United States without visas must begin issuing passports with computer chips containing facial recognition data or lose their special status, the papers said.
People from those countries with passports issued before the deadline may still travel to the United States without visas as long as their governments have begun biometric identification programs.
Bureau Report