New Identification
Measures for Foreign Tourists on Horizon
Visitors to the U.S. to Face Greater Scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be implementing
new biometric measures on travel documents necessary for foreigners
to enter and leave the U.S. starting in January 2004. The new
system, called U.S.-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant
Status Indicator Technology) has been appropriated $380 million
for the 2003 fiscal year. The system is designed to track visitors
to the U.S. for as long as they are in the country and to ensure
they do not overstay their visas. U.S.-VISIT will be in use for
all non-U.S. citizens when entering the United States.
In comments on May 19, 2003, Asa Hutchinson, Undersecretary of
the Department of Homeland Security, outlined the main points
of the new system. By January 1 of next year, if a foreign
visitor flies into Dulles or JFK or LAX or another international
airport or arrives at a U.S. seaport - the visitors travel
documents will be scanned. Then, once a photo and a fingerprint
are taken, the person will then be checked against lists of those
who should be denied entry for any reason - terrorist connections,
criminal violations, or past visa violations. The information
required for the new documents will include immigrant and citizenship
status, nationality, the country of residence, and the persons
address while staying in the U.S. Unless a visitor can give all
of the information in its entirety, they will be denied access
into the United States. Upon leaving, the visitors identity
will again be checked against their documentation, and their departure
information held. Visitors who stay on past their visa date will
be tracked and referred for investigation by authorities.
Hutchinson also emphasized that fingerprints and photographs
are just the beginning - as technology is perfected, additional
forms such as facial recognition and iris scans may be used. Scientists
are also studying hand geometry and voice recognition and how
these technologies can be scaled for use in the massive system.
Currently, to obtain a visa to travel to the U.S., a visitor
would need a Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form, a current valid
passport, a photograph, evidence of funds to cover expenses in
the U.S., and evidence of compelling social and economic ties
abroad. A Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form is also
needed for men between the ages of 16-45 and for all applicants
age 16 and over who are from Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea,
Sudan and Syria. There is also an application fee for all visa
applicants as well as a insurance fee for some applicants according
to nationality and type of visa.
The plan is designed to make entry easier for legitimate
tourists, students and business travelersÉbut the implementation
of biometrically authenticated documents will make it more difficult
to enter the U.S. illegally, Secretary of Homeland Security
Tom Ridge said in a speech on May 19, 2003. The Department of
Homeland Security is also encouraging other countries such as
Australia and the United Kingdom to introduce tamperproof passports
containing biometric identifiers as soon as October of 2004. British
Home Secretary David Blunkett announced at the G-8 meeting in
early May, that he plans to secure support for the implementation
of a system that will include biometric data in British passports.
He said the UK supports either a fingerprint, iris scan, or both
contained within an embedded microchip in passports and hopes
to have the system fully implemented by 2006. In addition, in
coming weeks, the Dutch Parliament is scheduled to debate the
inclusion of biometric chips in passports and identity cards.