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 visitor’s 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 person’s 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 visitor’s 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.