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The Department of Homeland Security is prepared to implement US-VISIT, a method of tracking and processing foreign visitors to the U.S., which should be in place at airports and seaports by Dec. 31.
The US-VISIT program — United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology — captures more complete arrival and departure data for those who require a visa to enter the country.
“We are moving rapidly to develop and deploy the US-VISIT capability to meet the congressionally mandated Dec. 31 deadline,” says Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security.
US-VISIT uses scanning equipment to collect biometric identifiers — such as fingerprints — in an inkless process, along with a digital photograph of the visitor. Together with the standard information gathered from a visitor about their identity and travel, the new program will verify the visitor's identity and compliance with visa and immigration policies.
The inkless fingerprint scanner is designed for the visitor to put one and then the other index finger on a glass plate that will electronically capture two fingerprints. Visitors will also have a digital picture taken while the fingerprinting is in process.
When exiting the country, visitors will use automated, self-service kiosks where they will be asked to scan their travel documents and repeat the fingerprinting process on the inkless device.
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