|
US-VISIT is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program that
enhances our country’s entry and exit system. It enables the United States
to effectively verify the identity of incoming visitors and confirm
compliance with visa and immigration policies.
The goals of US-VISIT are to:
Enhance the
security of our citizens and visitors
Expedite
legitimate travel and trade
Ensure the
integrity of the immigration system
Safeguard the
personal privacy of our visitors
The initiative will involve collecting
travel information and "biometric identifiers" (such as fingerprints, using a
simple, inkless device) from visitors to assist the border officer in making
admissibility decisions.
The identity of visitors who need a visa to
travel to the U.S. will be verified upon their arrival and departure. These
entry and exit procedures address our critical need for tighter security and
our ongoing commitment to expedite travel for the millions of legitimate
visitors we welcome each year to conduct business, learn, see family, or
tour the country.
The verification process strengthens
security by more accurately verifying the identity of visitors who
legitimately travel into the United States. By capturing "biometrics"
through the use of simple fingerprint scanners, we will be able to conduct
this verification process more quickly and with more certainty than by
searching databases by name alone.
Upon Arrival
Many of the arrival processes will remain
unchanged and will be familiar to international visitors. At an airport or
seaport, travel documents such as a passport and a visa will be reviewed and
a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer will ask specific questions
regarding the visitor’s stay in the U.S.
  As part of the enhanced procedures,
most visitors traveling on visas will
have two fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and a digital photograph
taken. All of the data and
information is then used to assist the border inspector in determining
whether or not to admit the traveler. These enhanced procedures will add
only seconds to the visitor’s overall processing time.
All data obtained from the visitor is
securely stored as part of the visitor’s travel record. This information is
made available only to authorized officials and selected law enforcement
agencies on a need-to-know basis in their efforts to help protect the nation
against those who intend to harm American citizens or visitors to our
country.
US-VISIT Arrival Process for Visitors Traveling with a Visa
Upon Departure
The most notable change for international
visitors will be new exit procedures.
 As part of US-VISIT, most
visitors who require a visa will
eventually need to verify their departure.
The US-VISIT system is being designed to
make this check out process easy by planning the placement of automated
self-service workstations in the international departure areas of airports
and seaports. By scanning travel documents and capturing fingerprints on the
same inkless device, the system is intended to validate the visitor’s
identity, verify their departure, and confirm their compliance with U.S.
immigration policy.
Compliance with these new security
procedures is critical because the exit information will also be added to
the individual’s travel record to protect their status for future visits to
the United States.
Upon completion of testing and evaluation,
the law requires that US-VISIT capability be implemented at airports and
seaports by December 31,2003.
 US-VISIT will
enhance the security of the United States while expediting legitimate travel
and trade. While this has
required some changes in our entry and exit procedures, many things have not
changed. The United States of America is still a nation where diversity is
celebrated and people from all over the world are welcome. Today we – like
most other countries – are working to keep our borders secure while we
maintain the freedom to exchange ideas, keep businesses thriving, and enrich
lives all over the world.
US-VISIT
helps to secure our borders,
expedite the entry/exit process and enhance the integrity of our immigration
system while respecting the environment and the privacy of our visitors.
For more information, please consult
www.dhs.gov/us-visit
|
