The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > General > Homeland Security

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-02-2004, 01:38 PM
David's Avatar
David David is offline
Administrator
 

Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 46,798
Distinctions
Special Projects VOM Staff Contributor 
Default U.S. Expanding Fingerprint Efforts

A program requiring foreigners to be fingerprinted and photographed before entering the country is being expanded to include millions of travelers from some of America's closest allies.

The move affects citizens in 27 countries ? including Britain, Japan and Australia ? who had been allowed to travel within the United States without a visa for up to 90 days.

Under changes that will take effect by Sept. 30, they will be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter through any of 115 international airports and 14 seaports.

There are no changes in unique rules covering visits by Canadians and Mexicans.

"There are security needs, I think everybody recognizes those security needs, and that the U.S.-VISIT program is a very, very low hassle, unobtrusive way of protecting the public and protecting the United States," said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli.

The Bush administration made the decision after determining the so-called "visa-waiver countries" won't meet an October deadline to have biometric passports that include fingerprint and iris identification features that make the documents virtually impossible to counterfeit.

But citizens from those countries still won't have to go through the consulate interviews, background checks, fingerprinting and photographing that foreigners from other countries must do to obtain a visa.

The US-VISIT program was passed by Congress in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In January, the U.S. government began fingerprinting and photographing visitors from nations other than the visa-waiver countries at the border. About 5 million people have been processed so far.

Fingerprinting the visa-waiver citizens could have ramifications for Americans when they travel abroad. When US-VISIT began last winter, Brazil retaliated by requiring Americans visiting that country to be fingerprinted and photographed.
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
NATO Expanding Missions in Afghanistan darrels joy Enduring Freedom 0 06-11-2005 08:40 AM
Tax aimed at wealthy expanding its reach HARDCORE General Posts 1 03-13-2005 02:32 PM
FINGERPRINT for SURVIVAL reconeil General Posts 0 01-19-2004 04:53 PM
Monsanto's Expanding Monopolies MORTARDUDE General Posts 0 08-31-2003 01:50 PM
U.S. to Fingerprint Most Foreign Visitors MORTARDUDE General Posts 0 05-20-2003 05:22 PM

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.