| With security concerns on the rise, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented an official entry procedure for aliens traveling to the U.S. with nonimmigrant visas and it is testing an official exit procedure, as well. The programs apply only to aliens who hold nonimmigrant, that is, temporary, visas, and they are designed both to expedite travel and to improve homeland security.
Official Entry Procedures: US-VISIT
In 2004, the DHS launched an official entry procedure for aliens entering the U.S. using nonimmigrant visas. The program, called US-VISIT, applies only to those visiting the U.S. on a temporary basis. Those travelers are first required to have both of their index fingers scanned when they apply for visas at their U.S. consulates or embassies. This information is used to determine whether the visa applicants are suspected criminals or terrorists.
Upon entering the U.S. at an airport or seaport, US-VISIT requires visa holders to have a digital photograph taken and to have both of their index fingers scanned again so the biometrics can be used to verify the alien's identity and to quickly retrieve any available information on his or her involvement in crime or terrorism. Because US-VISIT only applies to those traveling with visas, aliens who are eligible for participation in the Visa Waiver Program need not comply.
Official Exit Procedure Testing
The DHS is testing formalized exit procedures for aliens holding nonimmigrant visas, as well. The procedures require aliens departing the U.S. to confirm their departure at strategically located kiosks. This procedure, along with alternatives, is being evaluated pursuant to a recent congressional mandate requiring an automated entry-exit program at land ports by the end of 2005. Copyright 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. |