US-VISIT

From GovITwiki

US-VISIT is the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program. It essentially serves as a U.S. immigration and border management solution, via a detailed electronic verification process.

It is a U.S. Homeland Security Department program, but several other agencies are involved. It establishes an identity management capability

US-VISIT layered set of security measures that begin overseas and continue through a visitor’s arrival in and departure from the United States. It incorporates eligibility determinations made by both the Departments of Homeland Security and State.

US-VISIT currently applies to all visitors (with limited exemptions) entering the United States. This includes visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (effective September 30, 2004.) US-VISIT does not apply to U.S. citizens.[1]

Foreign visitors traveling to the United States have their two index fingers scanned and a digital photograph taken to match and authenticate their travel documents at the port of entry. The US-VISIT requirements do not replace visa requirements for entering the United States. For more information on visas, please visit the U.S. Department of State's Visa Information pages.

1 How It Works
2 Main Contractor
3 Links
4 Notes

How It Works

Note: Details on this page come directly from the US-VIST Website'ss own How it works page.

US-VISIT begins overseas, at the U.S. consular offices issuing visas, where visitors’ biometrics (digital fingerscans and photographs) are collected and checked against a database of known criminals and suspected terrorists. When the visitor arrives at a U.S. port of entry, the same biometrics are used to verify the person at the port is the same person who received the visa.

What’s new under US-VISIT is that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers now use an inkless, digital fingerscanner to capture two of the visitor's fingerscans. (Moving toward 10-fingers at some locations by late 2007.)