US-VISIT’s Biometric Exit Procedures

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced it intends to integrate biometric exit procedures into the existing international visitor departure process for people leaving the United States. The change will supposedly “make the process of departing the United States more convenient and accessible for international visitors.” Make departing more accessible? I didn’t think getting OUT of the country was the problem. Whatever.

In the next year, the DHS intends to implement biometric exit procedures at all airports. The first step will be the completion of the three-year pilot program that required international visitors to biometrically check out at select airports and seaports. Effective May 6, 2007, international visitors will no longer be required to use the US-VISIT exit kiosks when they leave the United States. So that’s done. International visitors who received a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, upon arrival must still return the form to an airline or ship representative when departing the United States.

The DHS, Congress and the 9/11 Commission have consistently recognized biometric exit control as “a priority in order to fully secure our nation’s borders.” The DHS is now prepared to begin implementing exit procedures in the commercial air environment, where the significant majority of those subject to US-VISIT depart the United States. The department recently began discussing the air exit strategy with the airline industry and will be working with air carriers to implement it. DHS will publish a regulation in
the future outlining its plans for implementing an integrated air exit strategy.

The US-VISIT program provides biometrics-based identity management services to entities throughout the U.S. government. Most international visitors applying to enter the United States experience US-VISIT procedures- digital fingerprint collection and a photograph. Department of State consular officers and U.S. CBP officers use US-VISIT biometric identity management services to establish and verify international visitors’ identities in order to make visa-issuance and admission decisions.

For more information, go to dhs.gov/us-visit.