New fingerprint requirements at airports for U.S. residents with green cards
By LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 27 minutes ago
New fingerprint requirements at airports
U.S. residents with green cards, parolees and some Canadians will have their fingerprints checked every time they re-enter the U.S. by air or sea.
The new security checks announced Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security are part of the so-called US-VISIT program, which requires border-crossing documents to include a digital photograph and two fingerprints. The program, which currently has 61 million people enrolled from countries except Canada and Mexico, is being slowly phased in.
"We have a lot more steps along the way," said Bob Mocny, acting director of the US-VISIT program.
Mocny estimates that the new requirement, which will take effect Aug. 28, will add 1 million to 1.5 million enrollees.
The purpose of the program is to make sure that their travel documents aren't forged and to screen out criminals.
Under US-VISIT, the U.S. government has caught 1,100 criminals at ports of entry, Mocny said.
There are between 8 million and 12 million legal permanent residents — or green-card holders — in the United States. But only a fraction of them travel outside of the country, Mocny said.
Canadians who cross the border to shop, visit or take a holiday won't need to enroll in the program, according to the proposed rule published in the Federal Register.
Canadians required to enroll — including nurses, agricultural workers, students and religious workers — will only have their fingerprints checked at land ports if a Customs and Border Protection official questions the validity of their documents, Mocny said.
Everyone who re-enters the U.S. through an airport or seaport will be checked, he said.
The program won't apply to Mexicans coming into the U.S. with a border crossing card.
By LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 27 minutes ago
New fingerprint requirements at airports
U.S. residents with green cards, parolees and some Canadians will have their fingerprints checked every time they re-enter the U.S. by air or sea.
The new security checks announced Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security are part of the so-called US-VISIT program, which requires border-crossing documents to include a digital photograph and two fingerprints. The program, which currently has 61 million people enrolled from countries except Canada and Mexico, is being slowly phased in.
"We have a lot more steps along the way," said Bob Mocny, acting director of the US-VISIT program.
Mocny estimates that the new requirement, which will take effect Aug. 28, will add 1 million to 1.5 million enrollees.
The purpose of the program is to make sure that their travel documents aren't forged and to screen out criminals.
Under US-VISIT, the U.S. government has caught 1,100 criminals at ports of entry, Mocny said.
There are between 8 million and 12 million legal permanent residents — or green-card holders — in the United States. But only a fraction of them travel outside of the country, Mocny said.
Canadians who cross the border to shop, visit or take a holiday won't need to enroll in the program, according to the proposed rule published in the Federal Register.
Canadians required to enroll — including nurses, agricultural workers, students and religious workers — will only have their fingerprints checked at land ports if a Customs and Border Protection official questions the validity of their documents, Mocny said.
Everyone who re-enters the U.S. through an airport or seaport will be checked, he said.
The program won't apply to Mexicans coming into the U.S. with a border crossing card.