September, October Bring Changes in U.S. Border Procedures
Homeland Security, State Department brief on new requirements
U.S. government officials reached out to the international traveling public August 17, issuing an advisory about forthcoming changes in U.S. border procedures.
Briefing reporters at Washington's Foreign Press Center, Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson said visitors from 27 countries who are allowed to enter the United States without first obtaining a visa will be required to enroll in the US-VISIT program when entering the country from September 30. That means they will be digitally photographed and their index fingers will be scanned upon entry to the United States.
US-VISIT was implemented in early 2004. Visitors from other nations were the first enrollees and Hutchinson said the program has been working well. US-VISIT procedures add about 15 seconds to the entry process.
"Now we've had over seven months of experience with that system and there's an understanding in the international community that it is convenient, it adds to security, and it does not delay the international traveler to the United States," Hutchinson said.
Another upcoming change in procedure comes on October 26, 2004, when visitors from the visa waiver countries will need to present a machine-readable passport to enter the country without a visa. This change also requires children to carry an individual passport, rather than being included on a parent's passport, as some countries currently allow.
Explaining these changes, the State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs said officials are working to ensure that these steps do not interrupt travel for legitimate visitors to the United States.
"We've also engaged, I think, in a fairly robust public outreach program in all of the countries involved to try to get the word out on what the different requirements are," Jacobs said.
One further change in border procedures comes in October 2005 when visa waiver nations must issue travelers passports with biometric identifiers if they are to enter the United States without a visa.
Jacobs said the United States recognizes the great technological and logistical challenges this requirement entails. "We do know that some countries are not going to be able to meet that deadline and we are going to continue our discussions with them and offer whatever assistance we can provide to make sure that countries work as hard as they can to meet the new deadline."
The State Department has discussions under way with various countries, Jacobs said, responding to concerns about the recent changes in U.S. visa procedures. "We're happy to engage in those discussions with anyone who approaches us to explain all of the changes that have taken place in visa processing after 9/11 and to discuss any other concerns that you might have."
Further information about documentation requirements for travel to the United States is available at http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html
