US security authorities have announced that fingerprints and photographs will be required of inbound visitors from a larger group of countries than the list of nations on which the requirement was imposed in January.
The US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, or US-VISIT system, will be extended to citizens of 27 nations - including close allies like the UK, Japan and Australia - now allowed to enter the country for short visits without pre-issued visas.
As many as 13 million passengers a year will be affected by the change. The requirements already apply to all other foreigners except diplomats, Canadians and some Mexicans.
The US-VISIT requirements have been imposed on most other nationals since January. Although the fingerprint and photograph technology is in operation at 115 airports and 14 seaports and has worked smoothly with few delays, travel industry representatives fear that the new procedures will deter visitors and that delays will mount with the peak season.
Overseas travel to the USA has declined by 27% since the attacks of 11 September 2001, the Travel Industries Association of America says, noting that it had forecast a small increase of 3% this year, primarily from the UK. At the same time that it announced the new rules, the government said it would extend a deadline requiring biometric passports for citizens of the 27 "visa-waiver" countries. The deadline was to apply to all passports issued on or after 26 October 2004, but the White House asked congress to extend it for two years.
Source: Airline Business