Biometric

Biometric Enrollment Questions and Answers

Q: Why are you collecting fingerprints for visa applicants?

A: U.S. law requires that as of October 26, 2004, we collect biometric identifiers from all visa applicants. As of October 26, any immigrant visa applicant (including K and V applicants) aged 14 and above and any non-immigrant visa applicant between the ages of 14 and 80 at any U.S. consulate or embassy will have fingerprints taken as part of the visa application process. We chose fingerprints as the most effective and least intrusive biometric identifier.

Q: What date will the new procedures (fingerprinting and photo taking) be implemented in Guangzhou?

A: The new procedures will go into effect in Guangzhou on Monday, April 26, 2004.

Q: Where else are fingerprints currently being taken?

A: The U.S. began fingerprinting visa applicants in September 2003 at the U.S. Embassies in Brussels, Guatemala City and San Salvador and the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt. At the beginning of January 2004, there were approximately 50 U.S. visa-issuing embassies and consulates fingerprinting visa applicants. All U.S. visa-issuing embassies and consulates will be fingerprinting visa applicants by October 26, 2004.

Q: Why are you starting fingerprint collection in Guangzhou now instead of waiting until later in the year?

A: The installation of biometric enrollment technology at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou is part of our routine scheduled upgrade of the hardware and software used to produce visas.

Q: Why don't travelers from Visa Waiver countries have to be fingerprinted for a visa or at a U.S. port of entry? Isn't that unfair?

A: Travelers from visa waiver countries will have to provide a biometric that will be incorporated into their passport by October 26, 2004.

Background: The United States’ Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act (EBSA) requires that countries whose citizens may enter the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) issue passports that incorporate a biometric identifier by October 26, 2004.

Q: How will you take the fingerprints?

A: We will collect two fingerprints from each applicant using a scanner. No ink is used, and the process takes about 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Q: What happens if a visa applicant refuses to be fingerprinted?

A: We would refuse to issue a visa, since the application is incomplete. However, if the applicant later decides to be fingerprinted, their visa application would be reconsidered. The applicant would not be required to pay a new fee.

Q: Who is required to undergo the new procedures? Do minors have to be fingerprinted?

A: Applicants for a U.S. visa aged 14 and above are required to be fingerprinted (with the exception of NIV applicants over the age of 80). This means that any applicant in this age range who was interviewed for an immigrant visa prior to fingerprint collection and who was refused and asked to submit further documentation will need to be fingerprinted before the visa can be further adjudicated. This will require these applicants to return to the Consulate in person the first time they submit overcome documents in continuance of their visa application.

Q: What happens if the fingerprinting equipment fails? Are there alternative procedures?

A: There will be back-up fingerprint machines in case we experience difficulties or one of the machines fails.

Q: What happens if you can't get a good fingerprint or if someone is missing fingers?

A: There is a procedure for fingerprinting. We will start with the index fingers and then use the other fingers.

We are required to use the index fingers for prints first. If an applicant has a condition on the index finger that would affect our ability to capture a print (for example, a blister or cut) the applicant will asked to return once their index finger has healed.

Q: Who will have access to the information and fingerprints? What will it be used for?

A: The electronic fingerprint records collected in the visa issuance process are available to immigration inspectors at the ports of entry for use in verifying the traveler’s identity. The Department of Homeland Security maintains a database of individuals who have previously violated U.S. immigration law and may check the traveler’s data against that database.

The U.S. Department of State makes data available to U.S. law enforcement agencies that require the information for law enforcement purposes. Visa records are, by law, confidential. Requests for access to visa records by law enforcement are subject to statutory, regulatory and other legal restrictions.

Q: No other county requires this kind of personal data to get a visa. How can we be sure that the information will not be misused? What kind of security measures do you have for protecting our personal data? Isn't collecting a fingerprint a privacy violation?

A: The information will only be used by U.S. State Department and law enforcement officials. Only authorized officials will have access to the data, and only for official business on a need-to-know basis. Careful safeguards will ensure that the data is not used or accessed improperly.

Visa records are, by law, confidential. Requests for access to visa records by law enforcement are subject to statutory, regulatory and other legal restrictions.

Q: Could I have fingerprints taken somewhere else and provide them?

A: No. The fingerprints must be taken at the Consulate as part of the visa application process.

Q: Are there any future plans to collect additional biometric information?

A: We are always working to make travel documents as secure as possible to ensure the safety of the U.S. and visitors to the U.S. Visa policies are designed to maximize security of the United States while encouraging legitimate visitors, including students, to come to this country.

The State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology will continue to work together to identify what biometrics are appropriate for use in travel documents.

Q: Why do people in China have to go through all of this just for U.S. security? Aren't you assuming all travelers to the U.S. are potential criminals by fingerprinting everyone and then matching them against a criminal database?

A: There is no such assumption. One of the reasons to collect biometric information is to make travel more secure for the visa holder. The use of biometrics assists immigration inspectors at U.S. ports of entry in verifying the identity of a traveler. Biometrics collected at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad are checked at the ports of entry to verify that the person traveling with the visa is the same person who was issued the visa.

Biometrics will enhance existing screening processes that identify individuals who might be terrorists, criminals, or others who might represent a security risk to the U.S. Proper identification of such individuals ensures the safety of legitimate travelers and strengthens the security of the U.S.

Q: Is the U.S. pressuring other countries to adopt similar measures?

A: No. We are, however working with Visa Waiver Countries on the inclusion of biometrics in their passports.

The United States’ Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act (EBSA) requires that countries whose citizens may enter the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) issue passports that incorporate by October 26, 2004 a biometric identifier that complies with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The U.S. worked closely with many of the VWP countries to help expedite the ICAO decision-making process regarding selection of a biometric standard for machine-readable travel documents.

The U.S. supports ICAO’s vision that biometrics stored in travel documents provide added security to the authentication of passport data and can enhance the processing and verification of identity of persons at borders.

Q: How does the whole process work?

A: The fingerprint scanner will be set up on the applicant side of the window. The applicant will place first his or her right finger on the scanner, followed by his or her left finger. Software will tell the consular officer whether the fingerprint has been captured correctly.

Q: Will the machinery be disinfected regularly to prevent the spread of diseases like SARS?

A: The fingerprint machine will be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis.