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US-VISIT is a program designed to help secure the borders of the United States, facilitate the entry and exit process, and enhance the integrity of the U.S. immigration system while respecting the privacy of visitors to the U.S.
Enrollment in US-VISIT for visitors applying for a visa is done overseas at the visa-issuing post where each visitor has his or her biographic and biometric information -- two index finger scans -- taken by a State Department official.
Upon a visitor's arrival in the United States, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer uses an inkless digital finger scanner to electronically capture two finger scans.
The visitor is asked to put the left index finger and then the right index finger on the scanner. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer also takes a digital photograph of the visitor.
The biographic and biometric data is used to match the visitor with the travel documents and is compared against watch lists. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer asks questions about the visitor's stay in the United States. At that point, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer either admits the visitor or conducts additional inquiries based on the verification results. These procedures should reduce fraud, identity theft, and the risk that terrorists and criminals will enter the United States undetected.
For more information on US-VISIT, please visit the Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT page.
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