News
US completes new arrival process for Caribbean travelers
By Shanieka Smith
Features Writer
#USA, June 16, 2022 – The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said it has made travelling easier, more secure, and private for the Caribbean and other places by completing the expansion of biometric facial comparison technology at all international airports in the US.
The biometric facial comparison technology will automate the manual document checks required for admission into the United States. Also, Caribbean nationals and other foreign travelers who have previously visited the United States may no longer need to provide fingerprints; their identity will be confirmed through the touchless facial
The CBP said that when a traveler arrives at an international airport, they will pause for a photo at the primary inspection point. An officer will review and query the travel document to retrieve the traveler’s passport or visa photo from government holdings and compare it to the new picture.
New photos of US citizens will be deleted within 12 hours. However, pictures of most Caribbean and other foreign nationals will be stored in a secure Department of Homeland Security system.
The process seems optional; CBP said US travelers, Caribbean and other foreign nationals, who are not required to provide biometrics and wish to opt-out of the new biometric process, can notify a CBP officer at the primary inspection point.
Those who opt-out will be required to present a valid travel document to be inspected and processed by the CBP officer.
A statement by the CBP said, “This process provides travelers with a secure, more touchless travel experience while fulfilling a longstanding Congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-US citizens.”
The CBD added that the new system will protect travelers’ privacy and enhance customer experience.