US to expand biometric exit at borders

[Montanan]

Biometric Exit' Technology Is Spreading Through US Airports – Here's What That Means For You


https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...20b51f6f&ei=96


"Proponents of exit control argue that the system will help CBP track individuals that have overstayed their visas and help prevent fraudulent use of passports. It can also help law enforcement track down wanted individuals before they leave the country.

. . .

Biometric exit is a federal program wherein photos are taken of individuals leaving the country, and matched to their passport photos using facial recognition to ensure they are who they say they are. Biometric entry has been in place for foreign nationals for more than 20 years, but biometric exit is fairly new. What began as a pilot program at just a few airports will now, under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security, expand nationwide.

The program only applies to travelers leaving the U.S., so you won't need to worry if you're flying domestically, and you may have already experienced the process if you've flown overseas in the last few years. According to Daniel P. Tanciar, a deputy director at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 52% of travelers leaving the country by air do so via biometric exit. The process is fairly simple and will be rolling out to all international airports, and possibly at land crossings and seaports as well.

. . .

If you are a U.S. citizen, your photo should be deleted within 12 hours, while photos of non-U.S. citizens may be kept for up to 75 years. If you don't want to have your photo taken, you can opt out by instead showing the individual at the gate your passport."



With the EU's new Entry and Exit System [ESS] one has to provide two biometrics, a face imaging and fingerprinting. The USA just utilizes facial recognition.

I suspect we should expect in the not too distant future to need to utilize exit protocols for departing the USA by boat and cruise line.

[sagablu]

I am a US citizen who returned from an overseas trip last week. Now this may be a bit off track of the OP's post, but perhaps this would be helpful for some. I am enrolled in global entry, my return through customs was unbelievably fast. I went to a kiosk, it took my picture, I handed my passport to a customs agent who asked me if I had anything to declare, and that was it. Literally the process took 60 seconds, the line was moving so fast I just walked up to the kiosk. I certainly understand that some may have concerns, but at least in my case, a huge improvement.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by sagablu

I am a US citizen who returned from an overseas trip last week. Now this may be a bit off track of the OP's post, but perhaps this would be helpful for some. I am enrolled in global entry, my return through customs was unbelievably fast. I went to a kiosk, it took my picture, I handed my passport to a customs agent who asked me if I had anything to declare, and that was it. Literally the process took 60 seconds, the line was moving so fast I just walked up to the kiosk. I certainly understand that some may have concerns, but at least in my case, a huge improvement.

When I first heard of this, my first reaction was that this was a bit too much, but then I realized WHAT are they comparing my newly taken photo against?

Why my passport and/or Global Entry photo.

The US Government already as my picture.

On one flight, there were taking out picture to board the plane. At first that struck me as Orwellian, but the airline already knows I am flying, where I am flying, when I am returning and with whom. Taking a picture to verify that the person with my ticket is actually me seems like a who cares. What is nuts is Delta using the credit card used to pay for the flight as identification required to get a return boarding pass....

What is "interesting" is the Ireland is letting people into the country without id. They had to have id to get on the plane, but they toss the id when they get off the plane and before they get to border control. The Irish government lets them into the country.

Having Global Entry has speeded up and taken some of the stress from getting through security, going or returning. It is a PITA to get, and keep current, but it has been worth it to us.

[barnakiel]

I think the moves are right. Just too late. But better late than never.


It should have been long ago that move to all digital border controls. On entry and on exit. Because this technology is at least 30 years old now.


Foreigners who commit crimes in my country should be sentenced, punished then deported. With NO right of return. Ever.


barnakiel

[sagablu]

Originally Posted by dannc

When I first heard of this, my first reaction was that this was a bit too much, but then I realized WHAT are they comparing my newly taken photo against?

Why my passport and/or Global Entry photo.

The US Government already as my picture.

On one flight, there were taking out picture to board the plane. At first that struck me as Orwellian, but the airline already knows I am flying, where I am flying, when I am returning and with whom. Taking a picture to verify that the person with my ticket is actually me seems like a who cares. What is nuts is Delta using the credit card used to pay for the flight as identification required to get a return boarding pass....

What is "interesting" is the Ireland is letting people into the country without id. They had to have id to get on the plane, but they toss the id when they get off the plane and before they get to border control. The Irish government lets them into the country.

Having Global Entry has speeded up and taken some of the stress from getting through security, going or returning. It is a PITA to get, and keep current, but it has been worth it to us.

In this particular circumstance, I'm sure that your photo is already digitized from either your passport or global entry. To be a little bit more broad let's be realistic. Privacy Is an antiquated notion. The amount of information that can be found out about a person with minimal info up front is astonishing. I work in an industry with many rules about privacy, but when it comes to underwriting forget it. They know everything. Having your photo in a database is the least of the problems. Has anybody here not been subject to a data breach from some company with your information?

[boatpoker]

Around 200 trouble free entries into the US from Canada since 1994, some of them under commercial license exemptions with FBI checks (vessel deliveries) during covid, also under dozens of Cruising Licenses (which we followed to the letter) including checking in with CBP every time we stopped the boat "at each port or place". All of this comes up on their screens when when they check our names. Lots of stupid conversations/questions with customs but never had any serious issues.

2 years ago we blew our engine in Great Bridge VA and were in danger of over running our 194 day B2. We applied for an extension and had to visit a CBP office in Norfolk where we had retinal scans, Digital imaging, digital finger printing and an interview. We were then sent to an FBI office for an FBI check. We were told we would hear the results from CBP. All this cost us $1100 in non-refundable fees, $105 for a car rental and about $200 in taxis.

2 months later and only days away from our B2 expiring we were unable to contact anyone at the FBI or CBP to tell us if we could stay. We rented a car, drove back to Toronto, stayed in a hotel, turned around the next day and drove back to Great Bridge VA to restart a new B2 (that was another $800). Three months later (after our original B2 would have expired we got an email saying we were ok to stay.

I'll leave my feelings about these issues to your imagination.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Around 200 trouble free entries into the US from Canada since 1994, some of them under commercial license exemptions with FBI checks (vessel deliveries) during covid, also under dozens of Cruising Licenses (which we followed to the letter) including checking in with CBP every time we stopped the boat "at each port or place". All of this comes up on their screens when when they check our names. Lots of stupid conversations/questions with customs but never had any serious issues.

2 years ago we blew our engine in Great Bridge VA and were in danger of over running our 194 day B2. We applied for an extension and had to visit a CBP office in Norfolk where we had retinal scans, Digital imaging, digital finger printing and an interview. We were then sent to an FBI office for an FBI check. We were told we would hear the results from CBP. All this cost us $1100 in non-refundable fees, $105 for a car rental and about $200 in taxis.

2 months later and only days away from our B2 expiring we were unable to contact anyone at the FBI or CBP to tell us if we could stay. We rented a car, drove back to Toronto, stayed in a hotel, turned around the next day and drove back to Great Bridge VA to restart a new B2 (that was another $800). Three months later (after our original B2 would have expired we got an email saying we were ok to stay.

I'll leave my feelings about these issues to your imagination.

Yes, that is horrible, outrageous and should not happen but is what happens with bureaucracies the world over. I have read similar reports from people traveling to countries all over the world. And far worse. I think it is just the risk one takes traveling outside of your own country. It should not be this way but it is what it is.

[Montanan]

Presently, the average wait time for a B1/B2 visa interview appointment at the US consulate in Toronto Canada is a mere 15.5 months and the next avaialble appointment is 16 months.

Plan far in advance of your intended dates of travel for arranging interviews.


Reference link:

Global Visa Wait Times
Last updated: 17-SEPTEMBER-2025

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/global-visa-wait-times.html


But that timing is dependent on the US government coming out of its shutdown. Every week of shut down likely is pushing the wait schedule further out.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Around 200 trouble free entries into the US from Canada since 1994, some of them under commercial license exemptions with FBI checks (vessel deliveries) during covid, also under dozens of Cruising Licenses (which we followed to the letter) including checking in with CBP every time we stopped the boat "at each port or place". All of this comes up on their screens when when they check our names. Lots of stupid conversations/questions with customs but never had any serious issues.

2 years ago we blew our engine in Great Bridge VA and were in danger of over running our 194 day B2. We applied for an extension and had to visit a CBP office in Norfolk where we had retinal scans, Digital imaging, digital finger printing and an interview. We were then sent to an FBI office for an FBI check. We were told we would hear the results from CBP. All this cost us $1100 in non-refundable fees, $105 for a car rental and about $200 in taxis.

2 months later and only days away from our B2 expiring we were unable to contact anyone at the FBI or CBP to tell us if we could stay. We rented a car, drove back to Toronto, stayed in a hotel, turned around the next day and drove back to Great Bridge VA to restart a new B2 (that was another $800). Three months later (after our original B2 would have expired we got an email saying we were ok to stay.

I'll leave my feelings about these issues to your imagination.

When you apply for an extension (which we have done 4 times) you receive a case number. With that case number, you are golden. Once you have submitted an extension application and received the case number, you are legally allowed to stay in the US until Immigration has decided to (dis)approve your submission.

You don't have to do anything else. All 4 times we applied for an extension, we got the extension authorization about 9 months to 1 year later. With the case number we had no issues with CBP or any other authorities

[ArmyDaveNY]

There is much information that is missing and as they say, the devil is in the details. First, according to the article, this is only at airports. If one is on their boat, on a train or in a car, it doesn't apply. Yet.

The bigger questions are what is the point? Will this be something that identifies a criminal before they get on the plane? How soon will this information be acted upon? The retention of the U.S. citizens' information is only being kept for twelve hours. That is today's plan. Most likely that will change in time. It seems like it is more big brother at work, but then that is the direction everything is moving towards.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

There is much information that is missing and as they say, the devil is in the details. First, according to the article, this is only at airports. If one is on their boat, on a train or in a car, it doesn't apply. Yet.

The bigger questions are what is the point? Will this be something that identifies a criminal before they get on the plane? How soon will this information be acted upon? The retention of the U.S. citizens' information is only being kept for twelve hours. That is today's plan. Most likely that will change in time. It seems like it is more big brother at work, but then that is the direction everything is moving towards.

The criminal will be identified by facial recognition and apprehended before departing [and when implemented at land borders and ports] before crossing or setting out on the voyage. Anyone who does not have proper entry documentation or has overstayed will be detained and their immigration malfeasance or erroneous data will be resolved.

Since your facial image is on permanent record [via your US passport or State Issued Real ID] they do not need to maintain the image database taken upon your departure, it is just used for the temporary identification verification of your exit and similarly as to boarding a flight.

Basically the USA is just beginning to implement the procedures that have already been implemented by other countries and which just started with the Entry and Exit System [ESS] n the EU. A very well proven and expeditious procedure.

I recall my trip to China just after the country reopened from the COVID era and the international airport was almost empty and the customs and border patrol personnel were new to their job and very understaffed and the kiosks that took fingerprints and photos were not working. Fortunately, there were very few arriving passengers to contend with as the airport was just a huge almost empty building. Rather creepy to see and experience. So the Chinese government took my biometrics at entry. I had long since received a visa without need for an interview or having to go to the embassy / consulate, just needed to send in my passport to have them glue in a 10 year visa approval before the Covid era. Now one has to go to their embassy or consulate to have an interview and to give biometric data.

Several days after clearing the airport entry, we took a high speed train and as I approached the automated security and ticket monitoriing machine at the train depot to be allowed to head out to the platform, the vision system coupled to the security gate spoke my name in English and said hello in English and I did not need to display my passport to allow the machine to read and process my identification, it just opened the sliding gate and let me proceed after reading my ticket QR code. It knew me just as I walked towards it. Apparently, the facial recognition even works almost all of the time when one is wearing a protective face mask, similar to the facial recognition capability of my i-Phone.

There are about 700 million public surveillance cameras operating in China and form the SkyNet project, which is operated by the Chinese Communist Party. Based on a population of 1.42 billion (using the most recent UN estimate), the current figure of 700 million cameras means there are 494.25 cameras per 1,000 people in China. That’s almost one camera for every two people. One can locate someone in short order. Very useful when a person with dementia has gone walkabout or their single child has gone astray. Told the system will even scan for lost pets if given a description or a photo image. Or wayward Americans. Even Montanans.

[Island Time O25]

The 12 hour photo scan retention limit reminded me of readijg about the 1913 promise when Income Tax Amendment was debated - "just for the very wealthy and even then for a very short time, until the budget is balanced". How did that work out?

In less than democratic countries - Russia, China, etc. - exit controls are already being used to prevent debtors, alimony/child support absconders, parking ticket scufflaws, etc from leaving. Are we to celebrate and feel the pride of joining those countries' ranks? The sign of slavery is not hard work or heavy chains, the sign of slavery is the inablitity to leave the situation.