US fingerprinting: No exceptions now

Travellers to the United States, including those under the Visa Waiver Programme, will be fingerprinted and photographed as they enter the country from Wednesday in a drive to eliminate passport fraud and increase security following terrorist threats.

Upto now, visitors from certain nations, mostly European, did not have to undergo fingerprinting. Now onwards, visitors from all over the world, even those who do not need visas, will have to undergo the profiling procedures of fingerprinting and photographing at 115 airports and 14 seaports under the US-VISIT programme.

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"One of our highest priorities at US VISIT is to make sure that the United States continues to be a welcoming nation and that travellers continue to come to the United States, whether for business, vacation or study," Asa Hutchinson, the Under Secretary for Homeland Security, said.

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