CBP reported that this simplified arrival process seeks to further ensure and expedite entry into the United States
The Office of Customs and Border Protection of the United States (CBP for its acronym in English) notified this Friday about the use of facial biometric matching for pedestrians crossing through the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry in San Diego.
“As part of our ongoing innovation efforts at the land border, CBP is developing a range of improved processes and services for travelers that are not only efficient and contactless, but provide an additional layer of security and protect everyone’s privacy. travelers, ”said Diane J. Sabatino, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations at CBP.
When will you have to go through this process? As explained during their arrival, the biometric facial comparison process will only be done at a time and place where travelers are already required by law to verify their identity by presenting a travel document.
As will be? When a traveler reaches the pedestrian lanes or undergoes I-94 processing in San Ysidro or Otay Mesa, they will stop to take a photo at the main inspection point. A CBP officer will review and consult the travel document, which will retrieve the traveler’s passport or visa photo from government stocks. The new traveler photo will be compared to the previously collected photo.
The facial comparison process only takes a few seconds and is more than 97 percent accurate. Additionally, foreign travelers who have traveled to the US previously will no longer need to provide fingerprints, as their identity will be confirmed through the contactless facial matching process.
What happens if a traveler has no matches? If a traveler cannot match a photo registered through the simplified arrival process, the traveler will go through the traditional inspection process in accordance with the existing requirements to enter the United States.
What to do if you don’t want to go through this facial biometric comparison? American travelers and foreign nationals who are not required to provide biometrics and wish to opt-out of the new biometric process can notify a CBP officer when approaching the main inspection point. These travelers will need to present a valid travel document for inspection by a CBP officer and will be processed in accordance with the existing requirements for admission to the United States.
It is worth mentioning that new photos of US citizens will be deleted within 12 hours, while those of most foreign citizens will be stored in a secure system of the Department of Homeland Security.
Source: sandiegored.com
