The US-VISIT Program

The United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (USVISIT) program is the first large-scale implementation of biometrics with global implications. The program was established to improve United States border security by creating an integrated system that tracks the entrance and exits of all foreign nationals who travel to the United States. The initial plans for an automated entry and exit control system originated in 1996 with the United States Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. It was, however, the unique circumstances created by the events of 9/11 that provided the impetus and momentum that allowed the United States to aggressively pursue an updated version of this program – US-VISIT – with liĴle pushback from inside or outside the country. With the US-VISIT program, the United States has staked its claim in driving global adoption of biometrics for border control, accelerating the adoption of biometrics and other identification-related technologies for this purpose as it drives national programs across Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.