Overview
- Customs and Border Protection began nationwide biometric screening on December 26, requiring photographs of all non‑citizens at entry and exit points by air, land and sea.
- The final rule removes pilot limits and prior exemptions, covering lawful permanent residents, minors and older travelers, as well as previously exempt groups such as many diplomats and most Canadian visitors.
- Images of non‑citizens will be stored in DHS biometric records for up to 75 years, providing a record to match entries with departures and to validate future travel.
- Refusing the required photo can lead to a finding of inadmissibility at entry or be treated as a violation of status at exit, according to the Federal Register notice.
- U.S. citizens are not required to participate and may opt for manual passport inspection, with any voluntary photos discarded after roughly 12 hours; separately, a DHS proposal would add five years of social‑media history and other data to ESTA applications, now open for public comment.