Overview
- The final rule applies to visitors, visa holders and lawful permanent residents at airports, seaports and land crossings.
- It takes effect on December 26, 2025, with a 30-day public comment window opening October 27 upon Federal Register publication.
- The policy removes prior age exemptions for children under 14 and adults over 79 and permits collection of other biometrics such as fingerprints or DNA.
- CBP may build image galleries from travel documents and prior encounters to compare with live photos at departure and arrival points.
- Civil liberties groups cite privacy and accuracy concerns, and the rule warns that refusing required photos could render a traveler inadmissible or subject to removal.