DHS Begins US-VISIT Biometric Exit Pilot At Philadelphia Airport

[liveoaktx]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-06-2005/0003335552&EDATE=

***Makes you wonder what will happen when REAL ID gets implmented for US citizens

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) announced that beginning today, foreign visitors departing from
Philadelphia International Airport are required to follow checkout procedures before departing on their flight. Visitors are asked to provide their two index fingerscans and hold for a digital photo as part of a pilot program to test and evaluate an automated biometric exit process.
US-VISIT procedures apply to all visitors (with limited exemptions) to the United States. Most visitors experience US-VISIT's biometric procedures -- a digital, inkless fingerscan and digital photograph -- upon entry to the United
States. Now, if they leave from an airport or seaport that has an exit capability like that of Philadelphia, they must also check out.
The exit procedures being piloted at Philadelphia require:

-- Foreign visitors departing the United States will check out of the country at exit stations located within the airport. Similar to the entry process at airports or seaports, their travel documents will be read, their two index fingers will be scanned at the exit station, their digital picture will be taken, and they will receive a printed receipt that verifies that they have checked out. A workstation attendant will be available to assist with checkout.

-- Some locations include an additional step -- verification -- at the departure gate. In locations with this extra process, visitors will be required to present their receipt at the departure gate to confirm that they checked out at the exit station. The workstation attendant will scan the receipt and then ask the visitor to place an index finger on the scanning device. Once the person's identity is matched to the receipt, the workstation attendant will hand back the receipt and the visitor will board the airplane.

To help the process run smoothly, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers will provide foreign visitors with a card explaining the exit process when they arrive in the United States at one of the airports participating in the pilot. Directional map cards will be distributed by the airlines and signs will be strategically located throughout the airport directing the visitors to the exit stations.

[Redstone]

1. Well won't that do wonders for tourism?

Redstone