Starting Dec. 26, the United States has rolled out mandatory biometric checks for all non-U.S. citizens at its borders, a move that significantly expands surveillance at points of entry and exit. The policy applies not only to foreign visitors but also to lawful permanent residents, including green card holders.
Under the new rules, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers will capture photographs of travelers each time they enter or leave the country. The checks are being implemented across all border points—airports, land crossings, and seaports, marking a broadening of the government’s biometric screening program.
The rule applies to all non-U.S. citizens traveling in or out of the country, with no age exemptions. Children under 14 and adults over 79 are also subject to the biometric checks.
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Federal officials say the system is designed to strengthen border security and help track visa overstays. The Department of Homeland Security has stressed that the program is not intended for broad or continuous surveillance, though privacy advocates and civil liberties groups remain skeptical.
Biometric screening itself is not a new concept for U.S. border control. In the past, such checks were rolled out only as pilot programs at a limited number of ports. What has changed now is the scale. The requirement is no longer optional or limited. It is mandatory nationwide.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can also expand the checks to include fingerprints and iris scans, which would be verified against existing travel records under its Traveler Verification Service. The agency has confirmed that diplomats are not excluded from the new requirement and will be required to submit their biometric data.
Earlier rules allowed diplomatic travelers to skip some forms of biometric screening. That carve-out no longer applies. Under the updated mandate, diplomats must now provide biometrics when entering and leaving the United States.
Canadians are also covered under the new policy. The requirement applies to all non-U.S. travelers, including those arriving on private aircraft or entering the country on foot at land borders.
In effect, the rule spans nearly every category of non-U.S. citizen. That includes lawful permanent residents with green cards as well as Canadian visitors, who until now had been exempt from some border screening requirements.
For U.S. citizens, the policy works differently. The biometric collection is not mandatory for Americans, according to CBP. U.S. citizens may choose to voluntarily take part in facial biometric screening when entering or leaving the country.
Those who do not wish to participate can opt out by informing a CBP officer or an airline representative. In that case, travelers will go through the standard manual passport check that is already required for international travel.
CBP says it handles citizens’ data separately from that of noncitizens. Photos taken of U.S. citizens are discarded within 12 hours after identity verification. Images collected from non-U.S. travelers are stored in the Department of Homeland Security’s Biometric Identity Management System, where they can be retained for as long as 75 years.