The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday announced it would launch a pilot programme, US-VISIT, this month at three ports and expand it to 14 others next month to evaluate the exit procedures for foreign visitors with visa.

Visitors travelling under Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) through these ports will also be required to comply with the biometric procedures after September 30.

Meanwhile, the deadline for mandatory requirement of biometrically enabled passports for visitors from VWP countries to US has been extends by one year, to October 26, 2005, a US embassy news release said yesterday.

The extension came into effect last Monday with US President George W Bush signing HR 4417, a bill seeking the extension and passed by the House of Representatives on June 14 and by the Senate on July 22 last.

"The extension was necessary to avoid potential disruption of international travel and provide the international community adequate time to develop viable programs for producing a more secure, biometrically enabled passport," the release said.

The requirement for VWP travellers to US to have biometrics included in passports was mandated in the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. The legislation required that VWP country passports issued on or after October 26, 2004 be biometrically enabled for use in VWP travel.

Another US agency, Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said, despite a regulation making only full frontal colour photographs in passports acceptable became effective from August 2, it will accept both three-quarters and full frontal photographs until September 1.

But, after September only full frontal colour photographs will be accepted in passports and not three-quarters face position.

US-VISIT PORTS

US-VISIT, the automated biometric exit pilot programme, will this month be expanded from its current locations -- Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Miami's International Cruise Line Terminal -- to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

The programme will be piloted at the following airports and seaports in September: international airports -- William B Hartsfield in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas, Denver in Colorado, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan, Newark in New Jersey, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Phoenix Sky Harbor in Arizona, San Francisco in California, Luis Mufioz Marin in Puerto Rico, Seattle and Tacoma in Washington. The seaports are San Pedro and Long Beach in California.

The biometric exit procedure was introduced at US airports and seaports earlier this year as a part of the new US border management system. The exit procedures being piloted require foreign visitors to check out at an automated exit kiosk or with a US-Visit exit attendant at the departure gate at the port.

US-VISIT is a continuum of security measures that begins overseas and continues on through entry and exit at US airports and seaports and eventually, at land border crossings.