Fingerprints and Photographs to Enter the USA

All visitors to the United States on visas will be fingerprinted and have their photos taken starting January 5 next year.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that entry procedures will be strengthened as part of counterterrorism measures.

The department will collect biometric information of arriving visitors with visas and provide the information to intelligence agencies. Foreigners traveling on visas who enter through an airport or seaport are required to have their photos and fingerprints taken digitally. Entry enhancements at land borders will be phased in throughout 2005 and 2006.

The new measure will not be applied to countries whose nationals are exempted from visas for the U.S. Korea is not included among those countries.

maypole@donga.com