New technology for US immigration processing

27 January 2005

US immigration authorities are to begin testing radio frequency (RF) technology on the country's borders in a bid to improve efficiency and security, the US Department of Homeland Security announced on January 25.

The technology will involve issuing unique identifiers to pedestrians and vehicle passengers crossing the border to automatically record their arrival and departure. It is part of the US VISIT program, which has upgraded entry procedures and introduced biometric identity checks at 50 land entry points, 115 airports and 15 seaports.

Simulated testing will begin this spring and will then be expanded to a number of ports that reflect different weather and traffic conditions. These will be Nogales East and Nogales West in Arizona; Alexandria Bay in New York; and, Pacific Highway and Peace Arch in Washington. The test phase is expected to be completed by spring 2006.

"Through the use of radio frequency technology, we see the potential to not only improve the security of our country, but also to make the most important infrastructure enhancements to the US land borders in more than fifty years. Working with our border partners, we intend to see that it's done in the right way and at the right pace," said Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security for the United States Department of Homeland Security.

See our US immigration pages for more information about entry requirements to America.