DHS Begins US-VISIT Exit Pilot At Washington Airport

Moving further ahead with efforts to track the departure of foreign nationals from the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday began a pilot program at Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport in Washington that uses biometrics to verify the identify of most foreigners leaving the country.

The pilot is part of the US-VISIT entry/exit monitoring program. Entry procedures are already in place at 115 airports, 15 seaports and in the secondary inspection areas of the 50 busiest land ports of entry. Exit procedures are already being tested at nine airports and three seaports.

At Sea-Tac departing foreign visitors must visit an exit station where they are asked to provide their travel documents, digital fingerscans of their two index fingers and a digital photograph. They will receive printed confirmation of their checkout.

Last year DHS awarded Accenture [ACN] a contract to implement US-VISIT.