Ten-fingerprint program for visitors to U.S. begins Thursday

Visitors to the United States — including any Canadians who need visas to enter the United States — will soon have to provide all ten fingerprints for entry, not just the two required under an existing program known as US-VISIT. DHS and border officials said the first test program will be up and running at Washington’s Dulles Airport 29 November and they expect to have it in place at Toronto and other Canadian airports where travelers are pre-screened later in 2008. The Toronto Star reports that they are also pledging to have it in effect at all Canada-U.S. land border crossings by the end of 2008, or shortly after separate land and sea rules requiring passports or secure driver’s licenses go into effect under the existing DHS timetable. When all that is in place, said Paul Morris, the director of admissibility for Custom and Border Protection, American border officers will have what they need. “We (will) have really the ability to tie three things together