Why does us embassy take fingerprints

Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country. The U. Congress mandated the use of biometrics in U. This law requires that U. Embassies and Consulates abroad must issue to international visitors, "only machine-readable, tamper-resistant visas and other travel and entry documents that use biometric identifiers. Additionally, the Homeland Security Council decided that the U.

Embassies and Consulates for visa applicants seeking to come to the United States. A biometric or biometric identifier is an objective measurement of a physical characteristic of an individual which, when captured in a database, can be used to verify the identity or check against other entries in the database.

The best known biometric is the fingerprint, but others include facial recognition and iris scans. The use of these identifiers is an important link in U.

This will verify identity to reduce use of stolen and counterfeit visas, and protect against possible use by terrorists or others who might represent a security risk to the United States. This transition to ten prints will enable the Departments of State and Homeland Security to more effectively process visa applicant fingerprints. For U. Visas the chosen biometric identifier method is a digital photo and electronic fingerprints.

First, only the family member applying for a green card needs to attend the appointment; the sponsor is not required to come along, although he or she can. You should NOT bring any weapons of any kind to the appointment, and you should not bring food, electronic devices, or cameras into the fingerprinting area. An attorney will help ensure that you disclose your criminal record in the appropriate parts of your application. That said, some types of criminal records could make an applicant ineligible for a green card.

For more information, see our guide on green card applicants with criminal histories. Here are two common reasons that applicants are asked to attend a second biometrics appointment:. But if you plan ahead, the biometrics appointment should be a quick and painless step toward getting your green card.

If something urgent does comes up unexpectedly, you can call the USCIS Contact Center at to request to reschedule your biometrics appointment. Make sure to do so before the date and time of your original appointment. Boundless — for people who want the expertise of an immigration lawyer, not the price tag. Get Green Card Checklist Learn what we do for you. Marriage Green Cards, Explained. All visa applicants, except those traveling on official government business, who are under the age of 14, or who are over the age of 79, are fingerprinted by the U.

Embassy as a part of their visa interview. During the visa application process, usually at the interview, an ink-free, digital fingerprint scan will be quickly taken. Locations U. The U.