White House asks for extension of biometric passport rule

White House asks for extension of biometric passport rule    The Bush Administration has asked Congress to pass legislation that would extend for two years the Oct. 26 deadline for countries in the U.S.’s visa waiver program to have machine-readable biometric passports at all ports of entry.
   The extension would also give the Department of Homeland Security time to install readers for biometric passports at all U.S. ports of entry.
   “In the context of this request, Homeland Security will begin processing visitors traveling under the visa waiver program in US-VISIT beginning by Sept. 30, at air and sea ports of entry,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
   The US-VISIT program, which began in January, requires that most foreign visitors traveling to the United States on a visa and arriving at an air or sea port have their two index fingers scanned and a digital photograph taken to verify their identity at the port of entry.
   “Most countries are unable to meet the original October date to include biometrics in passports, due to several technology-related reasons,” said Asa Hutchinson, under secretary of Border and Transportation Security in the Department of Homeland Security.