U.S. CONGRESS OKs ONE YEAR DELAY FOR BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS.Finally, something to report that will save many, many travelers to the U.S. lost time standing in line to get visas to come to America
The U.S. Congress voted in 2002 to require all visa-waived countries, 27 in all, to have biometric passports by October 26, 2004.
Now, a biometric passport is not a simple feat to accomplish. It involves the embedding of a computer chip in these tamperproof passports that gives biometric data including facial and iris scans, as well as electronic fingerprint scans.
All the countries involved have had major problems in resolving durability and entry software problems with the passports. Each visa-waived traveler arriving at ports of entry into the United States was to have this passport by the deadline.
Seeing that none would be able to meet the requirements on time, Congress wisely delayed the implementation by a voice vote in the Senate just before taking off for their Summer break.
If Congress had allowed the deadline to stand, the 10 million travelers from visa-waived countries that enter the U.S. every year would have had to been issued visas at each American Embassy for entry into the U.S. A bureaucratic nightmare, to say the least.
One country, though, has been in the forefront of tamperproof passports: Australia. Not exactly biometric, but they do have a glass laminated Kangaroo in the passport that seems to be hopping. Clever, those Aussie's.
Australian Kangaroo Hopping Passport.
This could start a trend. Ireland could have a leprechaun with a shimmering pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
The U.S., who also will have biometric passports, could have Paul Revere galloping through the countryside warning, "The British are coming." As for the British, perhaps a picture of the Queen waving with her trademark unscrewing of the lightbulb flick of the wrist.
Congress Delays Biometric Passports.
Regards,
Charlie
