U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced recently that the United States would begin deploying enhanced technology to expedite security checks and immigration processing of pre-screened, international travelers through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.  Further, Secretary Ridge and Dutch Minister of Immigration and Integration Rita Verdonk announced that their agencies will work together to develop an international registered traveler program.  The improvements at JFK will be deployed in the coming weeks, while U.S. and Dutch officials commence discussions to design and implement an international pilot.

U. S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents and foreign visitors who travel frequently to the United States will be eligible for the program, contingent upon admissibility to the United States and the completion of a background check. Participants will use dedicated kiosks when they arrive at JFK Airport.  They will enter the United States without routine Customs and Border Protection (CBP) questioning, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral. They must present their machine-readable passport, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, be photographed, and make a declaration at the kiosk. Once cleared at the kiosk, pilot participants will be allowed to claim their bags and exit the airport.

Travelers who voluntarily enroll in the program must go through a pre-screening clearance, which may include checks of various biometric and biographic watch lists, including a 10-fingerprint criminal history check, a face-to-face interview with a DHS officer, and a review of any other pertinent information. Travelers may not qualify if they: are inadmissible to the United States under applicable immigration laws; provide false or incomplete information on their application; have been convicted of a criminal offense in any country for which they have not received a pardon; have been found in violation of customs or immigration laws; or; fail to meet other requirements.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.