US immigrants may face stricter biometric requirements if new proposals from the Department of Homeland Security are approved. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed to expand its biometric data collection to include DNA, facial images, fingerprints, iris scans, and voice prints from all individuals connected to immigration benefit requests. This will include applicants, petitioners, sponsors, dependents, and even U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents or green card holders.
DHS, currently collects, stores, and uses biometrics for various purposes, including conducting background checks to determine eligibility for a benefit request.
Additionally, DHS is authorized to collect the biometrics of U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident petitioners of family-based immigrant and nonimmigrant petitions to determine if a petitioner has been convicted of certain crimes.
Now, DHS plans to expand its routine biometric collections to include individuals associated with immigration benefit requests or other requests or collection of information, and to perform other functions related to administering and enforcing the immigration and naturalization laws, such as verifying identity.
Therefore, DHS proposes in this new biometric rule that any applicant, petitioner, sponsor, supporter, derivative, dependent, beneficiary, or individual filing or associated with a benefit request or other request or collection of information, including U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents, and without regard to age, must submit biometrics unless DHS otherwise exempts the requirement.
This new biometric rule proposes that any individual alien who is present in the United States following an approved immigration benefit may be required to submit biometrics — without regard to any immigration filing — until they obtain or acquire U.S. citizenship.
DHS is also proposing to require biometrics from U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents, including when they submit a family-based visa petition.
The new biometric rule further proposes that a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident may be required to submit biometrics if he or she filed a benefit request, other request, or collection of information in the past and it was either reopened or the previous approval is relevant to a benefit request, other request, or collection of information currently pending with DHS.
DHS proposes the following biometrics as authorized biometric modalities:
Facial imagery (digital image, specifically for facial recognition and facial
comparison);
Prints (including fingerprints and palm prints);
Signature (handwritten);
Ocular imagery (to include iris, retina and sclera);
Voice (voice print, vocal signature, and voice recognition); and/or
DNA (including partial DNA profile).