Biometrics Update: More Biometrics Technology at the Airport

Biometrics enthusiasts tell us about a world where travelers no longer need to use physical documents like passports, credit cards, and boarding passes. Instead, biometrics devices would be able to scan your face, eyes, or fingerprints and quickly clear you to go straight to your flight. Does that sounds like science fiction? It's science reality! Biometrics technology exists, and more and more airports and airlines are incorporating it into security and boarding procedures.

Read on for the latest news about biometrics technology at the airport!

JetBlue Testing Facial Recognition at Boarding

JetBlue has just become the first US airline to test biometrics technology at boarding gates. Starting on June 12, they have been running a test at Boston's Logan Airport. On some flights from Boston to Aruba, they are allowing travelers to use biometrics instead of presenting their passport and boarding pass at the gate.

The biometrics used by JetBlue rely on facial recognition. Passengers who agree to try the program will have their photo taken before they board their flight. Their facial features will be checked against data provided by US Customs and Border Patrol. It takes just 5 to 7 seconds for the facial recognition data to be analyzed. When it shows that the face is a match for the passport and airline ticket data in the system, the passenger is allowed to board.

JetBlue's testing in Boston will run for 45 to 60 days this summer. If the program is successful, the airline will look to expand it to more flights and more airports.

Delta Airlines has also announced that they will test biometrics boarding. They will run a test in Washington, DC, using fingerprint-based biometrics. Their test will be limited only to members of their SkyMiles loyalty program who are also enrolled in the CLEAR system.

Dubai Airport Aims to Go Passport-Free with Biometrics Technology

Dubai is well known for having one of the world's most beautiful airports. Dubai International Airport is also the world's busiest airport for international arrivals and departures. To keep travel moving smoothly, the government of Dubai is investing heavily in biometrics technology.

Dubai's government has signed a major agreement with the UK-based technology company ObjectTech. The company has been tasked with creating a system to eliminate the use of passport books at Dubai International Airport. It's part of Dubai's “10x Policy,” which embraces digital technology in an effort to keep the nation 10 years ahead of the rest of the world.

When the new technology is fully developed and rolled out, passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport should be able to get off their flights and go directly to baggage claim, without stopping to have their passports reviewed.  Instead, passengers will all be pre-approved for entry using an electronic system. We imagine this pre-approval system will be similar to an eVisa process, applied for online. Biometric scanning will allow passengers to be verified quickly, either at boarding or on arrival.

TSA Trials Fingerprint Screening at Two Airports

This week, the Transportation Security Administration has begun testing fingerprint screening at two US airports. Passengers at Denver International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport can try the biometric fingerprint screening at the PreCheck security lanes.

The fingerprint screening will occur at the point in the security process when you'd normally pull out your passport and boarding pass. Actually, during the trial, you still do need to show your passport and boarding pass, in addition to having your fingerprints checked! By using the physical documents as a backup, the TSA will be able to test how reliably the biometrics technology is working.

Trials may be extended to other airports. The ultimate goal would be to revamp the initial screening by a TSA security officer. Instead of having passports and tickets manually reviewed, passengers would be able to touch their fingers to a pad and quickly be green-lighted through to the next stage of security.

Have you experienced any of these or other biometrics technology at the airport? Tell us in the comments!

Source: https://passportinfo.com/biometrics-technology-at-the-airport/

Iris Scans: Could Your Eyes Become Your Passport?

It might seem like something out of a James Bond movie, but iris scan technology is real, and may already be in use at your local airport! One company that manufactures eye-scanning technology envisions a future in which your eyes could be your passport. They could be your boarding pass and your credit card, too!
Imagine going to the airport and not having to pull out your wallet once. Instead of having your passport inspected at airport security, you’d be able to pass by an iris scan kiosk that would identify you within 2 seconds and verify that you are an approved traveler booked on an upcoming flight. You could breeze through security, leaving you plenty of time to visit the coffee bar in the terminal. There, you could look into another eye scanner – this one connected to credit card systems – to pay for your latte and scone.

Iris Scans and Biometrics

Iris scans are a form of biometrics – technology that identifies you based on your physical traits. Your passport already has biometric technology features. When you apply for a new passport, your passport photo is scanned and saved onto a tiny chip embedded in your passport. That scanned photo can be used for facial recognition purposes.

If you’ve ever read detective novels, you’re already familiar with one form of biometrics: fingerprints. Everyone has a unique set of fingerprints. Once your fingerprints are on file, they can be used to positively identify you.

The only problem with fingerprints and facial recognition for biometrics is that they can change over time. Just the forces of aging will change the contours of your face – sorry, but it’s true! Your face may change even more dramatically if you lose or gain weight, have an accident, or get plastic surgery. Your fingerprints also may change over the years. The pads of your fingers will wear and smooth as you age. Your fingerprints could also be damaged by scars or burns.

Your eyes, on the other hand, don’t change as you age. You might think of your eyes as just being blue or brown, but take a close look in the mirror. Your irises aren’t one solid color. You may see rings, rays, flecks, and freckles inside your iris. The pattern of your iris is just as unique as your fingerprints. No one else has eyes just like you. Even identical twins have their own distinctive iris pattern.

How Does an Iris Scan Work?

If an iris scan sounds painful and intrusive, don’t worry. The basic part of an iris scanner is just a digital camera. To use an iris scanner, you simply look in to it, and the camera inside will capture images of your iris in both normal and near-infrared light. The infrared images help show the iris patterns in people with very dark eyes. The computer inside the iris scanner then analyzes the image and looks for a match in the database. Iris scanners created by Tascent, one of the companies building scanners for airports, can identify travelers with 99% accuracy in only two seconds.

In order for the iris scanner to recognize you, though, you’ve got to already be in the database. The process of having your iris scan added to the database is known as “enrollment.” Enrollment only takes a few minutes. You’d have your eyes scanned, and then your name and other details are entered in to the database along with the image of your irises.

Iris Scan Technology at the Airport

Although we might not yet be at the “airport of the future” stage with iris scanners everywhere, you may have already seen the technology at work. Iris scanners from Tascent are already in use for some screening purposes at airports in London and Dubai.

In the United States, iris scans are used in the CLEAR lanes now available at airport security at 22 major airports. People who are enrolled in CLEAR are able to use an automated kiosk to confirm their identity via iris scan or fingerprints. Once cleared by the kiosk, travelers can bypass the long line to have their ID checked by TSA security officers. They can go directly to the physical screening area, where their bags are screened as normal, and the traveler goes through the metal detector or millimeter-wave screening machine. CLEAR enrollment is separate from TSA Precheck or other Trusted Traveler programs, but works well as a complement to them.

Will Your Eyes Become Your Passport?

Don’t throw away your passport book quite yet! Although the technology exists, we’re a long way off from being able to phase out physical passport books. In order for iris scans to completely replace passports, every border crossing in the world would need to have the ability to scan traveler’s eyes. It’s one thing for airports in wealthy countries to install expensive machinery, but what about tiny dirt-runway airports in developing nations? Every airport, seaport, river crossing, or land border checkpoint on earth would need to have iris scanning technology available. Will your eyes become your passport? We’ll never say never… but we’ll say not yet, and not anytime soon.

 Source: https://passportinfo.com/iris-scans-could-your-eyes-become-your-passport/

Study Abroad – What Documents Will You Need?

Study abroad is an incomparable experience. If you have the chance to take an educational trip or attend school overseas, you'll find that you learn just as much outside the classroom as in it... if not more!  Studying abroad gives you the chance to practice your foreign language skills, and to really see how people live in other countries. It's an opportunity to make memories you'll keep for a lifetime, and friends you'll cherish forever.

Before you pack your bags for your foreign studies, you'll need to make sure that you have all the right travel documents. Read on to learn more about what you will need for your study abroad.

Passports for Study Abroad

 

No matter where you are going or what you'll be studying once you get there, one thing is for certain... you are going to need a valid passport! If you don't have a passport yet, the very first thing you should do is to apply for one. You'll need to have your passport number in order to book your flight, and you are likely to need to provide your passport details when you register for your classes. Students under age 16 will need to apply for a minor passport, and older students will use the new adult passport procedure.

Do you already have a passport? Excellent! You will want to check it and make sure that:

• Your passport has plenty of validity left. For most countries, your passport will need to be valid for at least six months after your return to the States. Also, it's going to be a lot easier to renew your passport now, while you are still in America, than when you are overseas.
• Your passport has blank pages marked "visas." You'll need to have several blank pages available for your entry stamps and visas. If you plan to visit other countries while you are abroad, you'll need to have even more blank pages.
• Your passport is in good condition. A worn-out or damaged passport can cause all kinds of trouble when you travel, so replace it before you leave.

Visas for Study Abroad

 

Will you need a visa for your international studies? The answer to that question will depend on a number of different factors:

• Where are you going? Some countries, like China or India, require US citizens to have a visa to enter, no matter what, so you will definitely need to get a visa before you leave. Other countries don't require US citizens to get visas for shorter trips, and for those countries you may or may not need a visa for your studies.
• How long will you be staying in the foreign country? Even countries that don't normally require visas for US citizens, like Canada or Spain, will require visas if you are staying for more than 3-6 months at a time.
• What kind of program are you attending? If you'll be earning credits at a registered, accredited school or university, you are more likely to need a student visa. If you're taking classes at a non-accredited school or program, like a language academy or a massage school, you will likely be able to use a tourist visa.

Getting a Passport? Take Off Your Glasses!

In our recent article about the State Department’s #PicturePerfectPassport campaign, we let you know that the US government was about to change the rules about eyeglasses in passport photos. The US State Department has now confirmed that starting on November 1, 2016, passport applicants can not wear glasses in their passport photos.

Why No Glasses?

The United States is not the first country to ban eyeglasses in passport photos. Many other countries also do not allow glasses to be worn in photographs used for passports or visas. France and the United Kingdom are among the many countries that do not allow eyeglasses of any sort in passport photos.

Previously, the US State Department only forbade the wearing of sunglasses or glasses with tinted lenses, which make it hard to see the applicant’s eyes. The also had a rule that if the applicant wore glasses in the photo, there must be no glare on the lenses from the camera flash, as that would also hide the eyes. Glare on eyeglass lenses has been a persistent problem with passport photos, and is one of the top reasons that passport photos are rejected by the Passport Agency. The new rule against wearing glasses in passport photos will ensure that no one will have a problem with glare reflecting off of lenses in the photo.

Pay Your Taxes or Risk Losing Your Passport!

The US Federal Government is currently owed $380 billion – yes, billion – in unpaid taxes from individuals and businesses, and they’ve now got a new way to try to collect some of that debt. A new law will allow the US State Department to refuse to issue US passports to individuals with “seriously delinquent” tax bills in excess of $50,000. What’s more, the State Department is authorized to revoke previously issued passports if the bearer is on the IRS list of debtors!

This new rule was one of several updates to US tax code that was slipped into the FAST Act (“Fixing America’s Surface Transportation”), a bill authorizing funding to improve transportation infrastructure. It was just signed into law on December 4, 2015, but the idea of denying passports to US citizens with Federal tax debt is not new. In 2011, the General Accounting Office released a report analyzing all of the passports issued in 2008. Of the 16 million passports issued that year as new passports or renewals, 1% were issued to US citizens who owed the government $50,000 or more in unpaid taxes and penalties. Collectively, these 224,000 travelers represented $5.8 billion in tax debt!