US Expands Biometric Checks for All Foreign Travelers, Including Green Card Holders

The United States has recently introduced new entry and exit requirements for all foreign nationals, including green card holders, as part of its ongoing tightening of immigration controls under the Trump administration.

Biometric Checks Now Mandatory for All

Until now, biometric checks such as fingerprinting and photographing were limited to specific groups of foreign visitors. Under the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule, every non-citizen entering or leaving the United States will be photographed, with plans to extend fingerprint collection more broadly.

The policy removes prior exemptions for travelers under 14 and over 79 years old. This means the new rule applies to almost all foreigners without exception.

According to DHS, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will carry out the process at airports, seaports, and land borders. The agency will match each traveller’s photograph with data already stored in visa applications, passports, and immigration systems using facial comparison technology.

Why It’s Being Implemented

The DHS says the expanded biometric collection will help strengthen national security, prevent identity fraud, and track visa overstays more effectively. In simple terms, it’s about verifying who comes in and who leaves, something US authorities have struggled to monitor in the past.

CBP’s filing in the Federal Register stated that a “comprehensive entry-exit system” will improve the accuracy of immigration records and help identify individuals who overstay their authorised period of stay or enter the country illegally.

The new approach builds on a system that has been in development for nearly two decades. The United States has been collecting fingerprints from some non-citizens at entry ports since 2004, but exit tracking has not been constant.

Broader Immigration Context

The update comes amid an increased immigration crackdown during President Trump’s second term. Since taking office in 2025, his administration has pursued several hardline policies, including

• Abolition of birthright citizenship
• Expansion of ICE Raids
• Increased Visa Scrutiny

US authorities have intensified social media checks for visa applicants, detaining and deporting individuals flagged under the new vetting procedures.

What Travelers Should Expect

US border officers will now subject foreign nationals, including permanent residents, to more extensive screening at entry and exit points. While the DHS has confirmed that photographs are the first step, additional biometric checks, like fingerprints, may follow.

In practical terms, the new rule means longer processing times and more thorough identity verification for travelers.

However, for US authorities, it’s a major step toward creating a unified, technology-driven tracking system that records every foreign visitor’s arrival and departure.

Final Thoughts

In short, US border officials will now photograph every foreign traveler, including green card holders, when they enter and leave the country, marking a major expansion of America’s biometric control system.