Prepare to be fingerprinted on visits to US

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced it will now carry out a full ten-fingerprint check on international visitors arriving at New York's JFK airport.

Previously, the biometric data collected from non-US citizens only included a two-fingerprint scan and a photograph.

The DHS has said the upgrade will improve fingerprint matching accuracy and help immigration officers make visa determinations and admissibility decisions.

"Quite simply, this change gives our officers a more accurate idea of who is in front of them," commented DHS executive director of admissibility Paul Morris.

"For legitimate visitors, the process becomes more efficient and their identities are better protected from theft.

"For those who may pose a risk, we will have greater insight into who they are," he added.

The department checks fingerprints against its immigration violator records and the FBI's criminal, wanted persons and known or suspected terrorist lists.

Ten fingerprint checks are already carried out at airports in Washington, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Miami, Orlando and Detroit.