People who require a visa to enter the US will have to spend an extra couple of minutes going through US Immigration at the Bermuda International Airport this year.

The US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-Visit) is set to be implemented on Monday at the US pre-clearance facility stop for travellers.

But only travellers who are required to have a visa to enter the US will be obligated to get their fingerprints scanned and their photographs taken.

?US-Visit is a world wide programme for all ports of entry that is set to become operational on January 5,? said Jill Esposito, the consular section chief of the American Consulate General.

?Bermudians do not need a visa in many instances,? she added.

Anyone who is eligible to enter the US without a visa, such as the Bermudian visa exemption or the Visa Waiver Programme, will not have to go through the process.

The American Consulate General stated that in order to enhance border security at US international airports and seaports, the information will be securely stored in a database as part of a visitor?s travel records.

?The new programme is designed to enhance the security of US citizens and visitors, expedite legitimate travel and trade, ensure the integrity of the immigration system, and safeguard visitors? personal privacy,? said Asa Hutchinson, the under secretary of Border and Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security, in an October press release.

Travellers who hold a visa to enter the US will get fingerprinted and photographed before they leave Bermuda into the US.

?US-VISIT uses scanning equipment to collect ?biometric identifiers? such as fingerprints, in an inkless process, along with a digital photograph of the visitor. Together with standard information gathered from a visitor about their identity and travel, the new programme will verify the visitor?s identity and compliance with visa and immigration policies.

?The new procedures are expected to add just seconds to the entry and exit process,? an American Consulate General press release stated.

Machinery to implement biometrics microchips in passports, which all passport holders, including Bermudians, will be required to have, is tentatively set for February to meet the US legislative deadline of October 26, 2004, Ms Esposito said.

Fingerprint and face-scanning machines will be used to upgrade passports to include the biometrics information, which will be harder to fake then information currently required for passports.

Ms Esposito said the new US legislation requires that all visas be issued with biometrics and she said it is thought the machines to produce the information will be set up by February.