DHAKA, 12 March 2004 — The US has decided to fingerprint Bangladeshi visa seekers. An official announcement in Dhaka said the consular section of the US Embassy will use biometric identifiers during the visa application and issuance process from March 18. Visa applicants who will come to the embassy for an interview on or after that date will have their index fingers electronically scanned for identification purposes. This scanning, an inkless process that requires less than one minute, will take place before the interview. After March 18, all visa applicants except children under 14, adults over the age of 79, diplomats and others engaged in official travel to the US must submit finger scans. Once scanned, the finger images will be sent to Washington for review. The review process will not change the structure of the visa interview or the standards by which applications are adjudicated.
