Beginning Sept. 30, travelers heading for the U.S., Irish included, will have their two index fingers scanned and a digital photograph taken to verify their identity.
Ireland is one of 27 countries included in the U.S. Visa Waiver program.
Until now, visa waiver nations have not been included in the U.S.-Visit program, a more rigorous border-control screening process introduced after 9/11.
Since the beginning of this month, however, people departing from an initial 13 U.S. airports have already been going through the digital scanning process.
The digital screening procedure is in lieu of a planned requirement for all arriving and departing travelers to be in possession of so-called biometric passports.
The biometric requirement is not now likely to come on stream until the end of 2006.
Nevertheless, the new screening controls under the U.S.-Visit requirements will make it much easier for U.S. immigration authorities to definitively identify who is coming to America, and who going out of the country.
It’s the going aspect that is causing particular concern among the undocumented Irish.
“This is going to make it very, very difficult for the undocumented Irish in U.S. to return home,” said TD Jimmy Deenihan.
The Fine Gael D