Chertoff added that under the system, technology enhancements
would allow officers to identify travelers more easily by
linking cardholders to databases that would verify identify
and citizenship, adding that by 2007 the U.S. would transition
exclusively to e-passports with biometric information.
Secretary Rice said a pillar of the strategy to facilitate
travel and appear more welcoming while cracking down on security
would be stepped-up screening everywhere the government
encounters travelers, whether in consulates abroad or at ports
of entry to the U.S.
DHS and State also plan to work with Congress and the private
sector to establish a pilot project for Washington Dulles and
Houston International Airports including customized public video
messages to help foreign travelers navigate the entry process,
Rice said.
She also said they are also exploring ways to transform the visa
application process and would begin testing digital
videoconferencing to that end.
