Digital fingerscans under the US-VISIT programme: what happens to them?

[Cunctator]

I'm thinking about going to Canada, which would require passing through US immigration at either Hawaii or Los Angeles. I know that I'd have to undergo the digital fingerscan business. I've looked at various US government websites (Homeland Security etc) but I can't actually see any definite answer to my question. Basically, after a digital record has been taken of my fingerprints, what happens to that record? Obviously the record is compared with the database of "baddies". But if there's no match, is the record destroyed, or is it filed away for ever on some US government database?

[NillyWilly]

I don't think this information is in the public domain. But, it would be fairly safe to assume that once "they" have it, "they're" not going to get rid of it.

[butler1850]

Out of curiosity, why would a trip from Australia to Canada require an immigration check in the US?

Is it a lack of direct flights? Do you have to "check through" each country you land in? I'd have thought that LA/Hawaii would have been a layover, and you could stay in the international terminal area, not actually "entering" the US.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by butler1850

Out of curiosity, why would a trip from Australia to Canada require an immigration check in the US?

Is it a lack of direct flights? Do you have to "check through" each country you land in? I'd have thought that LA/Hawaii would have been a layover, and you could stay in the international terminal area, not actually "entering" the US.

If you pass through a US airport, such as Los Angeles or Honolulu, you have to go through US immigration even if you are immediately going to fly out of the US again. And if you don't come from a visa-waiver country, you need a visa to do it. IMHO, it's insane, but it's true. The alternative for an Australia-Canada trip would be to travel via a country in East Asia, such as Japan or Korea, which doesn't have this odd requirement. There are no direct Australia-Canada fliights.

[Balthisar]

Originally Posted by Giles

If you pass through a US airport, such as Los Angeles or Honolulu, you have to go through US immigration even if you are immediately going to fly out of the US again.

Is this now true for all international, US airports? It's been a while since I've done international through Dallas or Houstan, but it used to be that internation through-travellers would go to an international through-traveller waiting area without ever having to pass through immigration or customs.

So, did this change, or is it only certain airports that don't have this capability?

[Giles]

Apparently it changed in August 2003.

Originally Posted by State Department

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State today suspended two programs that allow certain international air passengers to travel through the United States for transit purposes without first obtaining a visa. The programs, known as the Transit Without Visa program (TWOV) and the International-to-International transit program (ITI), have been suspended.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

I remember hearing something similar during our cruise last month. Though we joined the ship at Long Beach, it was actually only the last leg of trans-Canal voyage originating in Florida. In Long Beach, continuing passengers who were not U.S. nationals had to debark and go through Customs and Immigration--even if they didn't want to leave the ship at all.

I don't remember exactly, but I think the Americans also might have had to go through Customs.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Talking of U.S. Customs, I remember being in a halted train at the Bellingham, WA crossing, and being grilled by an officer. Something about being asked how long I was in Canada and why I'd been there rankled a bit; it was like being a kid asked why he stayed out so late.

[Cunctator]

Originally Posted by butler1850

Out of curiosity, why would a trip from Australia to Canada require an immigration check in the US?

Is it a lack of direct flights? Do you have to "check through" each country you land in? I'd have thought that LA/Hawaii would have been a layover, and you could stay in the international terminal area, not actually "entering" the US.

Basically what Giles said, although I've had to do it before August 2003. For some strange reason the US requires everyone passing through to go through customs, even if they're only in transit to a third country. Most other countries seem to be happy to allow passengers "in transit" to simply stay within the international terminal. It always leads to ridiculous situations with the customs officer:

Q: How long will you be staying in the US and where will you be staying?
A: I'm not staying in the US at all. I'm sitting in the airport for three hours while I wait for my flight to Toronto.
Q: Yes, but how long will you be staying........

[Cunctator]

Originally Posted by NillyWilly

I don't think this information is in the public domain. But, it would be fairly safe to assume that once "they" have it, "they're" not going to get rid of it.

That's pretty much what I suspected.