In an effort to modernize and streamline cruise travel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Carnival Cruise Line announced they will be implementing facial biometrics into the debarkation process at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana. Facial Biometric technology is now available for arriving cruise passengers at seaports in Florida, New Jersey, Texas, California, and Washington.
The facial biometrics process will replace the manual inspection of travel documents. Now at the Port of New Orleans, debarking passengers will pause for a photo that will be compared to the passenger’s passport or visa photo in secure DHS systems. This efficient and touchless arrival process can verify the traveler’s identity within two seconds and is more than 98% accurate.
U.S. travelers and select foreign nationals, who are not required to provide biometrics and wish to opt out of the new biometric process, can still request a manual document check from a CBP Officer. Stay tuned to Berardi Immigration Law’s blog and social media channels for more immigration related news!
