Fingerprinting

[benfilo]

My personal opinion is that we should follow suit when leaving the country and arriving. it would stop anyone who has been thrown out of the country re entering with another passport.
And before someone mentions human rights , whats the difference with having to produce a picture of your face or one of your finger(not that finger[msnwink])
benfilo

[MTP]

I thought the fingerprinting and photograph had become standard from earlier on this year, but twice when we flew in to Boston this year (April and August) we have been through immigration without fingerprints or photographs. I thought it was maybe jsut because we look trustworthy[angel][angel] <---[laugh], obviuosly not!![sick]

[KJH]

We've been to Boston and MCO this year and January and June, and were not checked at either.

Karen

[jolliffee]

The VISIT programme is only just going live, they have had trials though.

[ellie]

Not checked in Miami in August either, though daughter on Visa had fingerprints and photo taken in January, but she is there for a year.

Really doesn't bother us as we prefer security to be tight.

In all the times we have entered the UK we have been apalled at the total lack of interest in our passports by UK immigration officers. We were in a queue once when a lady in front, obviously foreign, strong accent, rummaged in her handbag for her passport and couldn't find it. The immigration officer just said, don't worry, and waved her through. Another one gave our passports a cursory glance, and started chatting up our daughter as she was carrying an A level Biology book.

For the first time this August, our passports were swiped at Heathrow on our return, but their computers looked even more ancient than the ones we threw out at school. It took about 5 seconds to clear immigration.

Ellie

[Kiddie001]

I concur with all thats said - I have absolutely no problem with tight security !

[Jill]

We had to laugh when they brought this in for non visa waiver people at the new year. For once in Miami they actually showed some news which showed some very cross Americans who had travelled to Brazil and were photographed and fingerprinted on entry. They did not like it at all especially the reply from the Brazil authorities which was to the effect of well you are doing it to our people so we have the right to do it to yours as after all how do we know you are not terrorists trying to get into Brazil. We found it funny the Americans attitude when the shoe was on the other foot. I expect it will settle down and if as already suggested it speeds up the queues trying to get it then all so well and good.

[gromit]

We both have visas in our passports due to work requirements and have had to have fingerprints taken now for some time. It doesn't take that long! However even though we have been in and out of the country more times than I can remember they still take our prints each time. It's sad that the world is such that we need to do this but it is better to be safe than sorry. So for those of you that travel from now onwards and need to have prints taken it's quite quick really.

As for UK immigration, we actually got a smile a couple of weeks ago when the officer looked at our 8 month old, his passport was taken at 6 weeks and he looks like a different baby!

As for security, we had our bags searched leaving Orlando and we had used some 'samsonite' vacum bags, well as they had let the air out to see what was inside (only clothes) I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall watching them try to shut the suitcase again! Seriously though I would rather security was tight, keep us all safe.

Camilla

[Carla]

It's so easy. Just press on the finger pad and smile at the same time!! Takes seconds and then the next time you enter the country they have your originals to compare with. Speeds things up no end for me. No more questions.