Visa Services
Fingerprinting Of Visa Applicants
Islamabad - December 12, 2003: The U.S. Government has announced that effective Monday, December 15, 2003, visa applicants will be fingerprinted at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. This is a new procedure, instituted in accordance with U.S. law, which mandates that biometric identifiers be collected from all visa applicants by October 26, 2004. This is a world-wide program, already instituted in many countries, such as Mexico, Belgium, Canada and Germany.
All visa applicants must be fingerprinted, with the exception of children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 79. Individuals traveling to the U.S. for urgent medical treatment and who, to the satisfaction of a consular officer, cannot reasonably appear for fingerprinting are also exempted. Pakistani government officials traveling on official business will also be exempt.
Two fingerprints will be collected from each applicant by using a scanner. No ink will be used, and the process will take only seconds. Prints of the right and left index fingers of applicants will be taken.
If a visa applicant refuses to be fingerprinted, his or her application will be rejected as incomplete. However, an applicant who later decides to provide fingerprints would have their visa application considered without prejudice.
Applicants will be fingerprinted just before their interview and they will not have to appear separately for this process.