WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the publication of the Notice of Final Rule titled “Collection of Biometric Data from Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure from the United States.” This milestone regulation advances DHS’s efforts to implement a comprehensive biometric entry/exit program, enhancing national security and streamlining identity verification processes for foreign visitors traveling to and from the United States.

The final rule, effective Dec. 26, 2025, amends existing DHS regulations to authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an operational component within DHS, to collect facial biometrics from all noncitizens upon entry and exit at airports, land ports, seaports, and other authorized points of departure. This removes prior exemptions including diplomats and most Canadian visitors. It also removes limitations on pilot programs and expands biometric collection to new transportation modalities, including sea exit, private aircraft, vehicle entry/exit, and pedestrian exit. Public comments related to this rule may be submitted on or before Nov. 26, 2025.

“This final rule marks a major milestone towards our efforts to successfully implement the Biometric Entry/Exit mandate and strengthen the security of the United States,” said Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, CBP Office of Field Operations, Diane J. Sabatino. “With increased funding to support this critical mission, we will continue to expand facial biometrics and advanced technology for identity verification to further secure and innovate the entry/exit process at air, land, and sea.” 

In early 2017, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order requiring “expedited” completion and implementation of biometric entry-exit; this set forth the schedule for DHS to report to Congress on progress to advance this security mandate. In November 2020, DHS issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require all noncitizens to participate in facial biometric processing for identity verification, make the biometric pilots permanent, and lift the cap to expand to other locations. DHS has now issued a final rule, so CBP can continue to successfully advance the biometric Entry/Exit mission.

In addition to the recommendation by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, which identified the biometric entry/exit system as an essential investment in national security, there are several laws and statutes that support the implementation of a Biometric Entry/Exit program. As part of this effort, CBP built the Traveler Verification Service, a secure, cloud based facial biometrics matching service, to automate the identity verification process and reduce administrative burdens on officers. This use of facial biometrics adds an extra layer of security and enables CBP to identify criminals and known or suspected terrorists; prevent visa fraud and the use of fraudulent documents; detect overstays and noncitizens present in the United States without proper admission or parole; and prevent illegal reentry of previously removed individuals.

Although U.S. citizens are not covered by this rule, they may continue to voluntarily participate in the facial biometrics process at entry and exit. U.S. citizens who prefer to opt out of the facial biometrics process may simply notify a CBP officer or airline representative and undergo manual inspection of their passport, as required for international travel. 

CBP is committed to its privacy obligations and has taken steps to safeguard the privacy of all travelers. DHS has published more than 10 Privacy Impact Assessments on all aspects of CBP’s Biometric Entry-Exit program, which include policies and procedures for gathering, storage, analysis, use, dissemination, retention, and deletion of data. CBP discards U.S. Citizen photos within 12 hours of the identity verification process and enrolls noncitizens in the DHS Biometric Identity Management System, which retains the photos for up to 75 years; this serves as a biometric confirmation of entry or departure, consistent with the Border Crossing Information System of Records Notice. 

For more information on CBP’s Entry/Exit program, please visit www.dhs.gov/biometrics.