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Source:
www.ica.gov.sg |
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E-PASSPORT TESTING TO BEGIN AT SAN FRANCISCO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT |
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A live test of e-Passports, that contain
contactless chips with biographic and biometric information and the
readers that are capable of reading these e-Passports, begins January
15, 2006 at Terminal G at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). |
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This test is a collaborative effort between
the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore that will run
through April 15, 2006. |
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¡°This test provides an important opportunity
to work with our international partners to further the Department of
Homeland Security¡¯s efforts to put in place an e-Passport reader
solution by the fall of this year,¡± said Jim Williams, director of
US‑VISIT, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program. |
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Participants include citizens of Australia
and New Zealand who have been issued the new e-Passports, Singapore
Airlines crew holding trial e-Passports and U.S. diplomatic and official
e-Passport holders. |
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The test will assess the operational impact
of using new equipment and software to read and verify the information
embedded in the e‑Passports. |
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Participants will present their e-Passports
when arriving in the United States at SFO, at Changi Airport in
Singapore or at Sydney Airport in Australia. |
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The e-Passport contains the holder¡¯s biographic
information and a biometric identifier, in this case a digital photograph,
embedded in a contactless chip set in the passport. The inspection process for
those participating does not change. |
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The e-Passports being tested are enabled with a
security feature known as Basic Access Control (BAC), which helps prevent the
unauthorized reading, or ¡°skimming,¡± of information from e‑Passports. |
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This is the second live test conducted between the
United States, Australia and New Zealand. |
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The goal of the live test is to gather information
that can support countries around the world in their development and
implementation of e-Passports that comply with International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) standards. It will also provide valuable information on
the capability of the reader technology. |
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¡°The results of the previous test, held at
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Sydney Airport, indicated
that further testing would be beneficial to our development of a fully
operational system,¡± Williams said. ¡°So we will conduct further testing
to allow for the evaluation of new technologies.¡± |
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¡°Ensuring the integrity and security of the
Singapore passport is an integral part of our overall security efforts.
Singapore is pleased to participate in the second live test as a new
partner to the United States, Australia and New Zealand,¡± said Eric Tan,
the Commissioner of Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, Singapore. |
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Biometrics included in a contactless chip
provides a further means by which the identity of visitors may be
verified, thus preventing entry by imposters and the use of fraudulent
documents. Biometrics provide border officials with a critical tool in
making admissibility decisions, thus enhancing homeland security. |
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A DHS priority, US-VISIT enhances the
security of our citizens and visitors, facilitates legitimate travel and
trade, ensures the integrity of our immigration system and protects
personal privacy. |
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To date, more than 46 million visitors
to the United States have been processed through US-VISIT without
adversely impacting wait times, and more than 990 criminals or
immigration violators have been intercepted as a result of the use
of biometrics. |
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For more information on US‑VISIT, or to
learn more about entry procedures, please visit the US‑VISIT Web
site at www.dhs.gov/us-visit. |
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Department of Homeland Security, USA |
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Immigration & Checkpoints Authority,
Singapore |
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Source:
www.ica.gov.sg Press Release 13
Jan 2006 |
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FrontPage Edition: Fri 13 Jan 2006
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