U.S Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) new process called Biometric Exit is being considered in America for all travellers who hold a foreign visa.
As well as their passport, travellers would be expected to have a passport regulation photo taken immediately before boarding.
Using a database of images, this can be checked to confirm their identity.
It can then be matched with their photo as part of their visa and determines whether they are illegally in the country.
There is currently no way for border security to know if a visitor in the US has left the country despite their visa running out.
With Biometric Exit, CBP can cross-reference the images with the Department of State records which includes photos of US citizens.
Just under half a million foreign visitors are reported to still be in the US despite their visa having expired.
This new security measure could reduce this number significantly, just one of the aims in Trump’s 100 day-agenda.
In line with Trump administration’s increased immigration controls, the new system is expected to roll out later this year.
It is currently being tested on a flight from Atlanta to Tokyo, with plans to scan all travellers on international flights.
However, critics are concerned of a potential bias in the system.
Algorithms are trained on white, male subjects which could then create problems by being 10% less accurate for women or other races, resulting in false positives.
The UK currently has a similar system using the technology.
British Airways is conducting this security measure at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5.
As passengers go through the boarding gates, facial recognition is used to verify the person’s identity.
This is hoped to speed up the process, in light of huge delays that travellers are increasingly facing when checking in.
