DHS Announces Final Rule to Implement Biometric Entry/Exit Program, effective December 26, 2025

On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the publication of the final rule “Collection of Biometric Data from Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure from the United States”. This rule, effective December 26, 2025, authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect facial biometrics from all non-U.S. Citizens “upon entry and exit at airports, land ports, seaports, and other authorized points of departure.”
U.S. Citizens are not covered by this rule, though U.S. Citizens may continue to voluntarily participate in the process.
For full details, please see the USDHS announcement here, and a copy of the officially published Final Rule from the Federal Register here.