10-finger prints require 35 seconds vs. 15 seconds for two-finger prints, says DHS

Mon, 2013-04-15 05:05 PM By: Jacob Goodwin gsn.com

The office that once was known as US-VISIT (for United States Visitor and Immigrant Status indicator Technology), and is now called the Office of Biometric Identity Management, or OBIM, estimates that it will collect nearly 157 million sets of fingerprints from foreign nationals entering the United States during the coming year.
Where US-VISIT initially began collecting two-finger prints, it began collecting 10-finger prints in 2007, said a Federal Register notice published by DHS on April 15. “The new collection time of 35 seconds, an increase from the previous 15 seconds, is a result of this change, and includes officer instructions,” said OBIM in the notice.
DHS has been collecting fingerprints at major international airports in the U.S. since shortly after 9/11, but began adding highly-trafficked land border ports of entry as well in 2009.
OBIM estimates that it costs the federal government almost $64 million annually to collect these 10-finger sets of fingerprints.
The public is invited to comment on this proposed information-gathering exercise by June 14 by visiting www.regulations.gov and citing dockiet number DHS-2013-0016.
http://www.gsnmagazine.com/article/28924/10_finger_prints_require_35_seconds_vs_15_seconds_