OTTAWA, (Nov. 24, 2004) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will now exempt non-Canadian citizen truck drivers that are permanent residents of Canada from being fingerprinted and photographed each time they enter and exit the U.S. under the new US-VISIT program.

As part of the anti-terrorism U.S.-VISIT program, any U.S.-bound landed immigrant, or any other non-Canadian citizen who requires a temporary VISA to enter the U.S. for business or pleasure, would have to undergo biometric digital photographs when they cross the border, as well as finger scans at a secondary inspection centre on subsequent visits.

The information is stored and cross-referenced with an FBI databases to determine if visitors might be wanted for immigration issues, or are on a list of suspected terrorist links.

However, the Canadian Trucking Alliance is reporting that a US-VISIT fact sheet published recently states that, while Customs and Border Protection officers retain the discretion to refer a driver for US-VISIT processing, Canadian permanent resident drivers — including those in the FAST program –will only have to report for US-VISIT processing when they renew their multiple-entry I-94 (typically every six months).

The CTA feared that the rule under previous requirements would increase congestion and inefficiencies at the busiest border crossings, particularly in southern Ontario and lower mainland B.C. where non-citizens represent a higher proportion of the truck driver population.

So far, a pilot launch of the program at the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ont. and Port Huron, Mich. has not resulted in any major reported delays or back-ups.

The Blue Water Bridge is among three land-border crossings that began testing the system on Nov. 15. The other sites are Laredo, Texas and Douglas, Ariz. The program, which has already been in force at air and seaports since January ’04, will be extended to 17 other land ports by Dec. 31, 2004, and all other ports of entry by Dec. 31, 2005.

David Bradley, CEO of the CTA — which has been promoting the idea of using the FAST card as a “platform” for meeting the security check/biometric requirements of several upcoming U.S. security measures — said he was pleased by the announcement from DHS.

Appearing before the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Trade, Trade Disputes & Investment in Ottawa yesterday, Bradley told the Members of Parliament that the next few months will be critical in determining the long-term stability of goods movement across the border. Citing the need to put border and trade issues at the top of the economic agenda, Bradley suggested the appointment of “a ‘border czar” — “a minister with the power to make decisions and the money to implement those decisions.”

“No country is as vulnerable as Canada is to trade with one other country as Canada is to the United States,” he said. “As a nation we need to ensure we have the infrastructure and the bilateral border management systems in place that support that trade and meet U.S. security needs.”