The Department of Homeland Security just issued its final rule on something Congress has demanded since 9/11: a biometric entry and exit system that actually works nationwide.
Starting December 26, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will photograph every foreign national entering or leaving the United States. Not just at airports. At land borders. At seaports. At private aircraft terminals. At pedestrian crossing points. Everywhere.
This is the most significant expansion of border biometric technology in American history.
What’s Actually Changing
For years, DHS had pilot programs at limited locations. Those pilots are now going nationwide. The previous exemptions—diplomats, most Canadian visitors, children—are gone.
Starting in less than two weeks, when you leave America, your face will be scanned and compared against entry records in real time. If you overstayed your visa, CBP will know immediately. If you’re a known or suspected terrorist, the system will flag you. If you’re entering under a fraudulent identity, facial recognition will catch it.
It’s permanent. It’s mandatory. And it’s happening December 26.
The Technology
CBP built the Traveler Verification Service—a secure, cloud-based facial recognition system. It compares your live photo against your passport and visa photos. The entire process takes seconds.
The technology is accurate. Error rates have dropped below 0.1%. That’s less than one mistake per thousand scans.
For U.S. citizens, it’s optional. You can still request manual passport inspection. But most travelers will go through facial recognition. It’s faster.
Why This Matters
This addresses a massive security gap that’s existed since 9/11. Congress mandated a biometric entry-exit system in 2001. Nearly 25 years later, it’s finally happening.
Why did it take so long? Because there’s no designated exit infrastructure at most U.S. ports. Airports aren’t designed with secure exit areas where inspections can happen. That’s why previous administrations struggled to implement this.
But new technology has solved the problem. Facial recognition doesn’t need traditional exit booths. Mobile cameras at departure gates work. E-gates at airports work. Even vehicle exit lanes can be equipped with biometric cameras.
What Gets Tracked
When you leave America, CBP will:
- Photograph your face
- Compare it against entry records
- Record your departure time
- Flag any discrepancies or security concerns
This data gets retained. For U.S. citizens, photos are deleted within 12 hours. For foreign nationals, biometric data is retained in the DHS Biometric Identity Management System for up to 75 years.
Why 75 years? To create a permanent record of who entered and exited America. To catch people who overstay visas years later. To identify repeat offenders.
The Rollout
Air and sea ports with existing biometric gates will switch to exit collection within weeks. Land ports will follow with mobile camera units, which might cause temporary delays during the first quarter of implementation.
If you cross the border regularly at busy land ports, budget extra time. Expect longer inspection queues, especially during high-volume travel weeks.
DHS is still accepting public comments through November 26, but officials say only technical changes—not substantive changes—are likely before implementation.
The Exemptions That Are Gone
Diplomats? Now subject to biometric scanning. Most Canadian citizens? Now enrolled in the system. Children under 14? Depends on circumstances, but many are now included.
This removes a loophole that existed for years. High-value visitors could sometimes avoid biometric enrollment. That’s over.
What This Catches
The system is designed to identify:
- Overstays (people who violate visa terms)
- Impostors using fraudulent documents
- Known or suspected terrorists
- Individuals with prior removal orders attempting illegal reentry
- Visa fraud
In real-time. Automatically.
The Privacy Question
Privacy advocates are already raising concerns about 75-year data retention for non-citizens. They worry about false-match risks and unauthorized data sharing.
DHS says they have safeguards. The system is secure. Data retention policies are lawful. And facial recognition error rates are now below 0.1%.
But the debate will continue. Litigation is expected.
The Bigger Picture
This is a post-9/11 mandate finally being implemented. It closes a security gap that’s existed for nearly a quarter-century.
Border security improved. Immigration enforcement improved. Terrorist identification improved. Overstay detection improved.
All through facial recognition at departure points.
What You Need to Know
If you’re leaving America on December 26 or after:
- Your face will be photographed
- The photo will be compared against entry records in real time
- The process takes seconds
- If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can decline and request manual inspection
- If you’re a foreign national, biometric scanning is mandatory
If you cross borders regularly for work, build extra time into your departure schedule during the first quarter of 2026.
The Bottom Line
December 26, 2025. The date biometric exit becomes the law of the land.
Every foreign visitor leaving America will be photographed. Every face will be compared against entry records. Every overstay will be detected. Every fraudulent document will be flagged.
This is what border security looks like when it actually works.
Twenty-four years after 9/11. Finally.
