What You Need to Know About the Biometrics DNA Test

Just when everyone thought the Trump administration couldn’t think up any more crazy immigration policies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new proposal. This time not only affecting immigration policies but also the collection of highly sensitive personal information. 

On September 1, 2020, the DHS announced a proposal that will require a larger pool of immigrants to provide biometrics in the immigration process. Not only will more people have to meet the biometrics requirement, but more invasive personal data will be collected under this new proposal. Biometrics may also be collected more than once along the journey to U.S. citizenship – and even after that. 

Below we take a closer look at the new biometrics proposal from the DHS.

What Are the Existing Biometrics Requirements?

At the moment, the only biometrics you are required to provide when you apply for an immigration benefit is your fingerprints, photographs, and signatures. Also, only petitioners over the age of 14 and under the age of 80 are required to submit biometrics. 

The only applications currently requiring biometrics are also those that need a background check to be done as part of the process. These applications typically include international visitors traveling to the U.S., green card applications, and naturalization applications. But some applicants and visas are currently exempted.

What Biometrics Requirements Does the Proposal Add?

According to the draft proposal, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be able to ask for DNA, voiceprints, iris scans (eye scans), and detailed photographs to use in facial recognition procedures. These requirements are far off from only fingerprints and ordinary photographs being required. 

Also, this isn’t the full and final list of biometrics the DHS may require. You can expect this list to expand as technology develops, and more technologies are explored. 

Under the new proposal, there is also no age limit on who has to provide biometrics. Even minors may be required to provide biometrics such as DNA and eye-scans. 

The DHS also wants to require these biometrics for “any application or petition.” This includes non-immigrant visa applicants, green card holders, applicants applying for work permits, and even dependents of foreign nationals, DACA members, and people applying for naturalization. 

Probably one of the most concerning parts of the new proposal is the “continuous vetting” that will be allowed. The USCIS can ask you to supply your biometrics at every step in the immigration process and path to citizenship. In fact, they can ask you to provide biometrics even after you have become a U.S. citizen. For example, if you are sponsoring a family member. The DHS can ask for the DNA of the applicant and the DNA of the sponsoring U.S. citizen to confirm there is indeed a genetic relationship (where this is a requirement). 

So, by now, you are probably wondering why the DHS is planning to expand on its biometric collection. 

According to the DHS, they want to achieve three main things:

1. Reduce the dependency on paperwork – they want to use technology to collect information to provide “identity and familiar relationships.”
2. Introduce contactless vetting – according to the DHS, this will improve processing times when applying for immigration benefits. 
3. Improve surveillance – the new vetting system will be able to identify fraudsters and grant access to immigration benefits only to those that are truly eligible. This will also reduce identity theft. 

The DHS has also said it wants to leverage technology that is readily available to identify people more easily. 

However, many immigration advocates claim the proposal is just another move by Trump to obstruct legal immigration. According to them, this will make it harder for people to settle in the United States.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has denounced the proposal in an official statement and has called this an “unprecedented” move to collect personal information. According to the ACLU, the DHS collecting an extensive database of genetic blueprints will not make the U.S. safer or make immigration easier. What it will do is make it easier for the government to target and surveil communities. 

Who Do the New Biometrics Requirements Effect?

As we mentioned above, the DHS wants to apply the new requirements for every single application and petition. 

So, if the new proposal comes into force, it will affect everyone who applies for an immigration benefit. It will even affect people who apply for non-immigrant visas and work permits. 

Persons and petitions affected include:

• Non-immigrant visa applicants
• Green card applicants and green cardholders
• Persons applying for work permits
• Dependents of foreign nationals applying for dependent visas
• DACA members
• Lawful permanent residents applying for naturalization.

When Will the New Biometrics Requirements Go into Effect?

The current proposal is only in draft form. You can expect the DHS to roll out the finer details of their plan and proposal in the coming weeks. It could even take months to come into effect. 

Remember, however, even if they roll out the final proposal, it doesn’t mean it’s in force immediately. The public will have a chance to consider the proposal and comment on it as soon as it is published in the Federal Register. 

You can also expect a variety of lawsuits to follow in opposition to the proposal—especially lawsuits relating to the invasion of privacy. 

Conclusion

The new proposal for expanded biometrics, which the DHS wants to roll out, has upset many people. There is a good chance it actually just causes more barriers for people seeking immigration benefits than speeding up their process. Fortunately, nothing is set in stone yet. There are still a few hoops the DHS will have to jump through to see the proposal come into force. 

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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