AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Americans to have biometric ID cards when in UK for over 90 days

Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Within three years, all Americans and other foreigners from outside the European Union will have to have biometric ID cards to work and live in the UK.

Britain's Home Office said that these rules will already be implemented as early as November, when they start applying them to Americans studying in Britain for more than three months, as well as to those wanting visas to marry a Briton and live there.

This will not apply to US tourists and businessmen and women who visit Britain for a period not longer than 90 days.

These biometric ID cards will prove who they are and that they are here legally. They'll contain the card holder's digital photo, as well as data that can be read electronically and matched against a computerized National Identity Register that will retain the holder's fingerprints and personal information.

Things have already started moving into that direction, as at the end of last year, the British government began requiring visa applicants from the USA to provide fingerprints and a digital photo.

The US Embassy in London has estimated that currently about 250,000 Americans live in Britain. However, it's still unclear how many Americans go there to study every year.

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said British citizens working in airports and other areas vulnerable to terrorist attacks will have to carry the cards starting next year.

She said that these cards will be a benefit and convenience for Britons, as they would help young people in applying for bank accounts and loans by verifying who they are.

If you would like to live and work in the UK or in the USA, find out for which visa you qualify, by doing our free online visa eligibility assessment. It will deliver instant results!