Visiting US becomes harder in January

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, said these precautions were being implemented to increase security against possible terrorist attacks and would speed up the registration process for visitors.

When asked if Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, scheduled to visit the United States in January, would be asked to submit to this procedure, Hutchinson said that high-level officials and diplomats would be exempt.

According to the procedure, all journalists, including those from countries that are exempt from the new visa regulations, will be required to provide photos and submit to fingerprinting at the embassy at which they apply for a visa.

Starting Jan. 5, visitors arriving in the United States from countries falling within the new visa guidelines must place their finger in a biometric reader, after which their fingerprints will be compared to those on record at the U.S. Embassy in their country of origin.

Twenty-seven countries, including most European Union countries, Japan, Australia and Canada, will be exempt from the new requirements.