9 FAM 303.6
(u) Facial Recognition
(CT:VISA-904; 07-29-2019)
(Office of Origin: CA/VO/L/R)
9 FAM 303.6-1 (U) Statutory and
regulatory Authorities
9 FAM 303.6-1(A) (U)
Immigration and Nationality Act
(CT:VISA-167; 09-06-2016)
(U) INA 105(b) (8 U.S.C. 1105(b));
INA 221(b) (8 U.S.C. 1201(b)).
9 FAM 303.6-1(B) (U) Code of
Federal Regulations
(CT:VISA-1; 11-18-2015)
(U) 22 CFR 41.105; 22 CFR 42.65(f).
9 FAM 303.6-1(C) (U) Public Law
(CT:VISA-1; 11-18-2015)
(U) Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236, Section
140(c)); Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law
107-173, Section 303).
9 FAM 303.6-2 (U) Submitting
Facial Recognition (FR) Requests
(CT:VISA-1; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-2(A) (U) FR
Procedures
9 FAM 303.6-2(A)(1) (U) Photo
Standards
(CT:VISA-904; 07-29-2019)
a. (U) Photographic Standards:
Visa applicants must provide with their applications un-mounted, full-face
photographs of themselves and derivative applicants, taken within the past six
months. The photos must meet the following specific standards to be accepted
by the FR software:
(1) (U) The photo must be good
quality; grainy photos, overexposed photos, or photos that are too dark are not
acceptable. Instant-type photos are acceptable, if the photographs submitted
meet all specifications.
(2) (U) Glossy, untouched,
un-mounted, on a white or off-white background. You should not accept photos
taken in front of busy, patterned, or dark backgrounds.
(3) (U) If a hard-copy
photograph is submitted, it should measure 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm
square) with the head centered in the frame. The head (measured from the top
of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure between 1 to 1 3/8 inches
(25 mm to 35 mm) with the eye level between 1 1/8 inch to 1 3/8 inches (28 mm
and 35 mm) from the bottom of the photo.
(4) (U) The applicant must be
shown in full frontal view, with full head, from crown of the head to the tip
of the chin and from hair line side-to-side, with the eyes wide open and have a
neutral facial expression. A natural smile, as shown in Photo Examples on
Travel.State.Gov, can be considered a neutral facial expression; and
(5) (U) The hair should be
exposed, unless local or religious custom prohibits this, in which case a head
covering is permitted. The key requirement is that the photograph clearly
identifies the applicant. In addition, the eyes must be open, and the photo
must be of a front view. The head should be centered and should take up at
least half, but no more than two thirds, of the picture. The dimension of
the facial image must be about one inch (33 mm) from the chin to the top of the
hair.
(6) (U) Headcoverings:
Generally, applicants must have their photo taken without head covering of any
kind. You may accept a photo with a head covering only when the
presentation of a photo without head covering would conflict with the
applicants religious practices. A photograph depicting a person wearing
a head covering must show enough of the face so as to establish identity.
A photo depicting a person wearing a traditional facemask or veil, which conceals
portions of the face and does not permit adequate identification, is not
acceptable. A photo is required of all applicants regardless of age.
(7) (U) Eyeglasses: Effective
for applications filed on or after November 1, 2016, eyeglasses must not be
worn in a photo provided for a visa application, except in rare circumstances
when eyeglasses cannot be removed for medical reasons; e.g., the applicant has
recently had ocular surgery and the eyeglasses are necessary to protect the
applicants eyes. A medical statement signed by a medical
professional/health practitioner must be provided in these cases. If the
eyeglasses are accepted for medical reasons:
(a) (U) The frames of the
eyeglasses must not cover the eye(s) (consistent with International Civil
Aviation Organization guidelines; see 7 FAM 1340
Appendix E paragraph e)).
(b) (U) There must not be glare
on eyeglasses that obscures the eye(s).
(c) (U) There must not be
shadows or refraction from the eyeglasses that obscures the eye(s).
b. (U) Problems with Photo Quality:
On occasion, you will encounter visa applicants whose appearance varies
slightly from that of the photographs they submit with their NIV applications.
In many instances, the Visa Office attributes these variances to recent
advances in digital photography software programmed to flatter the subject of
the photograph. You may use the photograph if it otherwise appears to be of
the applicant. The color variance is not a significant issue because current
facial recognition (FR) technology does not employ color. Rather, it
converts color pictures to black and white before matching. Uniform
contrast or brightening enhancement will not significantly impede FR unless it
is exaggerated to the point of saturation.
9 FAM 303.6-2(A)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-481; 01-02-2018)
Unavailable
(1) Unavailable
Unavailable
(2) Unavailable
(3) Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-2(A)(3) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-167; 09-06-2016)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-2(B) (U) Voluntary
FR on Demand Searches
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-2(B)(1) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-1; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-2(B)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-806; 05-21-2019)
a. Unavailable
(1) Unavailable
(a) Unavailable
(b) Unavailable
(c) Unavailable
(d) Unavailable
(2) Unavailable
(a) Unavailable
(b) Unavailable
(c) Unavailable
(d) Unavailable
(3) Unavailable
(a) Unavailable
(b) Unavailable
(c) Unavailable
(d) Unavailable
(e) Unavailable
(4) Unavailable
(a) Unavailable
(b) Unavailable
(c) Unavailable
(5) Unavailable
(a) Unavailable
(b) Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-2(C) (U) Role of VO/DO
(CT:VISA-806; 05-21-2019)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3 (U) Facial
REcognition (FR) resPonses
9 FAM 303.6-3(A) Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(A)(1) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(A)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(B) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(B)(1) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
c. Unavailable
d. Unavailable
e. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(B)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
c. Unavailable
d. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(B)(3) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(C) Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(C)(1) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-516; 03-14-2018)
a. Unavailable
(1) Unavailable
(2) Unavailable
(3) Unavailable
(4) Unavailable
(5) Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(C)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
(1) Unavailable
(2) Unavailable
(3) Unavailable
(4) Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(C)(3) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(D) (U) FR for
Urgent and Non-Urgent Cases
9 FAM 303.6-3(D)(1) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-904; 07-29-2019)
Unavailable
(1) Unavailable
(2) Unavailable
(3) Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-3(D)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-280; 01-19-2017)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-4 (U) Creating and
deleting Facial Recognition (FR) lookouts
9 FAM 303.6-4(A) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-4(B) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-1; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-4(B)(1) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-4(B)(2) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-1; 11-18-2015)
Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-4(B)(3) Unavailable
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
a. Unavailable
b. Unavailable
9 FAM 303.6-4(B)(4) (U) User
Guide for FR Enrollment on Demand
(CT:VISA-2; 11-18-2015)
(U) An FR on Demand User Guide
providing step-by-step, illustrated instructions is available by clicking a
link at the bottom of the FR on Demand Report. Any user with questions about
submitting lookouts using the FR Enrollment on Demand report should consult
with a liaison officer from either CA/VO/F or CA/FPP.