GAO assesses risks facing US-VISIT program
U.S. The General Accounting Office has issued a report on risks facing the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program, intended to more efficiently manage the pre-entry, entry, status and exit of foreign nationals who travel to the United States.
This program is especially relevant to ocean carriers because it will directly affect entrance into the U.S. by foreign crewmembers.
The GAO said the US-VISIT program has met the legal requirements to proceed, but remains a risky endeavor.
The program’s “scope is large and complex,” with a “mission value (that) is currently unknown,” the GAO said.
The “potential cost is significant,” and comparable “existing systems have known problems,” the report noted.