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Comment by prashnts | Hacker News Reader

Your fingerprints (all 10), iris scan, and photograph will be taken each time you apply for a UK Visa. Same goes for USA, so it did not come as a surprise, too. (I have an Indian Passport)

What my worry is, though, that all of the application processes are outsourced to VFS Global[0] for both USA and UK, and I can't help but be skeptic about it.

[0] http://www.vfsglobal.com/

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However, the majority of foreigners entering both the UK and US do so without a visa, as far as I'm aware. In the UK case, typically no fingerprints are taken, whereas in the US they are.

Been to both countries a couple of times (I'm Dutch). Fingerprints got taken every time at the US, never happened to me at the UK border.

As an EU citizen they couldn't require you at the UK border even if they wanted too.

Not for another two weeks, anyway... :-(

It would take quite some time (likely at least a few years) even after a positive vote.

There's in fact a 2 year minimum period

Lol. The 'Visa Waiver' is a visa. It's just an electronic one.

Providing biometrics at the Border is still at some level okay, of course, assuming that their data security can be trusted.

At VFS Global, however, I see the "visa interviewer"[0] struggling to handle the computers, and can't help but be worried about how they'll be transmitting and storing that data. My personal experience with Indian firms handling data hasn't been good and I certainly do not trust them[1].

[0] They're also Indians, and employed by the firm. [1] I have only this anecdote -- I am not sure about how it is done elsewhere.

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