The new legal requirements, which went into effect October 1, are mandated by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility act of 1996. The new requirements stipulate that the new biometric card, described by INS as DSP-150 form, replace the old (Form I-186 or I586) border crossing cards. The new cards serve also as BI-B2 visitor's visas.
Procedures for applying for the biometric card have been in place since 1998. The Department of State (DOS) consular staff in Mexico photographs and fingerprints the applicants, adjudicates the applications then forwards the data to the INS, which produces the cards.
Applicants that have been approved but have yet to receive their cards can be admitted into the country under a temporary lawful waiver. The applicant must have an old non-biometric card with an expiration data of December 31, 2001 or a valid visa.
The DOS and INS had processed more than 4 million applications as of September 1.
The credit card style document is valid for 10 years.