US-VISIT Privacy Principles

US-VISIT Privacy Mission Statement

We uphold the privacy of individuals while protecting our national borders. We do this by adhering to the letter and spirit of privacy law, complying with fair information practices, treating individuals and their personally identifiable information (PII) with respect, and by ensuring a high standard of privacy protection.

US-VISIT Privacy Principles

1. Responsibility and Accountability
All US-VISIT personnel and users are responsible and accountable for treating personally identifiable information in accordance with these principles. The US-VISIT Privacy Officer is ultimately responsible and accountable for compliance with these principles, including the safeguarding of personally identifiable information.

2. Identifying Purpose
The purposes for which personally identifiable information is collected will be identified by US-VISIT at or before the time of collection.

3. Limiting Collection, Use, Disclosure, and Retention
The collection, use, disclosure, and retention of personally identifiable information will be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes that US-VISIT has stated.

4. Openness and Transparency
US-VISIT will make its privacy policy and practices readily available to individuals, such that individuals will be informed of the collection, use, and disclosure of their personally identifiable information.

5. Strict Confidentiality
Personally identifiable information will only be disclosed to authorized individuals with a legitimate need to know, and only for uses that are consistent with the stated purposes for which the information was collected.

6. Data Integrity
US-VISIT will maintain the accuracy, completeness, and currency of personally identifiable information at levels necessary for purposes that US-VISIT has stated.

7. Security
Personally identifiable information will be protected by administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

8. Privacy Awareness and Training
US-VISIT personnel and contractors will be appropriately educated and trained regarding the proper treatment of personally identifiable information.

9. Individual Access
Individuals will be able to receive a copy of their US-VISIT record upon request, in the absence of applicable legal exemptions or exceptions.

10. Redress
US-VISIT provides a redress process that enables individuals to correct the personally identifiable information in their US-VISIT record.