WASHINGTON, Dec 23: From Jan 5 all major air and sea ports in the United States will begin fingerprinting and photographing foreigners entering the country, US officials said on Tuesday.

They said the new system would allow them to keep track of when a visitor entered the country and when he left.

The system would allay the fears of the Muslim visitors that they were being targeted for their religious beliefs, they said.

Under the present system that expires on Jan 5, only men from 25 mainly Muslim countries are required to be fingerprinted and photographed.

“All visa holders arriving at US ports of entry will undergo the process of fingerprinting, scanning and photographing, through an efficient biometric system,” says Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson.