Montreal Gazette

Biometric Card Under Study for Permanent Residents

March 6, 2003
By Elizabeth Thompson

The federal government is working on a pilot project that could see permanent residents fingerprinted and the information embedded in their permanent resident cards, the Montreal Gazette has learned.

The government served notice yesterday that it plans to award a contract worth $50,000 U.S. to an American firm to obtain test results on the strengths and weaknesses of various fingerprint readers.

The company, New York City-based International Biometric Group (IBG), which specializes in independent assessments of biometric technology, recently delivered a report on biometrics and border security to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

In its notice, the government says the testing reports are needed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for its permanent resident cards. Permanent residents have completed the immigration process, but are not Canadian citizens.

"As part of CIC's permanent resident card biometric pilot project, CIC requires thorough, independent testing of promising fingerprint readers in order to identify those products most likely to meet the project's requirements."

The contract would give Citizenship and Immigration access to the reports of the company's testing in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Each of the fingerprint readers was tested on 240 candidates who attempted to trick the technology, says the notice.

"Purchasing of independent test results from IBG is cost effective, as well as it supports CIC's efforts to fast track this project."

The final delivery date for the test results is listed as Dec. 31. The notice does not say whether other biometric identifiers, such as facial recognition or iris scans, are also being considered.

Immigration Department officials contacted yesterday were unable to supply specifics about the proposed pilot project.

In June 2002, the federal government began issuing a new permanent resident card, dubbed the Maple Leaf card, following reports that the old forms were vulnerable to being stolen or forged. But while the new card has the capacity to store biometric information, former immigration minister Elinor Caplan chose not to implement that function.

In November, Ms. Caplan sharply criticized an idea floated by current Immigration Minister Denis Coderre to introduce a national identification card with biometric identifiers. Mr. Coderre said the new permanent resident card could be a model for a national ID card.

Notice of the contract comes as the federal government is under pressure from the United States to not only begin using biometric identification but to harmonize its biometric identifiers with those adopted by the Americans.

Under the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act adopted by the U.S., by October 2004, travellers to the U.S. will have to have identification containing a biometric identifier.