Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 130 / Thursday, July 8, 2010 / Notices 39323 

DATES: The Department will accept 

comments from the public up for up to 

30 days from July 8, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• E-mail: AllowancesO@state.gov. 

• Mail (paper, disk, or CD–ROM 

submissions): Office of Allowances (A/ 

OPR/ALS), Room L314 SA–1, 

Department of State, Washington, DC 

20522–0103. 

• Fax: (202) 261–8707 or (202) 261– 

8708. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Office of 

Allowances (A/OPR/ALS), Room L314, 

Department of State, 2401 E Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20037. 

• If you have access to the Internet 

you may view and comment on this 

notice by going to ‘‘http:// 

www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/ 

home.html#home’’. 

You must include the DS form 

number (if applicable), information 

collection title, and OMB control 

number in any correspondence. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Direct requests for additional 

information regarding the collection 

listed in this notice, including requests 

for copies of the proposed information 

collection and supporting documents, to 

George W. Indyke, Director, Office of 

Allowances, Room L314 SA–1, 

Washington, DC 20522–0103, who may 

be reached on (202) 261–8700 or at 

AllowancesO@state.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are 

soliciting public comments to permit 

the Department to: 

• Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper performance of our 

functions. 

• Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used. 

• Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

• Minimize the reporting burden on 

those who are to respond, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of technology. 

Abstract of proposed collection: The 

collected data is used by the Department 

of State to carry out its responsibilities 

under 5 U.S.C. 5924(1), and Executive 

Orders 10903 and by the Department of 

Defense to carry out responsibilities 

under 37 U.S.C. 405. It is the primary 

source of information used to establish/ 

justify post (cost of living) allowances 

for all Federal civilian employees 

assigned abroad and cost of living 

allowances for uniformed service 

members. The respondents are the store/ 

department managers of approximately 

40 retail outlets at each foreign post and 

approximately 48 retail outlets in the 

Washington, DC area. 

Methodology: U.S.G. employees or 

contractors visit the retail outlets and 

gather prices personally. The estimated 

burden for respondents is based on the 

time the Price Collectors may spend 

with them to explain the purpose of the 

data collection and seek their 

cooperation with having the price 

collector gather prices. Once the price 

collector has completed the cost data 

collection, the information is entered in 

the eAllowances program for electronic 

submission to the Department of State’s 

Office of Allowances. 

Dated: June 21, 2010. 

George W. Indyke, Jr., 

Director, Office of Allowances, Bureau of 

Administration, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–16672 Filed 7–7–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–24–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 7047] 

Amendment to the Biometric Visa 

Program 

AGENCY: Department of State. 

ACTION: Notice of Amendment to the 

Biometric Visa Program. 

This public notice announces an 

amendment to the Biometric Visa 

Program. Section 303 of the Enhanced 

Border Security and Visa Entry Reform 

Act of 2002 has required, since October 

26, 2004, that all visas issued by the 

Department must be machine-readable 

and tamper-resistant and use biometric 

identifiers. In consultation with the 

Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) and the Department of Justice 

(DOJ), the Department determined that 

fingerprints and a photo image should 

be required as biometric identifiers. 

When the biometric visa program began, 

available technology allowed for the 

efficient capture and comparisons of 

only two fingerscans. As a result of 

technological improvements, the 

Department instituted a ten fingerscan 

standard to raise the accuracy rate in 

matching fingerscans and enhanced our 

ability to detect and thwart persons who 

are eligible for visas. 

In establishing the Biometric Visa 

Program, the Department coordinated 

closely with the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS). The 

Biometric Visa Program is a partner 

program to the DHS US–VISIT Program 

that is in effect at U.S. ports of entry and 

that uses the same biometric identifiers. 

By coordinating these two programs, the 

two departments have ensured the 

integrity of the U.S. visa. This is 

accomplished by sending the 

fingerscans and photos of visa 

applicants to DHS databases. When a 

person to whom a visa has been issued 

arrives at a port of entry, his or her 

photo is retrieved from a database and 

projected on the computer screen of the 

Customs and Border Protection officer. 

The person’s fingerscans are compared 

to the fingerscans in the database to 

ensure that the person presenting the 

visa is the same as the person to whom 

the visa was issued. 

Certain exemptions to the fingerscans 

under the Biometric Visa Program were 

also coordinated with the Department of 

Homeland Security to coincide with the 

exemptions to fingerscans under the 

US–VISIT Program. Under the Biometric 

Visa Program, applicants for diplomatic 

or official visas, for visas to represent 

their governments at recognized 

international organizations such as the 

United Nations or for visas to serve as 

employees of such organizations, for 

NATO visas, or for government officials 

on official transit through the U.S. are 

exempt from the fingerscans. The 

aforementioned are represented by visa 

categories: A–1, A–2, G–1, G–2, G–3, G– 

4, NATO–1, NATO–2, NATO–3, NATO– 

4, NATO–5, NATO–6 and C–3 (except 

for attendants, servants, or personal 

employees of accredited officials). In 

addition, persons under age 14 and 

persons age 80 or above are generally 

exempt from the fingerscans, unless the 

person is applying for a visa at a 

consular post in Mexico and in Yemen. 

In Mexico, fingerscans are required for 

applicants beginning at age 7 and above 

under the program for issuance of 

biometric Border Crossing Cards 

(commonly known as ‘‘laser visas’’), 

which began in 1998. We have recently 

expanded that policy to include visa 

applicants in Yemen, and may further 

expand it to include additional 

countries in the future. The Secretary of 

State retains the authority to require 

fingerscans of children under age 14 or 

adults age 80 or above in all other 

countries. All visa applicants are 

required to submit a photograph with 

the visa application, except at consular 

posts in Mexico where most 

nonimmigrant visa applicants have a 

live-capture photo taken at post. All 

persons, regardless of whether they 

submit fingerscans or not, are reviewed 

against the Department’s facial 

recognition database, one of the largest 

facial recognition databases in the 

world. 

By checking fingerscans against a 

biometric watchlist, the Biometric Visa 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
39324 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 130 / Thursday, July 8, 2010 / Notices 

Program enables consular officers to 

deny visas to persons on the watchlist 

who are ineligible for visas. For the 

great majority of travelers, the Biometric 

Visa Program performs a travel 

facilitation function by allowing for 

biometric identity verification at ports 

of entry, which serves to facilitate 

admission to the United States. 

DATES: Effective upon date of 

publication in the Federal Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lauren Prosnik, Visa Analyst, U.S. 

Department of State, 2401 E Street, NW., 

Room L603, Washington, DC 20520. 

Phone 202–633–2951. 

Dated: June 25, 2010. 

Janice L. Jacobs, 

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular 

Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2010–16671 Filed 7–7–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary: Notice of 

Applications for Certificates of Public 

Convenience and Necessity and 

Foreign Air Carrier Permits Filed Under 

Subpart B (formerly Subpart Q) During 

the Week Ending June 26, 2010 

The following Applications for 

Certificates of Public Convenience and 

Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier 

Permits were filed under Subpart B 

(formerly Subpart Q) of the Department 

of Transportation’s Procedural 

Regulations (See 14 CFR 301.201 et 

seq.). The due date for Answers, 

Conforming Applications, or Motions to 

Modify Scope are set forth below for 

each application. Following the Answer 

period DOT may process the application 

by expedited procedures. Such 

procedures may consist of the adoption 

of a show-cause order, a tentative order, 

or in appropriate cases a final order 

without further proceedings. 

Docket Number: DOT–OST–2010– 

0163. 

Date Filed: June 24, 2010. 

Due Date for Answers, Conforming 

Applications, or Motion to Modify 

Scope: July 15, 2010. 

Description: Application of 

Continental Airlines, Inc., and United 

Air Lines, Inc. requesting: (1) Approval 

of a defacto transfer of the certificates 

and other economic authority held by 

Continental, Continental Micronesia 

and Air Micronesia to the same carriers 

under common ownership with United 

and vice versa, (2) reissue the 

certificates and other authority issued to 

Continental, Continental Micronesia 

and Air Micronesia to Continental and/ 

or United, and (3) reissue the certificates 

and other authority issued to United to 

United and/or Continental, Continental 

Micronesia and Air Micronesia. 

Renee V. Wright, 

Program Manager, Docket Operations, 

Federal Register Liaison. 

[FR Doc. 2010–16614 Filed 7–7–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

Notice of Applications for Certificates 

of Public Convenience and Necessity 

and Foreign Air Carrier Permits Filed 

Under Subpart B (formerly Subpart Q) 

During the Week Ending June 5, 2010 

The following Applications for 

Certificates of Public Convenience and 

Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier 

Permits were filed under Subpart B 

(formerly Subpart Q) of the Department 

of Transportation’s Procedural 

Regulations (See 14 CFR 301.201 et 

seq.). 

The due date for Answers, 

Conforming Applications, or Motions to 

Modify Scope are set forth below for 

each application. Following the Answer 

period DOT may process the application 

by expedited procedures. Such 

procedures may consist of the adoption 

of a show-cause order, a tentative order, 

or in appropriate cases a final order 

without further proceedings. 

Docket Number: DOT–OST–2006– 

25940. 

Date Filed: June 3, 2010. 

Due Date for Answers, Conforming 

Applications, or Motion to Modify 

Scope: June 24, 2010. 

Description: Application of Kuzu 

Havayollari Kargo Tasimacilik A.S 

requesting the Department issue an 

amended foreign air carrier permit of its 

current charter authority in the name of 

ULS Havayollari Kargo Tasimacilik S.A. 

Renee V. Wright, 

Program Manager, Docket Operations, 

Federal Register Liaison. 

[FR Doc. 2010–16609 Filed 7–7–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

Notice of Applications for Certificates 

of Public Convenience and Necessity 

and Foreign Air Carrier Permits Filed 

Under Subpart B (Formerly Subpart Q) 

During the Week Ending June 12, 2010 

The following Applications for 

Certificates of Public Convenience and 

Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier 

Permits were filed under Subpart B 

(formerly Subpart Q) of the Department 

of Transportation’s Procedural 

Regulations (See 14 CFR 301.201 et 

seq.). The due date for Answers, 

Conforming Applications, or Motions to 

Modify Scope are set forth below for 

each application. Following the Answer 

period DOT may process the application 

by expedited procedures. Such 

procedures may consist of the adoption 

of a show-cause order, a tentative order, 

or in appropriate cases a final order 

without further proceedings. 

Docket Number: DOT–OST–2010– 

0148. 

Date Filed: June 8, 2010. 

Due Date for Answers, Conforming 

Applications, or Motion to Modify 

Scope: June 29, 2010. 

Description: Application of Privilege 

Style, S.A. requesting an exemption and 

foreign air carrier permit to conduct 

charter foreign air transportation of 

persons, property and mail between a 

point or points in the European 

Community and the Member States of 

the European Union, and a point or 

points in the United States, to the full 

extent allowed under the Air Transport 

Agreement between the United States 

and the European community and the 

Member States of the European Union. 

Docket Number: DOT–OST–2010– 

0150. 

Date Filed: June 9, 2010. 

Due Date for Answers, Conforming 

Applications, or Motion to Modify 

Scope: June 30, 2010. 

Description: Application of Acropolis 

Aviation Limited requesting an 

exemption and a foreign air carrier 

permit authorizing Acropolis Aviation 

to engage in charter foreign air 

transportation of persons, property and 

mail to and from points in the United 

States to the full extent permitted by its 

homeland operating authority and the 

EU–U.S. open-skies agreement, as well 

as other charters pursuant to the prior 

approval requirements. 

Renee V. Wright, 

Program Manager, Docket Operations, 

Federal Register Liaison. 

[FR Doc. 2010–16621 Filed 7–7–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES