USCIS Debuts New Computerized Naturalization Certificates

improved security features

Naturalization docs add security features
(from USA TODAY)
Immigration officials, in an effort to deter fraud, will unveil today a new naturalization certificate for people who become U.S. citizens.

The new certificates, used to obtain passports and other legal documents, come after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) unveiled a new green card — the ID card for immigrants with permanent residency status — this year that had improved security features to prevent forgery and tampering.

"They are going to be very significant" technical changes, says USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas, who is scheduled to present the new certificates at a naturalization ceremony in Baltimore.

Mayorkas said his office doesn't track incidents of fraud for immigration documents, but the officials felt the improvements were necessary because the green cards hadn't been updated since 1998 and the last update of the naturalization certificates, in 2003, didn't add any security features.

The old certificates were filled in manually and the person's photograph was just attached to it. The new computerized certificates will have all that information embedded in the document and also will have ink patterns that are harder to duplicate.

see the full article here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-25-citizenship25_ST_N.htm

more info at USCIS web page: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d7592699c75db210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD