Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to consolidate two legacy systems of record, Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services-002 Background Check Service and Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services-003 Biometric Storage System into the new DHS system of records titled, ``Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services-018 Immigration Biometric and Background Check System of Records.'' This system of records notice (SORN) allows the DHS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to collect and maintain biographic, biometric, and background check records on applicants, petitioners, sponsors, beneficiaries, or other individuals in connection with a benefit request. USCIS uses biometric and associated biographic information to verify identity, conduct criminal and national security background checks against internal and external government systems, and to support domestic and foreign data sharing agreements. The categories of individuals, categories of records, and the routine uses of these legacy systems of records notices have been consolidated and updated to better reflect the Department's biometric and biographic criminal background checks; identity enrollment, verification, and resolution; document production record systems; and data sharing efforts. Additionally, DHS is issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to exempt this system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act, elsewhere in the Federal Register. This new system will be included in DHS's inventory of record systems.