Under plans to strengthen checks at European borders laid out by the European Commission, international travelers would also have their stay logged and monitored by an electronic system, which could become operational by 2015. The system would alert authorities to persons overstaying the length of their visa. Biometric data would be submitted by travelers from outside the EU when applying for a visa, while those not needing a permit would be checked on arrival. Automated border-control systems and guards would be able to check visitors' identities using the biometric data, with EU and trusted travelers from outside the EU able to speed up the process by using automated gates. The Commission is also investigating the possibility of requiring electronic authorization for outside travelers as an alternative to requiring a visa. From 2009, all EU passports will feature a digital fingerprint and photograph and, from 2011 , non-EU citizens who apply for a visa will have to give their bi...