Pretty much everyone agrees that the most time-consuming and least enjoyable part of international travel is being processed through customs and immigration. (Okay, waiting for baggage isn’t much fun either.) In an effort to make the admission process into the US smoother and to manage the growing number of travelers, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched Mobile Passport Control (MPC), the first authorized app to expedite a traveler’s entry process into the US. The app is designed to streamline “the traveler inspection process and enables CBP officers to focus more on the inspection and less on administrative functions.” Although we’ve discussed it previously, we thought we’d answer some questions (with CPB’s help) about the app, especially since now we have even used it ourselves!
Read moreMobile Passport Control: All about CBP’s Smartphone App to Expedite Entry into the US
10 Great Things About Queens
While Manhattan and Brooklyn get much of the love and hype—we know already, Brooklyn, you are so cool—Queens is seriously one great borough. How great? Let us count ten ways that NYC’s largest and most diverse borough is a wonderful place to live or visit.
Read moreAutomated Kiosks at JFK Terminal 4 Significantly Decrease CBP Wait Times
Anyone who has entered the US internationally knows that the lines for US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) screening can often be very long. When Global Gateway Alliance (GGA), a trade organization established to address the challenges faced by the New York City metropolitan region’s airports and related infrastructure, and the U.S. Travel Association conducted a study of wait times at JFK’s US CBP screening, they showed extreme wait times for passengers arriving back into the United States. GGA reported some waits of up to 5 hours!
The solution (partly financed by Delta Air Lines) was to bring in forty Automated Passport-Control (APC) kiosks to JFK’s Terminal 4. JFK is the busiest US entry point for international passengers and thus a perfect place for the technology to be tested. Upon arrival at Terminal 4, US Citizens are directed to the option of using the APC kiosks while foreign nationals are directed to the standard lines for inspection and Global Entry registered customers are directed to a separate lane to use the Global Entry kiosks. US Citizens are directed to the option of using the APC kiosks where they can scan their US Passport and follow the prompts to answer a few questions. A photo is taken and a receipt printed. The receipt is then handed to a CBP Officer at a booth.
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