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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
B1, B2 Visa Holders with Electronic Passports Cleared to Use Automated Passport Control Kiosks at LPIA
By Lynden Pindling International Airport
Jul 1, 2016 - 12:56:31 PM
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1-BI and B2 Visa holders given clearance to use Automated Passport Control kiosks at LPIA.
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Nassau, Bahamas — Effective July 1, US-bound passengers travelling on B1 or B2 visas with electronic passports (e-passports) can use the Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA). This expanded clearance now allows many Bahamian passengers to use the self-service kiosks in the United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) hall.
A growing number of airports are incorporating APC technology to expedite the border clearance process. Instead of filling out a paper customs declaration form, eligible travellers can proceed directly to APC kiosks in the passport control area. Travellers are prompted to scan their passports, taking a photograph using the kiosk, and answer a series of biographic and customs declaration questions.
Travellers then bring their passport and printed-receipt to a USCBP officer to finalize their inspection. To facilitate the process, APC Ambassadors are located in the hall to guide passengers and answer any questions. A total of 20 APC kiosks are currently in operation in the U.S. pre-clearance facility in Nassau.
Only travelers with machine-readable passports are able to use the APC kiosks. The kiosks will only accept visas in electronic passports. Persons in possession of visas in older passports that are not electronic will continue to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in the hall. Local travellers using police records will also continue to be screened and processed by USCBP personnel.
An estimated 208,000 passengers will move through the US Customs & Border Protection hall during the remaining summer months. Vernice Walkine, President and CEO at Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD), is pleased to expand APC kiosk use especially to the local population. She credits the technology with reducing wait-times for US-bound passengers by as much as 80%.
“Since we introduced the self-service kiosks in February 2015, processing times have been dramatically reduced. We are pleased to have this benefit extended to persons with B1 and B2 visas and that includes many members of our local community who have been asking for the ability to use the new technology,” Walkine said.
“Our Operations and IT teams have worked closely with manufacturer BorderXpress to test the machines for additional users. We anticipate an immediate positive impact on our operations, particularly during this busy travel season. Bahamians meeting the requirements will now have the added convenience of processing through US Customs within minutes.”
Up to this point, only U.S. and Canadian passport holders, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents and travellers with an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) were eligible to use the kiosks at LPIA. For more information on APC processing or for an online video demonstration, visit www.nassaulpia.com and click on the Navigating the Airport tab. http://nassaulpia.com/navigating-
the-airport/customs- immigration/automated-passport- control-apc/.
As a reminder, to facilitate the process, APC Ambassadors are located in the hall to guide passengers and answer any questions.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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