blue_can

No kidding!

It seems like the kiosks take away a small amount of tedious work of filling out the blue form by hand. However by also taking your photo and getting you into the system it removes some of the workload from the CBP. Instead of using that opportunity to speed the passengers through it leaves them more time for more intensive questioning.

So overall an unimpressive experience for me.

Majuki

GE provides a mostly predictable experience, but there are still some airport setups such as ORD that are now configured where a CBP officer asks questions after the GE kiosk, even if you don't get the X. The questions were minor and I was still through in < 30 seconds, so I'm not complaining. I also think this setup is primarily intended for people who get the X after using the GE kiosk. Prior to this, you were dumped into the customs hall after the kiosks, and you had to swim upstream if you got an X.

In addition to the side benefit of Precheck across all participating airlines, GE has saved me much time returning to the US. It easily paid for itself shortly after I got it by allowing me to make a connection I never would have made after my inbound international flight took my 3+ hour layover down to an hour.

It sounds like the APC kiosks have a similar setup as the GE kiosks at ORD, and I assume a CBP officer was the one asking the questions and not the kiosk. I couldn't even remember off the top of my head all of the countries I've visited in the last 5 years without consulting a list. Also, do you count countries you passed through while in transit, especially in cases like the Schengen Area where you clear passport control as you enter the area? You don't want be caught making a false statement.

blue_can

Yes it was the officer and not the kiosk. I would much rather have the kiosk ask the questions - while it is still annoying you don't have to watch and witness the surly and arrogant attitude of the CBP officers.

When I first saw the kiosks I was mildly excited thinking they may have rolled out something similar to GE for us non GE folks. However that proved to be short lived

After completing the transaction at the kiosk I got sent to one of two officers at a podium type arrangement. There were several officers in booths but I did not go there. I'm assuming these officers were for GE pax and I got sent there as there was no one in the GE line.

zkzkz

So am I right in understanding that the old system was:

1) Wait in line
2) Hand pre-filled-in card to agent and answer questions

and the new system is

1) Wait in line
2) Faff about with a machine
3) Wait in another line
4) Faff about with another machine
5) Wait in line
6) Hand in receipt to agent and answer questions

?

That seems like a lot of extra faffing about with no reduction of anything. That's amazing.

blue_can

Correct about the old system. New system (at YVR) is

1. fill out blue card since some like me may not know about the new system but this step does not apply in general of course.
2. Encounter some official who looks at your passport and sends you to the appropriate line.
3. Get to line and get directed to use machine.
4. Insert passport in machine and get photo page scanned. Select "accept" if satisfied.
5. Cannot recall the exact order but you get to

a. confirm flight details and final destination.
b. Get a photo taken of yourself and can repeat until you are satisfied with the result.
c. Answer the questions about being on a farm, bringing meats etc.
d. Get a printed receipt.

6. At this point head to to where the CBP agents are seeing people. In my case at this point they also took and discarded the hand filled blue form.

7. Wait in line for an officer.

8. Go upto officer, hand over printed receipt along with passport and BP and answer any and all questions they feel like asking including "anything to declare" in-spite of the printed declaration you hand them.

9. Once they are done with questions you are done. From what I recall the CBP officer re-scanned the passport again at the podium I was sent to.

Majuki

It does seem like a lot of extra steps, but it closely mirrors the GE kiosk experience now. However, I imagine you still need to fill out the blue paper form as you don't know 100% whether or not you'll be directed to an APC kiosk. Many with GE do this as well in case the kiosks are down, but I always take my chances.

How long was the wait to get to a kiosk, and how long did you have to wait for a CBP officer after using the kiosk? Even the one time I encountered the new setup at ORD, there wasn't any line for the GE machines whereas the USC line was snaked all the way back through the stanchions, and the non-resident line was backed up to the jet bridges.

blue_can

My understanding is that these kiosks are only for use by US and Canadian citizens so I believe anyone else will have to fill out the form by hand and see an officer. Not 100% sure about this but thought I saw it said so somewhere.

There were about 10 or so machines. I got to use one right away and I did get to see a CBP officer right away also so the wait time was minimal. However, this only reflects a snapshot in time (yesterday afternoon around 1pm) so I'm not sure how the line moves when very busy. As I mentioned the GE/Nexus line was empty.

I have seen some odd situations at YVR in the past where the USC and Candian citizen lines to the US are extremely long and another line with other passport holders being processed moving far more quickly as there were only a couple or so people in that line. In general when entering most countries the non-resident lines tend to take longer per person due to the questions/visa checking etc.

Majuki

I think the intention is to open the APC to passport holders of more countries. It would make sense that there would be more people in the USC and Canadian lines than the visitor lines at the transborder area of a Canadian airport, especially at YVR. As you pointed out, you only have one data point, so we'll need more to see how this plays out.

I'm optimistic that the APCs will do more to reduce the wait times at passport control, especially if the airlines are the ones paying for the kiosks. There had to have been a cost/benefit calculation done on these. It makes sense if they're able to provide a more predictable experience in terms of time necessary to get through passport control and customs. I imagine it wreaks havoc on airlines when you have many inbound international passengers missing their onward connections due to delays getting through passport control.

blue_can

It does seem like a good idea and a step in the right direction to speed things up. Based on my posted experience I personally did not find any improvement in time over the hand filled form method. It probably took as long to interact with the kiosk as filling out the form by hand. The time spent with the CBP officer was comparable as usually it involved less questions and more work by the officer in the past - now I just got more questions.

However, as these are rolled out it will become clear if it helps improve wait times.

Tom M.

Here is my experience using the new system in MIA about 2 weeks ago.

I fill out the Custom's card for myself and my wife on the plane, as I have always done.

Arrive in MIA and are directed to the new machines.

I get "approved", my wife gets the big "X"

We both stand in line to see the Immigration Officer.

At Customs, we are told the Blue Custom's card should have been filled out by my wife, not me because I got through the new system and she didn't

Curious what would happen to a family if one of the kids got the "X", but not the parents.

zkzkz

What direction is that?Presumably they didn't bring the kiosk onto the plane for you though?That doesn't sound like an improvement at all.

blue_can

LOL - the image of CBP bringing people stuff for them to fill out or being pleasant in general made me laugh.

Seriously though I did say "it seems like a step in the right direction" - not saying it is the case. Based on my experience at YVR no real improvement could be seen.

Chrisinhouston

Oh great! I fly back from Istanbul later this month through ORD as my CBP point of entry. Even with GE I still usually get a second screening where the agent asks for the details of why I was arrested in 1974 when I was 17 year old! One agent told me it could take 10 or more entries before it gets out of the system as a red flag! Can't wait to see what happens this time! I have a 2 hour layover before my flight to IAH, hope that is enough time!

EVA Air

Arrived in SEA earlier this evening and was directed to the APC line. I have GE, and I thought the APC was the GE line. Either way, both APC and GE lines were empty. Besides a couples questions from the CBP officer, APC was quick and painless.

Error 601

I have been generally impressed with this, but my frustration is on the airlines part. I have never had to wait more than a minute or two for an automated kiosk anywhere, but none the less I have "missed connections" because the airline decided I couldn't make it through customs in time. In a couple instances I was through the automated process before the flight I had "missed" even landed but none the less stuck on a later flight or asinine alternate routing.