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End in sight for US CBP Form 6059B customs declaration form

End in sight for US CBP Form 6059B customs declaration form

Old Feb 15, 2015, 10:15 am
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End in sight for US CBP Form 6059B customs declaration form

Orders for paper 6059b customs declaration forms will end at some point next year or for some point next year. So by 2017, the need for a pen/pencil for these customs declaration forms will end even for those not using electronic kiosks or other electronic means.

http://www.aviationnews.net/?do=headline&news_ID=241051

The White House on Friday announced new actions to help alleviate the bottleneck that can lead to long waits for many international travelers entering the U.S.

.....

The report also outlined action plans specific to 17 of the largest airports that account for almost three-quarters of international visitors entering the country.

Those action plans include several different approaches, as outlined by the White House:

* The private sector will spend an additional $20 million for 340 automated passport control kiosks at 13 locations, which allow travelers arriving at U.S. airports to scan their own passport. The kiosks can help to reduce the amount of time a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer spends on each person from 55 to 30 seconds.
*CBP will expand the use of new mobile passport control technology to the top 20 airports by 2016. That program, which allows travelers to use a mobile device to submit passport information, has been part of a pilot program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.
*CBP will deploy an additional 2,000 mobile devices at ports of entry by the end of fiscal year 2015 to help officers process passengers faster.
CBP will end the requirement that travelers fill out the 6059b Customs Declaration form by the end of 2016, expand the Express Connect program, and expand the use of One Stop processing for incoming arrivals who don't have a checked bag.
*The Global Entry and other CBP Trusted Traveler programs will be expanded and partnerships with the private sector will be expanded to reduce the cost of staffing and overtime.
The restriction on mobile phone use in the federal inspection area on arrival is going to become interesting when the government is advocating for more self-service mobile phone passport control app use on arrival.

Last edited by GUWonder; Feb 15, 2015 at 10:22 am
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 11:18 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Orders for paper 6059b customs declaration forms will end at some point next year or for some point next year. So by 2017, the need for a pen/pencil for these customs declaration forms will end even for those not using electronic kiosks or other electronic means.

http://www.aviationnews.net/?do=headline&news_ID=241051



The restriction on mobile phone use in the federal inspection area on arrival is going to become interesting when the government is advocating for more self-service mobile phone passport control app use on arrival.
My guess is people will be encouraged to fill it out on the plane or they'll have designated areas you can fill it out before entering the lines for CBP processing.
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 12:35 pm
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Originally Posted by LtKernelPanic
My guess is people will be encouraged to fill it out on the plane or they'll have designated areas you can fill it out before entering the lines for CBP processing.
What is the practice at/for ATL?
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 12:44 pm
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I recently flew from LHR to SEA. The BA flight crew handed out customs form as usual. In SEA I was sent to the new APC kiosks (all passengers on the VWP and an ESTA were sent to the kiosks by the staff, though I have since learned that you must have visited the USA at least once since 2008 with a machine-readable passport to use them). At the APC kiosk amongst other things you get asked much the same questions as on the customs form.
Neither the border control agent who stamped my passport nor the customs officer at the exit of the customs hall took my customs form which I finally still found folded in passport on arrival in my hotel.
So it does look as though the customs forms may be on their way out. YMMV
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 1:15 pm
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What could possibly go wrong?
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 1:29 pm
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With great respect ... any prediction regarding checkpoints/borders that extends more than two weeks into the future is worth absolutely nothing. We've seen DHS announce changes to policies that were later rescinded before going into effect, or predictions regarding future changes that never came to pass.

Get back to me when they actually stop distributing these forms on-board aircraft, and I'll believe it then.
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 3:30 pm
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Originally Posted by jkhuggins
With great respect ... any prediction regarding checkpoints/borders that extends more than two weeks into the future is worth absolutely nothing. We've seen DHS announce changes to policies that were later rescinded before going into effect, or predictions regarding future changes that never came to pass.

Get back to me when they actually stop distributing these forms on-board aircraft, and I'll believe it then.
I disagree, on your first paragraph above being applicable to this situation. But you're free to return to this thread in late 2016 or early 2017 and acknowledge that what was mentioned here has become evident to you too.

Some airlines have already stopped distributing these forms on some flights from VWP countries to the US airports where VWP users can use APC kiosks.
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 3:43 pm
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http://news.yahoo.com/us-scrap-custo...145552754.html
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Old Feb 15, 2015, 4:19 pm
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Excellent news ^
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Old Feb 16, 2015, 9:59 am
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But if they start letting even kettles not use the paper forms, how will the DYKWIA Division be able to maintain their incredible air of superiority?
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Old Feb 17, 2015, 10:17 pm
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End in sight for US CBP Form 6059B customs declaration form

Wow! Excellent news!!! I don't have to fills the customs forms.
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Old Feb 18, 2015, 7:42 am
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End in sight for US CBP Form 6059B customs declaration form

I've done it once; soon to be twice. I now have to stand in front of a machine and essentially fill out the same information that was on the paper form rather than find 5 minutes out of a 7 hour flight from somewhere overseas to fill it out before I landed. Like many of you, I used to have a stack of them that I would fill out even before I got on the plane.

I still have one sheet of paper that I still have to show to the same customs guy. There are no fewer employees, I still have to wait at baggage claim, and still have to wait in the long line to hand in the new & improved paper form.
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Old Feb 18, 2015, 8:28 am
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Originally Posted by FliesWay2Much
I still have one sheet of paper that I still have to show to the same customs guy. There are no fewer employees, I still have to wait at baggage claim, and still have to wait in the long line to hand in the new & improved paper form.
As I almost never use baggage claim, that really doesn't apply to me. Also, long line to hand in the form? At JFK, there's a separate exit from customs for Global Entry, never had more than a 15 second wait in line.

EDIT: Oh, just realized that FliesWay2Much was referring to APC, not Global Entry. Never mind.

Last edited by cestmoi123; Feb 18, 2015 at 1:43 pm
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Old Feb 18, 2015, 8:38 am
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Originally Posted by cestmoi123
As I almost never use baggage claim, that really doesn't apply to me. Also, long line to hand in the form? At JFK, there's a separate exit from customs for Global Entry, never had more than a 15 second wait in line.
APC kiosk users generally aren't entitled use the separate passport control or customs exit for GE members. Even GE members who use the APC kiosks aren't generally allowed to use the GE exits.

GE kiosk users also still have one sheet of paper to show to use even the GE exits. With or without checked-in baggage, GE or not, you still generally have to fill in an electronic customs declaration and present the kiosk-printed-out declaration substitute paper receipt to CBP staff.
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Old Feb 18, 2015, 3:49 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
APC kiosk users generally aren't entitled use the separate passport control or customs exit for GE members. Even GE members who use the APC kiosks aren't generally allowed to use the GE exits.

GE kiosk users also still have one sheet of paper to show to use even the GE exits. With or without checked-in baggage, GE or not, you still generally have to fill in an electronic customs declaration and present the kiosk-printed-out declaration substitute paper receipt to CBP staff.
I saw a lot of the new APC kiosks at TBIT LAX when I went through last week. And got some exceedingly dirty looks as I walked straight down the GE lane and past the lines waiting for the APC ticket review by the customs officers. So happily quick.
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