Old Apr 23, 2016, 3:34 pm
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Last edit by: TWA884
Where can eligible travelers use MPC?

CBP uses the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) application to streamline the processing of eligible travelers entering the United States. Eligible travelers with a smartphone or tablet may voluntarily download the Mobile Passport Control (MPC)-enabled mobile application (app) from a mobile application store (e.g., Apple App Store or Google Play Store).

The MPC mobile app, is available to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA.

MPC is currently available at the following 48 sites, including 33 U.S. International Airports, 11 Preclearance locations, and 4 seaports of entry:
  • Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
  • Aruba Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA)
  • Bermuda L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA)
  • Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
  • Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
  • Calgary International Airport (YYC)
  • Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
  • Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
  • Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
  • Denver International Airport (DEN)
  • Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
  • Dulles International Airport (IAD)
  • Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
  • Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
  • Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
  • Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
  • Houston William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU)
  • John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
  • Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
  • Las Vegas Harry Ried International Airport (LAS)
  • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  • Miami International Airport (MIA)
  • Miami Seaport
  • Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
  • Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
  • Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS)
  • Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
  • Oakland International Airport (OAK)
  • Orlando International Airport (MCO)
  • Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
  • Palm Beach Seaport
  • Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
  • Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
  • Port Everglades Seaport
  • Portland International Airport (PDX)
  • Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
  • Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
  • San Diego International Airport (SAN)
  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  • San Jose International Airport (SJC)
  • San Juan Airport (SJU)
  • San Juan Seaport
  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  • Tampa International Airport (TPA)
  • Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
  • Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
  • Winnipeg James A Richardson International Airport (YWG)
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US CBP Mobile Passport Control App (MPC)

Old Sep 2, 2016, 7:33 am
  #121  
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Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
It looks like our next entry into the US will be through a MPC airport--how does it handle family groups?

And will it actually do us any good as there's a 100% chance that I will be answering yes to the food question?
MPC works just fine for families with just US and/or Canadian citizens in the family travel party.

It works well even when declaring food. Some airports with MPC even have a special post-baggage claim line to access customs; and in some places it's the same line as GE members use.

If you specify the MPC airport, maybe I've been there and can tell you more.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:31 pm
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Old Sep 2, 2016, 2:52 pm
  #122  
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
MPC works just fine for families with just US and/or Canadian citizens in the family travel party.

It works well even when declaring food. Some airports with MPC even have a special post-baggage claim line to access customs; and in some places it's the same line as GE members use.

If you specify the MPC airport, maybe I've been there and can tell you more.
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
What is MPC?

It might help to say what passports you'll be using. Also, what does family include? Just spouse and kids under some young age or adult children, extended family? USA permanent residents?
US passports, through Seattle, coming from China, just the two of us. Nothing questionable. (Although I don't know what my wife might pick up over there.)
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Old Sep 2, 2016, 5:17 pm
  #123  
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Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
It looks like our next entry into the US will be through a MPC airport--how does it handle family groups?
From the Mobile Passport website:
HOW IT WORKS
SET UP YOUR PROFILE

Enter your profile information as it appears on your valid, official passport. You can set up profiles for your entire family. Your information will be encrypted and shared only with CBP.
FAQ
Is it possible to submit the entire family with the app?

The Mobile Passport App offers you the opportunity to set up profiles for every member of your family. If you are planning a family journey, the App lets you set up a trip for the whole family, after submitting you get QR Code receipts for every family member.
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Old Sep 3, 2016, 12:29 am
  #124  
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The MPC passport profiles for multiple family members can be set up long before the trip. And then you can reuse the profiles for future trips as long as the passport profiles are stored behind a numerical passcode.

Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
US passports, through Seattle, coming from China, just the two of us. Nothing questionable. (Although I don't know what my wife might pick up over there.)
You'll get two receipts in the app that CBP scans. CBP routinely scans each receipt twice: once (pre-baggage claim) for passport control purposes and once (post-baggage claim) for customs control purposes.

For say a family of two adults and four kids, it works fine too, but you have to keep swiping over to show the next electronic receipt for scanning. So that's like swiping for six receipts each time asked to show the receipts.

To limit CBP's phone access, some screencapture the receipt and restrict the phone to select photo album access only. Even having the receipt show on a photo file of a non-phone digital camera with photo playback works.

SEA is amongst the MPC airports where I've not yet used MPC.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:31 pm
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Old Oct 3, 2016, 4:27 pm
  #125  
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HOU and IAH have MPC.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:32 pm
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Old Oct 4, 2016, 9:02 am
  #126  
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My app keeps saying CBP cannot process your form and directs me to regular line. Anyone know why or had this same problem? I'm assuming the app has the ability to mark an X on your mobile form so it doesn't necessarily mean you've been selected for secondary. Just seems really counterintuitive.
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Old Nov 1, 2016, 7:37 am
  #127  
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Port Everglades has this for ship passengers now too. First place to get MPC for those coming into the US via a seaport.

Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
My app keeps saying CBP cannot process your form and directs me to regular line. Anyone know why or had this same problem? I'm assuming the app has the ability to mark an X on your mobile form so it doesn't necessarily mean you've been selected for secondary. Just seems really counterintuitive.
Sometimes they disable MPC, and it's not all related to an individual having had to declare something or being sent to secondary.

Was the GE processing also slower at the airport of entry you used that time when MPC failed? I noticed that a few times this October.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:32 pm
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 8:39 am
  #128  
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Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
My app keeps saying CBP cannot process your form and directs me to regular line. Anyone know why or had this same problem? I'm assuming the app has the ability to mark an X on your mobile form so it doesn't necessarily mean you've been selected for secondary. Just seems really counterintuitive.
Is this what you mean?


I've used the app 2 or 3 times before at SFO. Last night I got this message every time I tried. So we waited 1+ hours in the ordinary peeps line. It appeared that the MPC line was open and functioning, so I was very frustrated that it would not work for me.

Originally Posted by GUWonder
Sometimes they disable MPC, and it's not all related to an individual having had to declare something or being sent to secondary.
Has anyone else seen this message?

Thanks!
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 9:34 am
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I saw some signs for MPC at YYC that were covered up. Looks like its going to be the first pre-clearance location to get it.
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 11:27 am
  #130  
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Originally Posted by SFOTerry
Is this what you mean?


I've used the app 2 or 3 times before at SFO. Last night I got this message every time I tried. So we waited 1+ hours in the ordinary peeps line. It appeared that the MPC line was open and functioning, so I was very frustrated that it would not work for me.



Has anyone else seen this message?

Thanks!
Yes and yes. Happened to me, but the GE kiosks still worked out fine for me after those MPC messages.

The APC kiosks sometimes did not work out initially after that MPC message and then they tell passenger to proceed to in some way. But after a change of APC kiosk it would work fine.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:33 pm
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 1:04 pm
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Used the app the first time at Port Everglades last Sat. We were off the boat at 6:45am and my folks used the paper method. They were done 10 minutes before us. There was only one CBP line for the mobile but 4 for the paper. Read others had the reverse latter in the morning when more folks were getting off.
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Old Nov 30, 2016, 2:46 pm
  #132  
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MPC makes more of a positive difference when the regular lines are long/busy. This is the case at airports as well as at the seaport of Port Everglades.

How many people were using MPC when you were there? MPC processing by the agent -- once you get up to an agent -- can indeed be slower per person than the old school method, but it depends on a few factors.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:33 pm
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Old Dec 20, 2016, 2:33 am
  #133  
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SMF now has MPC.

Last edited by TWA884; Aug 6, 2019 at 2:33 pm
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Old Jan 6, 2017, 4:23 pm
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Question

I have GE, and reading the prev 92 posts has helped me assess MP and GE. I'm inclined to want to try MP. BUT… I have a question about security - of my passport and other ID info. In this day and age I am a security skeptic! i) Who holds/stores and b) who can access this other than my iPhone and CBP when I send it to them while waiting entry? Can the app maker access this info? Why not? Anyone seen the actual code so we could know? Verbal assurances are [for me] weak. As my son-in-law notes, one of the most popular sites that helps collect business cards is owned by a chinese investor whose main backer is the chinese army. NOT saying this is the same, just wonder if anyone actually knows what the deeper rules embedded in the app are? Thanks, a helpful forum!

Last edited by TWA884; Jan 6, 2017 at 4:53 pm Reason: Remover URL from thread title (to correct moderation error)
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Old Jan 6, 2017, 4:50 pm
  #135  
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Originally Posted by 42ranger
I have GE, and reading the prev 92 posts has helped me assess MP and GE. I'm inclined to want to try MP. BUT… I have a question about security - of my passport and other ID info. In this day and age I am a security skeptic! i) Who holds/stores and b) who can access this other than my iPhone and CBP when I send it to them while waiting entry? Can the app maker access this info? Why not? Anyone seen the actual code so we could know? Verbal assurances are [for me] weak. As my son-in-law notes, one of the most popular sites that helps collect business cards is owned by a chinese investor whose main backer is the chinese army. NOT saying this is the same, just wonder if anyone actually knows what the deeper rules embedded in the app are? Thanks, a helpful forum!
I moved your question to the thread that specifically deals with the Mobile Passport Control App.

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