bill12

I arrived in YVR from a US flight earlier this week, and I noticed that they have kiosks that scan your declaration cards and presumably your passport in the international arrivals hall. They were called something like "Automated Border Clearance kiosks". I did not use them as I am a NEXUS member and thus used the NEXUS kiosks instead.

Does anyone know what this is about? How does it compare with clearing the border with NEXUS/CANPASS? Do you still get interviewed by a CBSA agent?

hoob

The border folks at YVR are ramping up for a large glut of incoming international passengers in the next 6 months. If it's what I think they are, then it's just something that pre-validates your declaration card and citizenship documents -- it reprints on the declaration card some sort of code that the actual officers can use to retrieve the information.

Think of it as something to shave time off the face-to-face part of the discussion, for everyone (not just Nexus/Canpass) -- like that person at the passport office who checks you have everything filled out properly BEFORE you actually talk to the real people.

shabster

this is part of YVR's new FasTrack program
read on:
http://www.yvr.ca/flightinfo/fastrackborder.asp

bill12

That is an old page. It makes no mention of the new kiosks that I'm referring to, only NEXUS and CANPASS which are of course not new.

bill12

So I guess after using the kiosk, you would still need to line up to see an agent? NEXUS/CANPASS usually have no face-to-face interview unless you get a secondary inspection.

yyzvoyageur

As I understand it, you scan your passport(s) and declaration form. The system then reads the card and asks you to clarify any questions you missed and codes the card. I believe you would then present the card and passports to an officer who confirms the identities of the people standing before him. I've heard mixed reviews. Apparently the machines constantly get jammed because people cannot read the part of the declaration form (in bold red font) that says "Do not fold".

yyzvoyageur

Someone has to confirm the passports belong to the people holding them.

Shareholder

Saw these yesterday too, though I used the NEXUS ones to the left of them. Look like check-in kiosks. Also new -- well actually old -- is the domestic connection which once again allows checked bags to be dropped off before taking the elevator up to the very long transit walk/check-in/security. AC agent present down there to provide gate information and confirm on-time status of your onward flight. Very welcome as dragging bags along that wal, then having to wait for AC to re-check you in for your onward domestic flight, was a real pain. Now if only they'd do away with that useless security check!

hjohnson

That will only happen if a) CBSA decides they don't want to see your bag in person while clearing you into the country, and b) They decide to accept your origin's security procedures for onward travel within Canada.

redsunsdriver

The Machines or Kiosks you saw are the E-PIL machines.
E-PIL stands for Electronic Primary Inspection Line.
This is a joint pilot program between YVR and CBSA to improve border crossing at International Airports in Canada.

So now instead of lining up to be interviewed by a Custom's agent, you will now line up at these kiosks and answer a few questions (Value of goods, # travellers, etc...)
The kiosks have a camera and probably some sort of infrared to check to see if you might be a threat.

Once you are done, you take the card and present to a custom agent who just checks to see if things match.

Then you're Off.

yyzvoyageur

hoob

Well, the interview with the customs agent is just like before, but it should be quicker overall. The agents will just have the passport data and form data in hand already. So the 5-30sec time they normally wait now for your passport to be searched/whatever after you hand it to them and they scan it, will hopefully be eliminated. It's not like you'll just be automatically waived through if you used this kiosk.

The idea is to automate the part of the process which can be automated, which is the simple part of verifying that the form data is complete and consistent, and gathering the passport data ahead of time (and doing the database searches and that type of thing in the background while you still wait for the real agent.)

sfo

The Nexus program as it is called requires applications from either US or Canadian Citizens. The applicant is interviewed by both US and Canadian authorities and includes a through back ground check. Then many pictures of your eve is taken to capture the iris. You then recieve your Nexus card. If is valid for entry by car, land, sea or air however you must carry your passport with you. At the airport, you stand in front of one of the machines, it verifies your iris, two questions are asked which are also on your declaration form that filled out prior to landing, if you answer no to both questions then a card slips out of the machine, there is a Canadian Customs person who deals with Crews, wheel chair passengers etc. As you walk by this person you show your nexus card and the Nexus card that came from the machine, in my all my travels past, I have just gotten a wave through then you pick up your luggage and head for the exit. Just prior to leaving another Customs agent picks up your filled out declaration form that you did on the airplance and the Nexus card you got out of the Nexus machine and your on your way. If you answered yes to either of two questions asked when you were at the Nexus machine, a different colored card will appear and then he will direct you to secondary screening. The Nexus card is the best thing that has happened to air travel.

roadracer

I used these automated kiosks when I came back from ICN last month. They are located at the back of the hall on the left side and only work with Canadian passports. You scan your passport (similar to a check-in kiosk) and insert your customs/immigration card that you filled out on the plane. It scans the card and returns it to you with some extra information printed on the card.

A customs agent is standing at the exit who quickly checks what was printed on the card. If you have nothing to declare like I did, then you walk straight through to the luggage carousel. The entire process took me about 3 minutes and I bypassed an entire plane of passengers arriving from NRT on a 747.

klparrot

This thread isn't about NEXUS, though, it's about a new automated clearance system for non-NEXUS passengers.