new entry procedure at ord
 

Flew in on lh430 yesterday and all US citizens are asked to go through a computer kiosk to scan passports and pictures of adults taken. It prints a receipt similar to the GE receipt and if there is an "x" with any questions answered yes then you go into the CBP officer else you should your printout and exit to baggage.

Not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere. We had two adults and two kids. Kids passports will also scanned at the kiosk but no pic needed. Since we had baby food we marked yes for food question and it printed 4 receipts with x which we had to show to the CBP and get them stamped.

But the procedure is quite a bit quicker than the booth line.

was this required or optional?
 

Per the page below it is supposed to be an option not a requirement at Terminal 5.

http://www.choosechicago.com/article...-Airport/1022/

It's an option but not a requirement to go through the APC kiosks. These kind of kiosks also exist at some other US airports and also in the US pre-clearance facilities at some Canadian airports and work the same way as the kiosks at ORD.

It was not indicated to be as optional at the airport....

Indication or not, the option exists. One way to do so is to go via the visitors line.

Will people, who go through APC, get additional check and passport stamped? If not, can I say APC machine is GE machine without fingerprints and background check? If so, once APC is installed everywhere, then US citizens does not need GE anymore.

Polar Bear

YVR and ORD only at this point.

No passport stamp.

After the Kiosk passenger present the printout a and passport to a USCBP agent then move to baggage claim then customs officers.

They're operational at YUL.

YUL has them. JFK has them too for DL's T4, although I had not seen them installed and operational for passenger use at JFK.

And since the GE folk now need to show their receipt to an agent, I'm struggling to see what GE buys me over the new system. Doesn't sound like much for what I'm paying. Am I missing something??

Presumably you still get to skip the line. Kiosks for all aren't going to eliminate lines at peak times.

Sounds like they are ultimately looking to get rid of the customs forms handed out on the plane by having them filled out at the kiosks. I'm not sure if this ultimately would reduce lines or even agent staffing if everyone has to still see an agent.

I have only had to see an agent when using GE at IAH (not just the X, but everyone using the GE kiosks has to see an agent). At DEN and ORD, you just walk on to baggage and customs.

With APC, isn't it that each CBP officer is on average supposed to be able to clear/direct passengers at a far faster pace per hour of their work than would otherwise be the case in a more traditional setting? The idea would be the same as with the airlines: make the passengers to do more and more of your employees work so you can reallocate resources and reduce clutter.

I can't see them doing a massive headcount reduction anytime soon because of this. National paranoia is too deep and widespread to allow for much of that to happen anytime soon.

A reduction of wait times is the goal; government agencies rarely shrink. The CBP sequester show has been fantastic.