Jun 23, 2014, 10:17 pm
Last edit by: Boraxo
US/Canadian-issued ABTC can only be used to access the APEC/Crew/Diplomat lane. It does not replace/waive any visa requirements. Chinese embassy webpages mentioning visa not being required is for ABTC with CHN endorsed on the back. No US/Canadian-issued ABTC will have that endorsement.
The button to renew your US/Canadian ABTC will appear in your profile 30 days before the card expiration date.
Locations confirmed up and running:
AUS
BOS (Logan) only one of the two signature pads was working (late nov 2014)
BOS (Logan) still only 1 signature panel working, and a bit of confusion, but it all worked out (Jan 2015)
CVG (Minneola Pike)
EWR
IAD signature capture working in GE enrollment center; walk-in accepted after appointments accommodated - I was in the office for less than two minutes
IAH (outside security in E, no word on inside security GE office yet)
JFK (walk-in accepted; entrance directly across from Central Diner on arrivals level, T-4)
LAS
LAX
Long Beach, CA (downtown CBP Seaport offices, not LGB airport); posted as No Walk In, but may accommodate just the signature capture
MIA
MCO
ORD
PHX (Terminal 4, behind #6 baggage carousel)
SEA (Nexus office)
SFO (walk-in)
TUS (walk-in accepted)
Washington, DC/Reagan Bldg. walked in, only person there, signature captured, walked out, all within 5 minutes
YYZ (Nexus office)
YVR (Nexus office)
Usage Experience Updates:
BKK - 11/11/14 - success, 03/19/17 - success, 05/10/17 - success
CGK - 02/20/15 - denied (exit), 05/10/17 - success (exit), 08/20/17 - success (entry)
CRK - 10/28/16 - success, but only 30 days, not 59 days for no-endorsement US issued ABTC.
CTU - 03/18/16 - denied -(APAC lane has limited hours)
CUN - 12/30/17 & 12/27/19 - success (with family) but difficult to enter express lane due to pushback from line monitor
DMK - 9/20/17 inbound - success, had to go under lane ropes; use Official/Diplomatic, not Crew. No APEC markings.
DPS - 03/08/15 - success but with pushback (exit)
GMP - 09/18/14 - success, 03/18/15 - success (arrival)
HKG - 09/21/14 - success, 02/28/15 - success, 02/29/15 - success (exit), 3/18/17 success, 3/19/17 - success (exit)
HKT - 12/23 - success on entry - sign says +1 allowed and "THA" endorsement required, but didn't even check the back of card. On departure the APEC lane was not staffed
HND - 07/30/14, 03/30/23 - success - lane in clearly marked
ICN - 09/13/14 - success, 03/24/25 - success (departure)
KUL - 03/10/16 - success
MEX - 06/28/15 - success, 7/11/17 - success
MNL - 11/27/2015 - success (T1) (business visa not necessary for U.S. citizens) 59 days (depends on agent training. Most give 59, some give only 30, (Oct 2018))
NRT - 12/1/2014 - success both inbound and outbound immigration (visa not needed); 9/25/17 - inbound success
PEK - 07/25/14 - success (T3)
POM - 11/01/15 - denied, PNG immigration has a sign saying "only endorsed ABTC cards"
PVG - 07/24/14 - success (T2)
PVR - 11/2018, 4/2021 success (with family),4/2023 fail
SGN - 09/04/2014 - success (visa on arrival), 02/15/2017 - denied (visa on arrival)
SHA - 11/10/2014 - success
SJD - 6/2017 & 6/2018 - success (with family)
SIN - 2/3/2016 - denied, 5/3/2017 - success; 9/16/17 - success at APEC lane
TPE - 07/24/14 - success (T2), 9/30 - success (T1), 10/12 - Denied (T2), 02/24/2015 - success (T1), 5/11 & 5/13 - success (T1)
YUL - 11/2014 - success inbound (repeatedly into 2016 via dip line)
YVR - 06/2015 - success inbound
YYZ - 07/2016 - Success inbound
SCL - 04/02/2017 - Success inbound
LIM - 12/04/2017 - Success inbound
China land crossings from HK:
Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay - 09/29/14 reported - success
China Train crossings from HK:
Dongguan and Guangzhou - 09/29/14 reported - success
Hung Hom (Hong Kong's International Train Station) - 04/30/15 - success in both directions
China Seaports from HK/Macau:
Shekou, Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Baoan and and Macau/China ferry terminal in Hong Kong - 09/29/14 reported - success
[On all above China-HK crossings look, to use ABTC to enter/exit China, look for the "Special" counters]
For CGK: Go to line marked 3 on left side just before main immigration hall. If you get to line in main hall you've gone too far. Do not use crew line.
Locations confirmed up and running:
AUS
BOS (Logan) only one of the two signature pads was working (late nov 2014)
BOS (Logan) still only 1 signature panel working, and a bit of confusion, but it all worked out (Jan 2015)
CVG (Minneola Pike)
EWR
IAD signature capture working in GE enrollment center; walk-in accepted after appointments accommodated - I was in the office for less than two minutes
IAH (outside security in E, no word on inside security GE office yet)
JFK (walk-in accepted; entrance directly across from Central Diner on arrivals level, T-4)
LAS
LAX
Long Beach, CA (downtown CBP Seaport offices, not LGB airport); posted as No Walk In, but may accommodate just the signature capture
MIA
MCO
ORD
PHX (Terminal 4, behind #6 baggage carousel)
SEA (Nexus office)
SFO (walk-in)
TUS (walk-in accepted)
Washington, DC/Reagan Bldg. walked in, only person there, signature captured, walked out, all within 5 minutes
YYZ (Nexus office)
YVR (Nexus office)
Usage Experience Updates:
BKK - 11/11/14 - success, 03/19/17 - success, 05/10/17 - success
CGK - 02/20/15 - denied (exit), 05/10/17 - success (exit), 08/20/17 - success (entry)
CRK - 10/28/16 - success, but only 30 days, not 59 days for no-endorsement US issued ABTC.
CTU - 03/18/16 - denied -(APAC lane has limited hours)
CUN - 12/30/17 & 12/27/19 - success (with family) but difficult to enter express lane due to pushback from line monitor
DMK - 9/20/17 inbound - success, had to go under lane ropes; use Official/Diplomatic, not Crew. No APEC markings.
DPS - 03/08/15 - success but with pushback (exit)
GMP - 09/18/14 - success, 03/18/15 - success (arrival)
HKG - 09/21/14 - success, 02/28/15 - success, 02/29/15 - success (exit), 3/18/17 success, 3/19/17 - success (exit)
HKT - 12/23 - success on entry - sign says +1 allowed and "THA" endorsement required, but didn't even check the back of card. On departure the APEC lane was not staffed
HND - 07/30/14, 03/30/23 - success - lane in clearly marked
ICN - 09/13/14 - success, 03/24/25 - success (departure)
KUL - 03/10/16 - success
MEX - 06/28/15 - success, 7/11/17 - success
MNL - 11/27/2015 - success (T1) (business visa not necessary for U.S. citizens) 59 days (depends on agent training. Most give 59, some give only 30, (Oct 2018))
NRT - 12/1/2014 - success both inbound and outbound immigration (visa not needed); 9/25/17 - inbound success
PEK - 07/25/14 - success (T3)
POM - 11/01/15 - denied, PNG immigration has a sign saying "only endorsed ABTC cards"
PVG - 07/24/14 - success (T2)
PVR - 11/2018, 4/2021 success (with family),4/2023 fail
SGN - 09/04/2014 - success (visa on arrival), 02/15/2017 - denied (visa on arrival)
SHA - 11/10/2014 - success
SJD - 6/2017 & 6/2018 - success (with family)
SIN - 2/3/2016 - denied, 5/3/2017 - success; 9/16/17 - success at APEC lane
TPE - 07/24/14 - success (T2), 9/30 - success (T1), 10/12 - Denied (T2), 02/24/2015 - success (T1), 5/11 & 5/13 - success (T1)
YUL - 11/2014 - success inbound (repeatedly into 2016 via dip line)
YVR - 06/2015 - success inbound
YYZ - 07/2016 - Success inbound
SCL - 04/02/2017 - Success inbound
LIM - 12/04/2017 - Success inbound
China land crossings from HK:
Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay - 09/29/14 reported - success
China Train crossings from HK:
Dongguan and Guangzhou - 09/29/14 reported - success
Hung Hom (Hong Kong's International Train Station) - 04/30/15 - success in both directions
China Seaports from HK/Macau:
Shekou, Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Baoan and and Macau/China ferry terminal in Hong Kong - 09/29/14 reported - success
[On all above China-HK crossings look, to use ABTC to enter/exit China, look for the "Special" counters]
For CGK: Go to line marked 3 on left side just before main immigration hall. If you get to line in main hall you've gone too far. Do not use crew line.
US/Canadian Issued ABTC/APEC Business Travel Card: Updates, Experiences, Q&A
May 1, 2017, 8:34 pm
#1216
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CGK/LAX
Programs: KF,JMB, OZ, SPG,AA,UA,AS
Posts: 1,163
May 3, 2017, 4:52 am
#1217
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lafayette, LA
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, BA Gold, UA Gold MM, DL SM MM, Hyatt Glob, HH Diam, Marriott Ti/LT Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 274
I arrived in SIN this morning. There were dozens of people in each of the regular immigration lines and only three or four in the Diplomats/Crew/APEC line. I waited in the short line and showed my APEC card to the immigration officer, who cheerfully processed my passport. As others have observed in this thread, the officer didn't even look at the back of my card.
May 5, 2017, 11:23 am
#1218
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BKK/SEL/YQG
Posts: 2,543
CAN Issued - I've been yelled at in Vietnam 5 times in the last 6 months trying to use it on Entry. I usually just say "Only queue". One agent even took a photo of it and said NO VIETNAM. But each time they've let me use the queue without sending me back to a regular one.
May 5, 2017, 9:55 pm
#1219
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CGK/LAX
Programs: KF,JMB, OZ, SPG,AA,UA,AS
Posts: 1,163
CAN Issued - I've been yelled at in Vietnam 5 times in the last 6 months trying to use it on Entry. I usually just say "Only queue". One agent even took a photo of it and said NO VIETNAM. But each time they've let me use the queue without sending me back to a regular one.
May 7, 2017, 3:31 pm
#1220
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: DCA
Posts: 169
"Verified business person"?
Does anyone have any experience with (or even guesses about) how picky the APEC card application process in the US is likely to be about the "verified business person" requirement?
My situation: I'm a professor and have my own small consulting business (primarily consulting on government policy) on the side, and those together take me to APEC countries once or twice a year on average. I'm pretty sure that either one of those jobs would qualify me for APEC, since businesses selling services are explicitly included (and both the university and my consulting business sell services, with a substantial fraction of the consumers coming from outside the US, and especially APEC nations). So I'm pretty sure I'd be fine. But it's still not as obvious as someone working for a large for-profit corporation selling goods, and I can imagine a CBP agent being really picky and questioning this.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
My situation: I'm a professor and have my own small consulting business (primarily consulting on government policy) on the side, and those together take me to APEC countries once or twice a year on average. I'm pretty sure that either one of those jobs would qualify me for APEC, since businesses selling services are explicitly included (and both the university and my consulting business sell services, with a substantial fraction of the consumers coming from outside the US, and especially APEC nations). So I'm pretty sure I'd be fine. But it's still not as obvious as someone working for a large for-profit corporation selling goods, and I can imagine a CBP agent being really picky and questioning this.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
May 8, 2017, 2:43 am
#1222
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Does anyone have any experience with (or even guesses about) how picky the APEC card application process in the US is likely to be about the "verified business person" requirement?
My situation: I'm a professor and have my own small consulting business (primarily consulting on government policy) on the side, and those together take me to APEC countries once or twice a year on average. I'm pretty sure that either one of those jobs would qualify me for APEC, since businesses selling services are explicitly included (and both the university and my consulting business sell services, with a substantial fraction of the consumers coming from outside the US, and especially APEC nations). So I'm pretty sure I'd be fine. But it's still not as obvious as someone working for a large for-profit corporation selling goods, and I can imagine a CBP agent being really picky and questioning this.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
My situation: I'm a professor and have my own small consulting business (primarily consulting on government policy) on the side, and those together take me to APEC countries once or twice a year on average. I'm pretty sure that either one of those jobs would qualify me for APEC, since businesses selling services are explicitly included (and both the university and my consulting business sell services, with a substantial fraction of the consumers coming from outside the US, and especially APEC nations). So I'm pretty sure I'd be fine. But it's still not as obvious as someone working for a large for-profit corporation selling goods, and I can imagine a CBP agent being really picky and questioning this.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
1. What type of work
2. Which countries
3. How often
The CBP agent also flipped through my passport to see what APEC countries I had recently visited.
Absolutely no specifics of what company, self-employed or not, clients, etc.
May 8, 2017, 6:16 am
#1223
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Programs: DL 1MM Platinum, UA 1k, HH Silver, BonVoy Platinum
Posts: 1,146
I agree. I went armed with a packet of documents and the guy just asked a few questions (they seemed very casual, like friendly curiosity rather than anything detailed that would be used as a measure of qualification, but who knows, maybe the guy was some super ex-CIA dude trained to have a "distracted air" lol).
May 11, 2017, 11:47 am
#1224
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lafayette, LA
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, BA Gold, UA Gold MM, DL SM MM, Hyatt Glob, HH Diam, Marriott Ti/LT Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 274
I arrived in SIN this morning. There were dozens of people in each of the regular immigration lines and only three or four in the Diplomats/Crew/APEC line. I waited in the short line and showed my APEC card to the immigration officer, who cheerfully processed my passport. As others have observed in this thread, the officer didn't even look at the back of my card.
And a few subsequent experiences:
SIN departure 5/6/17: did not get a chance to look for an ABTC line because the immigration officers encouraged me to use the automated kiosk, for which there was no line. It didn't work -- could not read my fingerprints -- but then I was inspected by a special officer who was just looking after people like me who had been rejected by the kiosk. Very speedy process.
Jakarta arrival 5/6/17: I did not try the ABTC line, because I had already passed it on the moving walkway by the time I saw it. (It's to the left, by "Indonesian Passports".) The regular line was quite short and moving quickly, so I did not backtrack.
Jakarta departure 5/10/17: I waited in the very short Crew/Diplo/ABTC line. The officer took my card, did not seem to look at the back, and stamped my passport. First time I have not been yelled at using the card in Indonesia.
Bangkok arrival 5/10/17: I waited in the Fast Track line, handed the ABTC card to the officer. As usual, he stamped my passport without closely examining the card.
May 11, 2017, 5:57 pm
#1225
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,530
I arrived in SIN this morning. There were dozens of people in each of the regular immigration lines and only three or four in the Diplomats/Crew/APEC line. I waited in the short line and showed my APEC card to the immigration officer, who cheerfully processed my passport. As others have observed in this thread, the officer didn't even look at the back of my card.
May 11, 2017, 8:45 pm
#1226
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 2,068
And a few subsequent experiences:
SIN departure 5/6/17: did not get a chance to look for an ABTC line because the immigration officers encouraged me to use the automated kiosk, for which there was no line. It didn't work -- could not read my fingerprints -- but then I was inspected by a special officer who was just looking after people like me who had been rejected by the kiosk. Very speedy process.
SIN departure 5/6/17: did not get a chance to look for an ABTC line because the immigration officers encouraged me to use the automated kiosk, for which there was no line. It didn't work -- could not read my fingerprints -- but then I was inspected by a special officer who was just looking after people like me who had been rejected by the kiosk. Very speedy process.
May 12, 2017, 9:38 am
#1227
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Based in Michigan, but I could be anywhere!
Programs: Hilton, American, Club Carlson, United, Marriott, Starwood
Posts: 409
Any recent experience with Australia (SYD/MEL)? I have the card, and may be heading there on business next month...
May 12, 2017, 10:13 am
#1228
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,945
May 13, 2017, 2:01 am
#1229
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 463
I just renewed my (US issued) ABTC. Rather uneventful.
Renewed GE back in February. Current, at the time, passport expired May 26, 2017, and therefore also the ABTC. Renewed passport and got the new passport in the mail May 5, 2017. Renewed the ABTC that evening via the GOES website after updating the PP # in my account.
Got the renewal approval notice before I woke up Saturday morning, May 6. No interview or additional signature capture. Got the new ABTC Friday in the mail, 1 week later, on May 12. New expiration date is April 17, 2023, just shy of 6 years duration. Picture is the one they took at GE renewal a few months earlier.
5 years, 11 months is an odd period. A quick Google doesn't provide insight as to the reason why April 17 2023 is special. It's not a "round" date, either calendar-wise, or anniversary-wise, in my quick observation.
In my experience, MNL will give you 59 days, but CRK will only give you 30 days.
Renewed GE back in February. Current, at the time, passport expired May 26, 2017, and therefore also the ABTC. Renewed passport and got the new passport in the mail May 5, 2017. Renewed the ABTC that evening via the GOES website after updating the PP # in my account.
Got the renewal approval notice before I woke up Saturday morning, May 6. No interview or additional signature capture. Got the new ABTC Friday in the mail, 1 week later, on May 12. New expiration date is April 17, 2023, just shy of 6 years duration. Picture is the one they took at GE renewal a few months earlier.
5 years, 11 months is an odd period. A quick Google doesn't provide insight as to the reason why April 17 2023 is special. It's not a "round" date, either calendar-wise, or anniversary-wise, in my quick observation.
In my experience, MNL will give you 59 days, but CRK will only give you 30 days.
Last edited by RandomNobody; May 13, 2017 at 2:19 am
May 14, 2017, 9:02 am
#1230
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA1k3.00mm;AAex-EXP;Hy Glob;Acc Plt;HH Dia;Onyx Plt;Mar LT Tit;IHG DiAm;RR P;RRA G;BW D;Hcom G
Posts: 2,759
You will be fine. If you have a business card that would be good. Or you can write up what your business is in a few paragraphs. They will scan the info. into their database.
