I was never asked to provide any documents at the interview. The agent asked me what I needed the APEC card for and I told him I did business in several APEC countries. He flipped through my passport to see if I actually visited those countries and approved the application. The interview lasted 5-10 minutes.

Strange that there is a need for another interview when I already have a Nexus card. Thx for the info. I guess I'll apply and see how things go.

Same for me. 10 minutes and I was gone. The only thing he said was why do you need it and that he had never seen a trusted traveller number as low as mine. 😂

What does that mean?

I have lots of zeros in my number because I was one of the original Nexus land participants when it was started. I was in the first few hundred participants.

I think they have to take a picture or fingerprints. I can't remember because it was so long ago.

Yes, the do take a separate picture.

Is APEC a separate card? I mean, if you have Nexus/GE, they already got your picture.

It is a separate card, and for some reason they take a new picture. The card is mailed.

Hi, I'm wondering what counts as "frequent" for eligibility? Would one or two trips to Asia per year, about 50% business and 50% personal, mostly to Japan but also one to China (and a valid Chinese M visa in my passport), qualify? I have had to stand in line at immigration for up to an hour at HND in the past so I wouldn't mind being able to skip that, but if it's going to be a big hassle with a chance I might not even be approved then it might not be worth it.

Apologies if this has already been answered, but I couldn't find anything searching this thread aside from one person who had an agent mention "7 trips in the last year" off-handedely but that didn't seem to be a consistent requirement.

Numbers are not listed. It only says:

• are bona fide business persons who may need to travel frequently on short term visits within the APEC region to fulfill business commitments. A bona fide business person is a person who is engaged in the trade of goods, the provision of services or the conduct of investment activities.

Note this is for business travel only, not personal travel. Personal trips taken or booked are irrelevant.

Is there any informal indication of what kind of numbers are used as a cutoff? "Frequent" is a subjective term since one work trip to Asia per year is "frequent" compared to the average Canadian citizen, but is peanuts compared to what the most devoted business travelers do...

Noted; I only mention that from the "is it worth it" perspective since there are lots of accounts here about being allowed to use APEC lanes while travelling for tourism (and as per official APEC FAQ, "The ABTC is not designed for tourism purposes, but some economies may facilitate entry for cardholders depending on their circumstances.")

Consider that there are many members of APEC that would qualify for the - including Canada and Mexico, so you don't necessarily need to cross the Pacific to get benefits. I haven't tried Mexico, but It does get you through the shorter lines in Canada - BUT, it isn't commonly used, the logo is not prominently displayed (at least in Toronto - it is there at the Nexus line, but you have to look for it), and so may draw some increased scrutiny. (Fortunately, I also had a Canadian work permit). Bottom line - for Canada Nexus is a better bet, but the ABTC can be used.

I do already have NEXUS (I believe it's a pre-requisite to apply for ABTC in the first place as a Canadian) which includes GE and TSA Pre, and it's invaluable at Canada/US airports for sure. I would only be interested in the ABTC for use at Asian airports.

When I did my interview I'd just stepped off a plane from Asia. It's a while ago, but I'd probably been going to that end of the world 4-6 times a year in the year or two before and that seemed to barely enough. My "documentation" was just passport stamps and showing my business card with a relevant title from a large well known international company.

I did get approved though and when the airport is busy it's made it a little easier to show up on a morning flight and get to the hotel in a hurry for a shower and then to the office for a full day of work.

(Of course I haven't been to Asia since January last year; so it was useful in the "before times" -- hopefully soon again...).