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Folks flying to the U.S. from Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport or Montreal Trudeau Worldwide Airport can use an app to submit all of their required journey data upfront and keep away from lengthy strains at U.S. Customs — reviews CTV Information Toronto.

The usCustoms and Border Safety (CBP)’s Cellular Passport Management (MPC) app launched on August 30 for eligible air travellers in Canada and lets them submit their passport, customs declaration kind, and every other journey data earlier than crossing the border.

As well as, the U.S. CBP mentioned travellers who use the MPC app may even save their data “so will probably be available for future worldwide journey.” The federal company hopes the app will end in “much less congestion” at Customs.

“It additionally eliminates the necessity for a declaration kind as a result of travellers can reply the CBP inspection-related questions electronically through their smartphone or pill previous to arriving at Customs,” the CBP mentioned in a information launch.

Travellers flying out of Pearson or Montreal Trudeau can use the MPC app at preclearance at Customs or after they land within the U.S.

To make use of the MPC app, eligible travellers should first obtain it from the App Retailer or Play Retailer. As soon as downloaded, travellers must digitally fill out their passport data, submit their Customs declaration kind, fill in every other required data, snap a selfie, and reply a collection of questions.

“It in all probability took me lower than a minute to fill out the questions,” mentioned Jade Horinga, who used the MPC app whereas flying to St. Louis, MO, on September 6.

As soon as they’ve submitted all of the required data, the MPC app provides travellers an encrypted QR code that’s legitimate for 4 hours. They’ll present this QR code to a Customs officer for last inspection upon touchdown.

“I didn’t actually know what to anticipate [or] if it was even going to work, and it was superb,” Horinga added. “There was no person within the MPC line at Pearson and there was an enormous line for customs, and we principally bought to skip the complete line.”

In keeping with the CBP, all data submitted by the app is distributed by “safe encryption protocols.”

For the time being, the MPC app can solely be used when touchdown on the following 31 U.S. airports:

  •  Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Airport
  •  Boston Logan Worldwide Airport
  •  Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport
  •  Dallas/Fort Price Worldwide Airport
  •  Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport
  •  Dulles Worldwide Airport
  •  Denver Worldwide Airport
  •  Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide Airport
  •  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport
  •  Houston George Bush intercontinental Airport
  •  William P. Passion Houston Worldwide Airport
  •  Kansas Metropolis Worldwide Airport
  •  Los Angeles Worldwide Airport
  •  Miami Worldwide Airport
  •  Minneapolis-Saint Paul Worldwide Airport
  •  John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport
  •  Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport
  •  Oakland Worldwide Airport
  •  Orlando Worldwide Airport
  •  Philadelphia Worldwide Airport
  •  Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport
  •  Pittsburgh Worldwide Airport
  •  Portland Worldwide Airport
  •  Sacramento Worldwide Airport
  •  San Diego Worldwide Airport
  •  San Francisco Worldwide Airport
  •  San Jose Worldwide Airport
  •  San Juan Airport
  •  Salt Lake Metropolis Worldwide Airport
  •  Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport
  •  Tampa Worldwide Airport

The cell app can be used at seaports. Whereas this system is at the moment solely accessible to travellers going by two Canadian airports, the CBP mentioned it can develop it to Vancouver beginning September 19.

The MPC app is making it simpler for Canadians to enter the U.S. Nevertheless, the identical can’t be mentioned for crossing again into Canada, due to the oft-criticized ArriveCAN app.