CBP Detroit Implements ‘Ready Lane’ Pilot Program

(CBP)

RFID-Enabled Documents Get Special Lane During Program

U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced a pilot program at the Ambassador Bridge for travelers with approved Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology-enabled travel documents. The pilot program will start Monday, June 28, and last for 90 days.

CBP will dedicate lane 13, or the “Ready Lane,” for travelers entering the U.S. with a WHTI-compliant, RFID-enabled document. These documents include:

• U.S. Passport card

• Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Identification card

• Trusted Traveler card, such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST

• New Permanent Resident card or a new Border Crossing card

“Since the implementation of WHTI in June 2009, travelers have been required to present secure travel documents that denote citizenship and identity when entering the U.S. at land ports,” said Acting Director Field Operations Roderick Blanchard. “The use of RFID technology in these documents enables CBP to further facilitate legitimate travelers as they cross the border into the U.S. This pilot program will help us determine the efficiency and effectiveness of a dedicated RFID lane for those travelers.”

During the pilot program, the “Ready Lane” will be open from 6 to 10 a.m., seven days a week. CBP will monitor the success of the lane and expand the hours of operation as needed to meet the demand for usage.

In order to use this dedicated lane, all adult passengers over the age of 16, must present one of the approved travel documents.

Travelers using the “Ready Lane” are reminded the three simple steps to follow as they approach a U.S. land port of entry with their RFID-enabled travel card:

• Stop at the entry to the inspection lane and wait for a signal to move forward.

• Each passenger removes his or her travel card from its protective sleeve and holds it up, with the flat front face of the card toward a window on the driver’s side. The RFID-enabled cards will be read automatically while the vehicle proceeds to the inspection booth.

• Stop at the inspection booth, and be prepared to present documents for all travelers in the vehicle to the CBP officer.

“The priority lane complements Michigan’s enhanced driver’s license by adding another element of convenience for travelers,” said Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, who secured federal approval of the state’s enhanced license program.

“As the enhanced license becomes even more popular, I applaud U.S. Customs and Border Protection for exploring ways to efficiently accommodate motorists who enjoy its advantages. Our state and federal partnership is responding to the needs of travelers while ensuring the security of Michigan and America.”

CBP Announces NEXUS Enrollment Center in Fort Frances, Ontario

(CBP)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced that the NEXUS enrollment center in Fort Frances, Ontario Canada will be able to enroll Free and Secure Trade (FAST) applicants effective Monday, May 3.

The NEXUS enrollment center at 301 Scott Street in Fort Frances, Ontario Canada will be open to FAST applicants from Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. (CST) to 6:30 p.m. (CST).

The FAST program allows pre-screened, low-risk travelers to be processed with less delay by United States and Canadian officials at designated commercial highway lanes at high-volume border crossing locations. Approved applicants are issued a FAST card which they present to the CBP officer when they arrive at the port of entry and proceed to make their declaration.

The FAST cards have enhanced security features that allow U.S. and Canadian citizen cardholders to comply with the documentary requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). To participate, both the United States and Canada must approve an individual’s application. Denial of an application by either country will keep an individual from participating in the FAST program.

The FAST program is a binational program and applicants need to complete an-online application form. Qualified applicants are required to visit a FAST enrollment center for an interview. Interviews can be scheduled on-line using the Global On-line enrollment system located on the FAST Web site here. Applicants can contact the International Falls port of entry at (218) 283-2541 if they have any question on the FAST or NEXUS programs.

The FAST program is available to commercial drivers crossing both the northern and southern borders. Currently, the program has more than 86,000 members.

NEXUS Goes Overtime to Assist Hockey Fans at the Canadian Border

(NHL/Buffalo Sabres)

The Buffalo Sabres today announced a new partnership with the Peace Bridge Authority (PBA) to create more public awareness of the NEXUS program. To make this program more user friendly for hockey fans, the NEXUS lanes entering Canada have now had their hours extended by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) following all Sabres home games, and will continue to do so during the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo.

“An efficient, smooth flowing border is critical to the prosperity of the binational region and organizations like the Buffalo Sabres that add so much to the quality of life in this area,” said Anthony Annunziata, Chairman of the Peace Bridge Authority. “The CBSA is to be commended for their commitment to improve the functionality of the border, and to ensure that not only Sabres games but also major events like the World Junior Championship can be attended and enjoyed without the border being an impediment.” Read more here.

Related: Sale of 10 acres set to extend Customs (Watertown Daily Times)

Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan Opens Douglas Border-Crossing Facility

(Canada NewsWire)

The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, joined by Russ Hiebert, Member of Parliament for South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, today officially opened the new port of entry facility in Douglas, British Columbia. This modern and environmentally friendly facility will provide improved service to the public crossing the border between Blaine, Washington, and Surrey, British Columbia, in time for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“Our government is strengthening security at our border while facilitating the flow of goods and people,” said Minister Van Loan. “This new and modern facility demonstrates how we are meeting these two goals through investing in better infrastructure for our border facilities.”

The Douglas port of entry is one of the busiest ports of entry in Canada, processing more than 2 million vehicles and over 3 million travellers each year. The new facility has been designed to meet current and future operational needs, including the use of new technologies. It has increased the number of processing lanes from seven to ten, two of which can be used as dedicated NEXUS lanes for trusted travellers. This will translate into reduced transit times for travellers.

The construction included many innovative environmental and energy efficient strategies to minimize the environmental footprint of the new facility. The building design is being considered for the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

CBP to Deactivate Older NEXUS Frequent Traveler Cards

(CBP)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced it will cancel old NEXUS cards for current NEXUS members on May 1.

CBP has been mailing new NEXUS cards to all members since November. The new cards have enhanced security features and allow U.S. and Canadian citizen cardholders to comply with the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

All members must activate their new cards within 30 days, verify and update their U.S. mailing address by going to the GOES page on the CBP website.

NEXUS members should destroy their old cards after activating their new ones. If members have not received their new cards, they should go to their local enrollment center to either pick up their new card or to apply to have a new card issued. Old cards will be deactivated May 1.

NEXUS is a joint CBP-Canada Border Services Agency program that both governments implemented to enhance border security while simplifying the entry process for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. It was established in 2002 and approximately 280,000 members participate in the program.

A similar program called Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) serves citizens of the U.S. on the southern border.

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Reminder

(U.S. CBP — Pembina)

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) documentary requirements for land and sea travel will go into effect on June 1, 2009. U.S., Canadian, and Bermudan citizens that
were previously exempt document requirements will be required to present a WHTI-compliant document for entry into the United States at land and sea ports of entry beginning June 1.

WHTI codes will be applied to ACE E-Manifests starting April 2009, with a transition period, until compliance is enforced on June 1, 2009. Effective June 1, 2009, all E-Manifests filed that are non-WHTI compliant will be rejected by ACE until WHTI compliance is obtained. As a reminder, WHTI-compliant documents include the following:

• U.S., Canadian or Bermudan passports;
• U.S. Passport Card;
• Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (when and where available);
• Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST);
• Form I-872 American Indian Card, or (when available) Enhanced Tribal Cards;
• Military identification cards (for members of the U.S. armed forces on official orders);
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Document (for U.S. citizens on official maritime business);

As specified in the WHTI land and sea final rule, U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16, and those under age 19 traveling in a designated group, may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

US Customs Opens Fast Lane at International Falls

(Associated Press)

A new fast lane of sorts will open in International Falls on Monday for some travelers who want to cross the U.S.-Canadian border with less delay.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection says pre-screened, low-risk travelers will be allowed to use the NEXUS lane. It will operate between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., every day.

Approved applicants will be issued a photo-identification card. Participants must present their NEXUS card and make a declaration when they cross the border. They will then be released, unless chosen for a selective or random review.

Both the United States and Canada must approve an individual’s application.

Edmonton International Airport Launches U.S. Quick Connect Program

(Chris Gardner — News880)

A bureaucratic break for some Canadian air passengers to the U.S. with a stop over at the Edmonton International.

The Edmonton Airports Authority has launched the “U.S. Quick Connect” program.

In the past, travellers were forced to leave the secure area, collect their baggage and re-screen outside of U.S. Customs. Now, the secured bags are moved directly from plane to plane and the passengers stay in the secure area.

Read more here (along with pictures detailing the new process step-by-step)

New Technology to Identify Border Crossers

(Ray Spiteri — Sun Media/Welland Tribune)

U. S. Customs And Border Protection Agency Has Installed Radio Frequency Identification Technology At Area Border Crossings

New technology at Niagara’s four border crossings will reduce waiting times and result in a more secure environment, American customs officials say.

The U. S. Customs and Border Protection agency has installed radio frequency identification technology at the Rainbow, Queenston-Lewiston, Whirlpool and Peace bridges.

It will allow officers to identify U. S. State Department-issued passport cards, so-called “enhanced” driver’s licences and trusted traveller identification documents, such as NEXUS or FAST, before a driver reaches an inspection station.

When a traveller approaches the booth, the wireless technology captures a randomly assigned number from a chip embedded in the documents.

No personal data is contained or transmitted - the numerical identifier serves only as a pointer to gather information from the agency’s secure network and display it for a border officer.

“This will greatly reduce border wait times in that as the car approaches, the technology will already be on the officer’s screen as opposed to an officer having to type in an individual’s information,” CBP spokesman Kevin Corsaro said at the Peace Bridge Monday, where officials demonstrated how the technology works for the media. Read more here.

New NEXUS Card Offers Security

(The Windsor Star – Craig Pearson)

NEXUS border-crossing cards are changing to add security, though a U.S. government official says they should also help speed the process. Sometime in the fall, current NEXUS cards – in use for five years to help regular commuters move quickly across the border – will be swapped for second-generation NEXUS cards.

“It’s leaps and bounds more secure,” Chief Ron Smith of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday. “But beyond the security issue it will also make us more efficient.”

Smith said the new cards are being issued in conjunction with the introduction of new card readers that improve upon the radio-frequency-identification-device technology – which can read nearby cards without having to swipe them. The chip in the old NEXUS cards sent information 15 feet. The new card will send it only 10 feet, which lessens the chance someone can intercept the information.

That said, cards only contain an ID number. Border officials then retrieve personal information from a protected data bank. As well, the new cards are harder to counterfeit or alter.

Furthermore, the new U.S. card readers can handle more information, making them faster. With the previous system, the card readers could only identify one or two people at the same time. With the updated system, the readers will be able to identify four NEXUS commuters in one car all at once.

“It’s an all-around better system,” Smith said. “It should also help us increase our NEXUS usage.”

About 355,000 people currently hold NEXUS cards. Both Canadian and American officials hope that number will climb significantly, since NEXUS cardholders typically cross land borders with less delay than those using other government-issued ID.

Smith also noted that the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will require all Canadians and Americans to use passports to enter the United States, including through land borders, starting June 1, 2009. NEXUS cards can be used as a passport at the border,” Smith said. “It’s simple.”

Current NEXUS cardholders will receive new, more secure cards by mail sometime in the fall. NEXUS cards cost $50 and are good for five years. You can apply for NEXUS cards online at http://www.nexus.gc.ca. The entire process, including interviews with border officials, takes about six weeks.

Border Crossing: NEXUS Users Reminded to File Renewals on Time

The Department of Customs and Border Protection has issued a reminder for NEXUS participants to renew their enrollments on time.

Many NEXUS enrollments began expiring in June and Customs officials are asking that NEXUS members begin their application renewal 90 days prior to their expiration date.

To continue their membership in the program, applicants must:

• Submit an application and go through a registration process

• Satisfy the eligibility criteria

• Be admissible to United States and Canada

• Pass risk assessments by both countries

Members may apply on-line at http://www.cbp.gov, by clicking on Travel at the top of the screen and then clicking on Trusted Traveler Programs on the left-hand side of the Web page.

Participants without computer access can submit their application by mail to: NEXUS Program, P.O. Box 126, Niagara Falls, ONL2E 6T1, CANADA.

The application processing fee of $50 (U.S. or Canadian funds) and is non-refundable. Children under the age of 18 must also apply but are free of charge.

The renewed membership will be valid for another five years.

Rising Dollar Puts Border Agency at Odds With Own Regulations

(Canadian Press)

The soaring loonie has placed Canada’s border agency in violation of its own regulations.

An audit has found that the Canada Border Services Agency has been inadvertently giving American travellers a big price break over Canadian travellers for a special card that speeds their passage across the Canada-U.S. border.

The so-called Nexus pass, which allows pre-screened passengers to clear customs quickly, currently costs $80 Canadian, a price set by regulations established in 2002.

But the regulations also allow Americans to pay US$50 for the pass - equivalent to $80 Canadian five years ago but now significantly out of whack as the loonie has soared higher than the greenback.

“The fee structure that was originally set in 2002 was no longer equitable in 2006 and favoured U.S. applicants,” says the newly released audit, based on findings from last year.

“In addition, by accepting a Nexus fee payment of US$50, in 2006 the CBSA was collecting less than the amount prescribed in the regulations.”

Nexus is an international program run jointly with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. To date, more than 100,000 travellers have obtained the highway version of the pass, the part of Nexus examined in detail by auditors, after thorough security checks on both sides of the border and an in-person interview.

The program began as a land-border card, replacing a Canada-only program known as Canpass Highway, and expanded with a pilot project in late 2004 at the Vancouver airport to include air travellers.

Nexus has since broadened to include other international airports and border points, such as a marine crossing at Detroit-Windsor, and the now-harmonized program covers land, marine and air.

The popular card, good for five years and renewable, saves frequent travellers time and hassle at often-choked customs lanes and frees customs officers to concentrate on other travellers .

Both countries jointly set the fees in 2002 at the prevailing exchange rates.

Canadian applicants have always had the option of paying for the card in U.S. dollars, which is now a significantly cheaper option. But doing so requires using an American-issued credit card, international money order or certified cheque, hoops that few Canadians jump through.

Applicants using a Canadian credit card are automatically charged the $80, which means the fee system is heavily biased in favour of Americans.

The audit recommends reviewing the fee structure “to support a consistent fee arrangement between Canada and the United States.”

A spokesman says Canada’s border agency is re-examining the entire Nexus program to ensure the fees are appropriate and equitable.

“We’ve initiated a review of the costs associated with the program,” Chris Williams said in an interview.

The agency expects the review to be finished by April next year.