San Jose turns into a world-class gateway to the USA with mobile passports accepted

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Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today that the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app is now available to eligible travelers arriving to SJC

Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today that the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app is now available to eligible travelers arriving to SJC. MPC is the first authorized app to expedite eligible travelers arriving into the US.

Travelers submit their passport information and customs declaration form to CBP via a smartphone or tablet app before arriving at the participating airport. Android and iPhone users can download the MPC app for free from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

โ€œI thank CBPโ€™s Deputy Commissioner Kevin McAleenan and Field Director Brian Humphrey of the Port of San Francisco for their commitment to supporting the success of Mineta San Josรฉ International Airport,โ€ said Mayor Sam Liccardo. โ€œSan Josรฉ welcomes innovations that make government more efficient and user friendly. The Mobile Passport Control app will enhance the experience of international travelers arriving through Silicon Valley’s airport.”

โ€œUS Customs and Border Protection remains committed to keeping the international arrivals process as secure and traveler-friendly as possible by offering new and innovative technology systems,โ€ said Brian J. Humphrey, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Francisco. โ€œThe Mobile Passport Control app adds another option proven to reduce wait times for the ever-growing number of international visitors without compromising our important border protection mission.โ€

MPC currently offers US citizens and Canadian visitors a more secure and efficient in-person inspection between the CBP officer and the traveler upon arrival in the United States. The app does not require pre-approval, is free to use and does not collect any new information from travelers. Travelers opting to use the app will no longer have to complete a paper customs declaration form, resulting in shorter wait times, less congestion and faster processing.

SJCโ€™s arriving international travelers will find MPC is easy to use with these five steps:

ยท Download the Mobile Passport Control App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store prior to arriving

ยท Create a profile with your passport information

ยท Complete the โ€œNew Tripโ€ section upon arrival in the United States

ยท Submit your CBP Declaration form through the app to receive an electronic receipt with an Encrypted Quick Response (QR) code

ยท Bring your passport and smartphone or tablet with your digital bar-coded receipt to a CBP officer

โ€œI expect the Mobile Passport Control app will be warmly received and highly utilized by Silicon Valley travelers as they have become familiar with high-tech services and conveniences being offered at SJC,โ€ Director of Aviation Kim Becker said. โ€œThe app is particularly important for SJC this summer and beyond as we continue to add international airlines and destinations, resulting in more travelers arriving through our International Arrivals facility.โ€

This first-of-its-kind app was developed in partnership with CBP, by Airports Council International- North America (ACI-NA) and their technical partners. Information about Mobile Passport Control, including how to download, user eligibility, participating airports and other frequently asked questions, is available on mobilepassport.us.

Global Entry is another high-tech, trusted traveler service available to international travelers arriving through SJC. Global Entry members proceed to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or US permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit. See a video demonstrating Global Entry here. Apply online for Global Entry here.

SJCโ€™s international airlines now offer nonstop service to these seven destinations:

– Air Canada twice-daily service to Vancouver, BC (a pre-clearance airport to the US)

– Alaska Airlines daily flights to Cabo San Lucas

– Alaska and Volaris daily flights to Guadalajara

– ANA daily service to Tokyo Narita

– British Airways daily service to London Heathrow

– Hainan Airlines offers service to Beijing, and

– Lufthansa starts five weekly flights to Frankfurt on July 1

About CBP
US Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of US laws.

About Mineta San Josรฉ International Airport
Mineta San Josรฉ International Airport (SJC) is Silicon Valleyโ€™s airport, a self-supporting enterprise owned and operated by the City of San Josรฉ. SJC served 9.8 million passengers in Calendar Year 2015, a 4.4 percent increase year-over-year. SJC offers approximately 165 peak daily departures on 13 domestic and international carriers to 37 nonstop destinations.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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