APEC Business Travel Card - Express Immigration Clearance

[garyjohn951]

RESTRICTIONS EASED FOR REGULAR CHINA TRAVELLERS

From our China Office:
Tell everybody a good news, can get the visa now, only need to offer the passport, the old Chinese visa and business license of the company, can get in one week.

I guess they finally realised that regular business people were not tree-huggers. protestors, etc

 

[mr_matt_t]

Do you think I would have any issues using my APEC card to countries requiring a pre-approved visa (ie vietnam or china) at small border crossings? I am thinking of using the Tay Trung border crossing from Laos into Vietnam.

 

[QF WP]

It's possible at any small border crossings that guards haven't had the requisite training or are unsure of procedures as they are likely to have not seen too many APEC cards. I can't help with that particular crossing

 

[infoworks]

Not all economies have set up the APEC facility at all borders. It is mostly only at designated large entry points (as per business mobility site list). They may be willing to help, but no guarantees.

Having said that I had a dream run from Shenzhen back to HKG this afternoon, by car through the checkpoint near Fuinan FTZ, thank you APEC card (and a simple one throough Lo Wu earler this week).

 

[NM]

I was welcomed and invited to use the crew land at DFW Terminal D international arrivals a few weeks ago. The lady directing traffic recognised the card and directed me to use the crew lane. I had the fastest DFW arrival ever (including domestic and international arrivals). 45 mins after touch down I was driving out of the airport in a rental car.

 

[QF WP]

I'll be interested to see what transpires after my recent email contact with them:

Hi APEC Business Travel Card Unit,

I first applied for the ABTC in August 2005 and received a confirmation letter dated 29 August 2005 indicating my application number was xx_x. I held off applying for an interim card, waiting for clearance from a number of countries, including Indonesia and China, when I misplaced my letter with my Application number on it and your contact details.


I recently found the letter and have noticed that the passport to which I was applying to link the card (Exx_xx_x) expired on 28 January 2008 . I have replaced this passport with Mxx_xx_x, issued on 8 January 2008 and expiry on 8 Jan 2018.

What happens now - can I have the new passport linked and have the interim card finally issued. I note from the list of countries copied from my online application details, I have not received pre-clearance from Indonesia. Is this due to the current travel alert issued by DFAT (not that I am looking to go there anytime soon...)?

 

[simongr]

I had the fastest DFW arrival ever (including domestic and international arrivals). 45 mins after touch down I was driving out of the airport in a rental car.

I have to say that this is one of the more disappointing comments I have seen on the forum. The fact that 45 min from touch down to rental car is the fastest arrival reflects how low our expectations are

 

[NM]

I have to say that this is one of the more disappointing comments I have seen on the forum. The fact that 45 min from touch down to rental car is the fastest arrival reflects how low our expectations are

well, when you include a 10 mins taxi to the gate at DFW (not uncommon), delaning and walking to immigration processing (say 5 mins), immigration processing (5 mins), walk to baggage claim and collect bag (5 mins), exit through customs (10 mins in my case, has been worse), wait for bus to consolidated rental car centre (5 mins), bus ride to consolidated rental car centre (7-10 mins depend on gate/terminal), collect rental car, check condition and familiarise with car and exit facility with paperwork check (10 mins). Then you see that a 45 mins arrival means many of those times were beaten.

but I have had many cases of waiting 45 mins just for bags to arrive on the belt following domestic flights into DFW. So yes, my expectations are low.

 

[serfty]

My one and only time collecting a bag at DFW was 55 minutes from aircraft arrival at gate to bag showing up; it was the third bag out! (Routing was MEL-LAX<bag shuffle>LAX-DFW.

 

[NM]

Arrival at SYD International today was 15 mins from landing to taxi. No waiting at immigration, waited less than 5 mins for bags to arrive. Stamped to exit without x-ray. So all very fast.

 

[QF WP]

Very interesting and quick reply to my query above:

Thank you for providing me with your new passport details for the APEC Business Travel Card application.

We issued an interim card on 17/06/2008 featuring all current pre-clearance and your new passport number on the cards reverse. The card should arrive within a week.

Please be advised the card is only valid for business travel in the
economies listed on its reverse side, and no visas are required for this
travel.

You are currently pending pre-clearance from Indonesia, PNG, Singapore,
Vietnam and the Philippines. PNG and Vietnam will not automatically process your application because they were not participating in the scheme when you applied for the card. We can request that each of the pending economies process your application however they are not obliged to do so.

It may also interest you that although the US and Canada will not appear on this card (as they are not members of the scheme), both economies are now allowing all ABTC holders to use priority lanes at their international airports. Normal immigration procedures will still apply for travel to the US and Canada, but without the long queues!

Please contact us with any further enquiries regarding your application.

Kind regards.

APEC Section
Department of Immigration And Citizenship

Given NM's comments above, very pleased to see that APEC in the USA is working....welcome back from your DONE4 NM. Must have got yuo close to re-qual AA ExpPlat

 

[NM]

welcome back from your DONE4 NM. Must have got yuo close to re-qual AA ExpPlat

Should be just over the line when all the flights have posted.

 

[moa999]

Just got a new card today, despite not having requested one since my last finalised card was posted.
Now have all 18

AUS BRN CHL CHN HKG IDN
JPN KOR MEX MYS NZL PER
PHL PNG SGP THA TWN VNM

plus aircrew lanes USA and Canada

Only the remaining member of APEC Russia to go

 

[infoworks]

They must be "catching up". My son received his "full" card last week, hadn't requested an update.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - just realised I have been awfully stupid - India isnt in APEC is it?

 

[NM]

Hmm - just realised I have been awfully stupid - India isnt in APEC is it?

Nope .....

 

[moa999]

No, India is not in APEC despite a number of attempts to join

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[millesm]

Has anybody used the APEC card for attending business meetings etc in Singapore?

I've just been told by our Singapore customer's HR department that the APEC card is not a visa... it just allows me to enter the country.

I've had the card for years and this is the first time that I've been stopped from attending a workplace without having an additional visa.

Called Singapore's MoM and was told that I needed to apply for a Social Visit pass upon arrival and then complete an eNotification to satisfy the visa requirements of Singapore.

Sounds like SG red tape to me and completely defeats the purpose of having SG on the APEC Card system!

 

[NM]

Has anybody used the APEC card for attending business meetings etc in Singapore?

I've just been told by our Singapore customer's HR department that the APEC card is not a visa... it just allows me to enter the country.

According to the APEC Business Travel Card web site:
Benefits for cardholders

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) cuts though the red tape of business travel, and gives accredited business people pre-cleared entry to participating APEC economies. Card holders enjoy:

• Fast-track entry and exit through special APEC lanes at major airports, and multiple short term entry to these economies for a minimum of 59 days stay each visit (click here for details).
• No need to individually apply for visas or entry permits each time you travel to any of the participating APEC economies as the card is your visa.
• Cards are valid for three years from first issue.

Bolding is mine. but clearly indicates that as far as Business Mobility Group is concerned, the card is your Visa.

 

[vt]

From APEC Business Travel Card Scheme


Benefits for cardholders

The APEC Business Travel Card cuts through the red tape of business travel. Through a single application form, the card allows accredited business people to obtain multiple short-term business visitor entry to participating economies.
This saves cardholders time and effort involved in applying for individual visas or entry permits.

Period of stay

Cardholders can stay at least two months on each visit, with some participating economies providing three months stay on each visit. The APEC Business Mobility Group website provides a summary about the period of stay allowed in each participating economy.