APEC Business Travel Card - Express Immigration Clearance

[Kiwi Flyer]

... you'll note that the immigration officer will put some code onto your customs form.

it would be interesting if someone could compile a list of the codes and what they mean

Thats not likely to happen. The codes change on a very regular basis.

 

[QF WP]

I'd better give then a hurry up - haven't checked for a while and SIN is still not showing as cleared. Then again, China isn't either.

 

[cssaus]

I'd better give then a hurry up - haven't checked for a while and SIN is still not showing as cleared. Then again, China isn't either.

I got my card not so long ago and it did include Singapore but not China.

 

[sully]

I have 12 out of the 17 and got these through very quickly. The last 5 are taking ages but I am not too concerned given that they are Brunei, China, PNG, Peru and Vietnam. Of those only Vietnam could cause me any inconvenience.

The other inconvenience is that I have 5 pages left in my passport which should be filled in the next couple of months. I then have to go through the process of getting a new card but I hope there won't be the delays in clearances given that I will get a new passport number. Actually on that point I wonder if Australia is alone in issuing new numbers with passports? I would have thought that like all other personal identifiers such as TFN, Driver's Licence and Medicare the original number should be a constant.

 

[infoworks]

If we are identified FFers (e.g. have APEC card) and no history of lost/stolen passports, the idea of a repetetive number is a good one. Sadly it's unlikely and your expectation of lts of reapplication is likely.

Probably a tip for those applying for the APEC card - if your passport has less than 3 years to run (or will fill in that time), order a new passport first.

My FF passport is already 2/3 full after 3 years, so I only expect another year, maybe two max. It won't be as bad as I won't need any more China visas, and hopefully the same for PNG some time this year.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

NZ has new numbers also - makes sense given security implications. Unlike eg tax numbers there is no particular reason for needing to keep the same number.

Reminds me I am going to need to time my next passport carefully. Getting full but finding a long enough gap in travel to get a new one could be tricky at times.

 

[Mal]

If we are identified FFers (e.g. have APEC card) and no history of lost/stolen passports, the idea of a repetetive number is a good one. Sadly it's unlikely and your expectation of lts of reapplication is likely.

The Australian passports use the first letter (eg. M or L or whatever) to denote the series of the passport. The series defines what security features the passport contains and roughly when it was produced.

The rest of the numbers could be replicated, but the first letter would have to be changed. between different passports.

I think this would still cause issues.

 

[NM]

The Australian passports use the first letter (eg. M or L or whatever) to denote the series of the passport. The series defines what security features the passport contains and roughly when it was produced.

The rest of the numbers could be replicated, but the first letter would have to be changed. between different passports.

I think this would still cause issues.

It would be great if the numeric portion could remain the same. It took me years to remember this one's number and now I have it firmly entrenched in my greying mind matter it will be changed for a whole different number to begin to remember. I can see a few "senior moments" coming up where I insert the old number in the arrivals documents .

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

How long are australian passports valid for?

NZ now only 5 years, and I learnt the other day they sneakily removed ability to add pages so looks like my current 10 year one (with nearly 8 years still to run) isnt going to last the distance

 

[NM]

Aussie is 10 years.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

NZ used to be 10 years until they changed it. Wished I'd known they were going to remove ability to add pages so I could have gotten some done earlier.

They also doubled the fee :evil:

 

[sully]

But if you do a fair bit of travel it is best to get the 64 page passport as opposed to the smaller one half its size.

My previous passport expires in November of this year but it was full in 2002. My current one with the 5 pages left expires in August of 2012 but as stated above it will be full fairly soon.

There are two things I have against a larger passport, one simply being that it is too bulky and the second being that if I have a lousy photo I have to live with it for twice as long! Cost may be a factor but as long I am working where I currently am the expense is borne by the company.

 

[infoworks]

Oz allows "normal" and "frequent flyer" passports - the latter being twice as many pages (64 instead of 32 I think). Be nice if it was extendable.

My FF one starts with the letter E, whilst my son's - issued about the same time and a "normal" one starts with "L", so they have some concurrent / passport type series.

 

[serfty]

Aussie is 10 years.

... or 5 Years for minors or pensioners.

I think, at least up until microchipping, the letter was simply sequential.

My 1989 PP started with an I, my 1998 with an L.

mrs serfty will have had 18 years for the price of ten. As we were honeymooning in Bali after our 1991 wedding she needed a PP in her 'maiden' name.

When we returned we endeavoured to get it changed but, back then, it would have cost a whole new fee, so we gave it a miss.

Before we headed to Ireland in 1998, we checked again and things had changed. She could now get a new PP in her married name for NIX. More of a shock though when it came though with 10 year validity. :shock: :wink:

 

[straitman]

Aussie is 10 years.

... or 5 Years for minors or pensioners.

I think, at least up until microchipping, the letter was simply sequential.

My 1989 PP started with an I, my 1998 with an L.

mrs serfty will have had 18 years for the price of ten. As we were honeymooning in Bali after our 1991 wedding she needed a PP in her 'maiden' name.

When we returned we endeavoured to get it changed but, back then, it would have cost a whole new fee, so we gave it a miss.

Before we headed to Ireland in 1998, we checked again and things had changed. She could now get a new PP in her married name for NIX. More of a shock though when it came though with 10 year validity. :shock: :wink:

A win over the bureaucrats. WOW

Don't let them hear about it or they'll be after you for ever. :wink: :wink:

 

[JohnK]

I think, at least up until microchipping, the letter was simply sequential.

My 1989 PP started with an I, my 1998 with an L.

Interesting. My 1990 passport number started with a J and my 2000 passport number started with an L.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

But if you do a fair bit of travel it is best to get the 64 page passport as opposed to the smaller one half its size.

NZ only issues 48 page version. They used to allow pages to be added.

I worked out I will run out of space in the next few months

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

But if you do a fair bit of travel it is best to get the 64 page passport as opposed to the smaller one half its size.

NZ only issues 48 page version. They used to allow pages to be added.

I worked out I will run out of space in the next few months

 

[ozmerish]

I've had my APEC card for about a year now - interim card issued and cleared for 13 of the 17 participating economies. PRC is still holding out and is the main reason I applied for the card.

I would also like to see Russia come on board with the program. I am attending an Austrade conference on Russia tomorrow and will ask if they have any plans on joining the ABTC Scheme. When I last enquired - middle of last year - the answer was "not at this time".

Just the time saved in visa application processing is well worth the price of the card.

 

[sully]

APEC: Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation?????

I suppose if you are dealing east of the Ural mountains then it could have some relevance but I would have thought they would see themselves more as an EU member.