APEC Business Travel Card - Express Immigration Clearance

[ozmerish]

Point taken - but if the same logic was applied, access to US markets might stop west of the Rockies?

Russia is part of APEC - so why not extend the courtesy?

 

[infoworks]

As I understand it, APEC economies are not compelled to join the scheme, and Canada and USA, for example are also notable in their absence, and I suspect unlikely to participate any time soon.

I have all current economies on my card but am "sweating" on PNG and Vietnam to join up and not be an asterisk.

 

[ozmerish]

I attended a briefing by Austrade yesterday in Brisbane. The subject was Australia Week in Moscow.

I queried the panel regarding Russia's joining of the program and was advised that it is a political question for the joining of the ABTC program.

The panel did state that when President Putin is in Australia for the APEC meeting, this topic should be addressed at the ministerial level.

I can only hope that the USA and Canada would join as well. As was mentioned with others last evening, the relavent authorities already have the information on you - so what is the need for remaining outside the ABTC framework?

 

[cowombat]

I recently harangued two US embassy chappies in Tokyo (at a reception with 2 ambassadors on hand, one past, one present) about APEC card and the sad demise of the parallel Portpass (Inspass). I think it is up to all of us users to take any opportunity to communicate the benefit of participation by APEC member economies. Sooner or later someone with the power to make things happen will be in a position to do so - and will hopefully be primed with a good understanding.

 

[one9]

can someone please tell me how long after you applied for the card that you got the confirmation letter in the post.

i applied for the card about 2/3 weeks ago now, and have received nothing in the post nor has my credit card been charged.

do they send you a confirmation letter after they have done the police check? do they debit your credit card after the australian police check? or are they meant to debit it straight away?

 

[infoworks]

It takes a while. mail sits in a secure site for a week for scanning, making sure there is no powder, etc, before even getting delivered.

 

[QF WP]

I mailed my application on 19 August 2005 and got the first letter 3 September (mailed 1 September) from APEC Business Travel Card Project saying my application had been lodged (they'd debited my CC on 23 August and issued a Tax Invoice which were attached).

Now perhaps they're a little busier than they used to be ...

 

[cssaus]

Just arrived in HK.

My APEC card proved its worth. The visitors lines at Immigration were choked and I used the card to go thru the line for APEC users and apart from a hanful of HK residents who also use the same line, I breezed thru in next to no time.

The card is a god-send.

 

[sully]

I used my card for the first time on my trip to Chile. Leaving SYD was a snap even though no-one was at the APEC desk when I first go there. I jumped a good 60 or 70 who were in the other queue.

Ditto Chile, I walked straight up to the APEC desk on the right hand side. The one peccadillo about Chile though is that Aussies normally have to pay USD30 as a 'reciprocity' fee. Another way of saying that we have to pay to get into their country if we charge them to get into ours. The APEC card should allow free entry but you must remain firm at theimmigration counter as they often don't agree that you need not pay. My lady was talking tough at first but when I told her I was standing firm she went to the visa counter, returned and confirmed that I need not pay. Uh huh.

I must have been hit with the old cosmic karma though, as I was the second last person to get my bags off the carousel. So much for those useless priority stickers!!! :x

 

[one9]

Not a great start for me.

I applied for the card about 3/4 weeks ago.

I noticed they debited my credit card last week.

Today I get an email saying that they have changed the application form, and they need me to fill in a form and send it back to them.

I went onto their website to have a look to see if the updated form is on their website, but their website is down now.

One day in the future, I might get a card. And one day in the very distant future it may be endorsed for China.

 

[cssaus]

Used my card this past week on a trip to Hong Kong, back to Singapore and then home to Sydney.

Going out of Sydney at the *A end of T1 there was no real advantage to going thru the APEC lane as immigration was very quite.

On arrival in HK I queued up at the APEC line which is shared with HK residents and diplomats. It was a very short queue and got through very quickly. The regular visitor lines were fairly choked. Departing HK went thru APEC line and again got thru very quickly.

Arrived in Singapore at T2 and queued up at APEC line which is shared with the processing of Singapore residents. I arrived at peak time and there was medium size queue but the residents get processed very fast. When it was my turn there was a problem as the immigration officer never had the stamps needed to process my entry. He took me across to the adjacent officer to stamp my passport.

Departing Singapore via T2 there is no special line for APEC card holders. What a bummer!

Arrived back in Sydney again at the *A end of T1 and went to the APEC line. There I found an airport employee at the desk with a wheel chair passenger and the passenger's 3 travelling companions. Thankfully the other lines weren't that busy at 8.00pm at nite and the guy at the APEC immigration desk suggested I go across to one of the other lines saying it would be quicker.

 

[one9]

hi,

Can someone please confirm for me: I assume that you still need to pay exit fee (airport fee) at the airports that make you pay. eg. Bangkok where you need to pay 500 baht. ??

Just thought I would ask in case APEC cardholders were excluded from paying.

 

[JohnK]

Yes according to an APEC funded seminar in Bangkok - June 2005

All departing passengers are required to pay an airport departure tax of 500 Thai Baht (THB)

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Departing Singapore via T2 there is no special line for APEC card holders. What a bummer!

Leaving SIN I have never had to wait at all - every time there has been a desk with no queue.

 

[cssaus]

Departing Singapore via T2 there is no special line for APEC card holders. What a bummer!

Leaving SIN I have never had to wait at all - every time there has been a desk with no queue.

This wasn't the case when I went thru immigration last Friday at 7.30am, all desks had 10-15 people lined up behind them.

 

[Damien]

Can someone please confirm for me: I assume that you still need to pay exit fee (airport fee) at the airports that make you pay. eg. Bangkok where you need to pay 500 baht. ??

Just thought I would ask in case APEC cardholders were excluded from paying.

Yes. The APEC card excludes you from needing a visa (in those countries that still require one), but has nothing to do with departure tax.

Interesting side note: Some hotels in Thailand will let you charge the departure tax to your room when you checkout. That means you can spend your remaining cash at the markets the night before you leave.

 

[JohnK]

Interesting side note: Some hotels in Thailand will let you charge the departure tax to your room when you checkout. That means you can spend your remaining cash at the markets the night before you leave.

Care to explain how this works?

To go through passport control you need to have the little receipt issued at the departure tax counter or the departure tax vending machine. The immigration officer then punches a hole in it to confirm it has been sighted.

As I know the departure tax is only 500 baht, then I make sure I keep a 500 baht note for the airport and spend everything else the day before!

 

[Damien]

Interesting side note: Some hotels in Thailand will let you charge the departure tax to your room when you checkout. That means you can spend your remaining cash at the markets the night before you leave.

Care to explain how this works?

To go through passport control you need to have the little receipt issued at the departure tax counter or the departure tax vending machine. The immigration officer then punches a hole in it to confirm it has been sighted.

The hotel gives you the little receipt. It's exactly the same as the one purchased at the counter. They must have some arrangement with the authorities to pass the money across.

 

[JohnK]

The hotel gives you the little receipt. It's exactly the same as the one purchased at the counter. They must have some arrangement with the authorities to pass the money across.

Thanks. Well there you go, you learn something new every day.

Now what have I forgotten. :wink:

 

[RTWFF]

I've often thought ...

... that the departure tax chit in Bangkok must be easily forged by anyone with a scanner and a bit of time