APEC Business Travel Card - Express Immigration Clearance

[one9]

Thanks for the info and few more questions..

What do you tell the airlines when they check for Chinese visa before boarding ? or do they know the APEC card ?

Also what do you fill in for visa number in Chinese landind card ?

Yes, if the airline asks you about your Chinese visa, you just show them your APEC card. They will check the back to make sure China is listed.

With the visa number, you can just leave it blank or write your APEC card number.

 

[infoworks]

Thanks for the info and few more questions..

What do you tell the airlines when they check for Chinese visa before boarding ? or do they know the APEC card ?

Also what do you fill in for visa number in Chinese landind card ?

No airline has asked me to produce my China Visa on check in or before boarding. If they do, show them the APEC Card (and explain as necessary).

With the immigration forms, just write APEC Card and the number on the front of the card.

 

[moa999]

It does confuse the hell out of Chinese Hotel staff who have to write down your visa number when you check-in every time
Had one madly flipping through my passport three times over before I smiled and handed over the APEC card

 

[Shano]

My China clearance has just come through after two weeks!!! Problem is I wasn't expecting it to be so quick so have just organised a visa - complete with hour long queue at Chinese Consulate in Melbourne.

If only I could get the card by Friday then I could at least use the APEC lanes at PVG and HKG (and SYD). Doubt I would receive it in four days though.

 

[Evan]

Oh, 1 hr queue, i need to go there tomorrow, i will look forward to the expereince. NOT !
Oh well 2 years this time in a new passport

E

 

[siri]

Best way way to get Chinese visa is from Hong Kong. You can get it same day if you use a local agent or visit visa brokers as long as you do it before 9.30 am. You can have 2 yrs multiple visa.

 

[vt]

I think I have the quickest China clearence.

Application sent mid March.
Credit Card debit 26th
Letter confirmation dated 3rd April

I am now cleared for China, Australia and Taiwan

woot woot woot

edit: Shano, I just checked, my application number is in the 15xx_ range and seems like a batch of China approvals just came through. Looks like they are getting their act together.

All I need now is Dubai to save my a few hundred $'s and this would be the perfrect week.

 

[Shano]

I think I have the quickest China clearence.

Application sent mid March.
Credit Card debit 26th
Letter confirmation dated 3rd April

I am now cleared for China, Australia and Taiwan

woot woot woot

edit: Shano, I just checked, my application number is in the 15xx_ range and seems like a batch of China approvals just came through. Looks like they are getting their act together.

All I need now is Dubai to save my a few hundred $'s and this would be the perfrect week.

Yes, I am in the 14xx_ and had China, Taiwan, Korea and Phillipines all come through together. My CC debited on 9th March and confirmation letter received 30th March. Will see if my interim card can be expedited to receive at the end of this week, otherwise will probably wait for Malaysia and Singapore, as these are my other likely destinations in the next few months.

 

[tscharke]

My wife and little one are travelling with me next week on a business trip to Singapore and I was wondering if I could use my apec card for express immigration for all of us?

cheers

 

[infoworks]

My wife and little one are travelling with me next week on a business trip to Singapore and I was wondering if I could use my apec card for express immigration for all of us?

cheers

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is maybe. I have found most economies will "tolerate" a partner when you go through using the APEC card, but as usage is growing, more are being more pedantic about limiting the numbers and actually checking to see that you are cleared for their economy. It mustn't come up oncreen as they painfully slowly check out the list on the back of the card!

Singapore immigration is also usually fairly efficient (it has it's moments) and is probably one of the economies where I find I don't need to use it very often (I am sure this will now haunt me next few entries into SIN)!

 

[tscharke]

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is maybe. I have found most economies will "tolerate" a partner when you go through using the APEC card, but as usage is growing, more are being more pedantic about limiting the numbers and actually checking to see that you are cleared for their economy. It mustn't come up oncreen as they painfully slowly check out the list on the back of the card!

Singapore immigration is also usually fairly efficient (it has it's moments) and is probably one of the economies where I find I don't need to use it very often (I am sure this will now haunt me next few entries into SIN)!

cheers for that infoworks!

definitely needed it on the last trip...however singapore only cleared a day later so i was stuck

it will be useful getting back into australia tho....as those 5:15am arrivals will seem less painful with an express passage!

 

[simongr]

Does it get you through quarantine any quicker? With my regular trip through the duty free lane I am though immi in a matter of minutes and then 20 mins in quarantine...

 

[gaia]

I've often been able to bypass quarantine in Sydney if I've come from NZ, but not if I've come from Thailand.

In Melbbourne I've never been able to bypass quarantine.

 

[infoworks]

No, it generally doesn't help with quarantine. However, having said that, sometimes the following have happened (in Sydney):

1. Used the machine/eye scanner and with no immigration mark on the card, the quarantine guy didn't know what to do and the quarantine person had to explain it and let me straight thru without the palaver (happened a few times)

2. Sydney sort of has a FF quarantine lane (at the far left in T1 C) which is sometimes helpful but often just as crowded as they often just send people anywhere in the chaos that it all is often, but does sometimes help and the APEC card at least can show you travel for business.

3. I have (more than) occasionally made it clear that I do this (leave and enter the country) almost weekly, only have the carry on bags and wask why don't they have some facility to help us, and they usually kinly let me through.

Having said that I am always honest about declaring or not if I have something e.g. I did declare the dates from Al Ain and the carvings from Accra last time, and they still helped me through quarantine quickly (at 6.30am) just as it was getting busy. Some times though they can be pretty "bloody minded" about it and there is nothing but agony as I wait behind 10 jumbo loads of luggage and failures to declare, all of which are handled one at a time. It's not the policy, which I support, but the implementation that needs work!

 

[serfty]

... 1. Used the machine/eye scanner and with no immigration mark on the card, the quarantine guy didn't know what to do and the quarantine person had to explain it and let me straight thru without the palaver (happened a few times) ...

This can be make arrivals interesting. I have employed Smartgate since the trial back in early '05 and twice in the early days arriving into MEL I was sent for 'secondary' due to the lack of marks.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/immigration-and-customs/smartgate-faster-way-5171-4.html

These days I alway say "Smartgate" when showing the arrivals card and my PP to the quarantine person. This fixed the problem in the short term and with the increased usage of the "mug scanners" by ePassport holders the agents seem to be more "au fait" with the process.

 

[infoworks]

A couple of things:

1. From 1 April the application fee increased to A$200.

2. I have it on reliable authority that following the APEC meeting in Tokyo last week, both Canada and Mexico will also allow cardholders to use the crew lanes a la USA. Mexico is already listed on the business mobility site as allowing this.

 

[Shano]

Thanks infoworks. Perhaps the popularity of the card lead to the fee increase.

I also noticed during my last trip that Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN) has APEC lanes, even though not listed on the Business Mobility website.

Also an update on clearance times:- I now have 15 of 17 counties (waiting on Peru and Chile) after receiving confirmation letter on 30th March 07. Indonesia was the slowest of the Asian economies to grant clearance.

My initial interim card took about 10 days after submitting the request. I asked for a second interim card once a few more countries had been approved and this took about 4 days to receive.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

Also an update on clearance times:- I now have 15 of 17 counties (waiting on Peru and Chile) after receiving confirmation letter on 30th March 07. Indonesia was the slowest of the Asian economies to grant clearance.

Mine has only been in for a few weeks, but Chile came through almost first! I'm waiting on HK before I get the interim card - I'm assuming HK is different to China (PRC).

 

[Shano]

Mine has only been in for a few weeks, but Chile came through almost first! I'm waiting on HK before I get the interim card - I'm assuming HK is different to China (PRC).

Yes, PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) will all show separately on the card.

I just realised my post above was incorrect . Chile was one of the first few approved for me also. I am waiting on Peru and Brunei

 

[sully]

I received my card in November 2005 with AUS and CHL being the first two.

I am yet to be granted PNG so am still 16/17.

On another matter I recently went to Singapore and Malaysia with a card that had my previous passport number on it. I have a new card but I just couldn't find it prior to flying off. Anyway it didn't matter as I used it in each country and no immigration officer cross-checked the passport to APEC card. No big deal if the photo and name match I suppose but a bit surprising from a total security aspect.