Faster clearance for some in US

SINGAPORE – Frequent travellers to the US will soon find it easier to clear airport customs and immigration with a new initiative between the US and Singapore authorities.

The US announced on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Honolulu that it is working with Singapore to extend its Trusted Traveler partnership.

Singapore will be the first country in South-east Asia to be extended this privilege. The US already has such an agreement with the United Kingdom, Mexico and Canada.

The arrangement will allow eligible, pre-screened Singaporeans to clear US immigration quickly using automated kiosks. They will not have to join a regular queue to clear US customs.

There is no target date set for the agreement but MediaCorp understands it could take about a year before it is implemented.

US President Barack Obama also signed a Bill on Saturday making it easier for US business travellers to access the 21 APEC nations more freely through the APEC Business Travel Card programme.

Users of the card – valid for three years – would not need to apply for visas or entry permits for every visit to member countries. They will also benefit from faster immigration processing via special APEC fast lanes at major airports.

14 Nov 2011