eAPIS - online US customs

[Hedley]

I made the mistake of flipping through a borrowed copy
of the COPA newspaper last night. One of their experts
wrote an article about the enormous struggle he had,
trying to register for the new eAPIS online US customs
program, which I think is supposed to eventually replace
the 178 form that we all know and love and fax all the time.

So, I go to the website:

https://eapis.cbp.dhs.gov/

expecting a herioc struggle with a horrible user interface.

As usual, COPA was full of male bovine excrement.

I sailed through the online registration in around
a minute, immediately received an email - unlike
the days and days it took for the stalwart COPA
staffer, whom I suspect was pretty new to the
whole "personal computer" experience - activated
my account, and that's it - done!

I think the hard thing about this system is remembering
to file an exit report with US Customs when you come
back to Canada - that's something new. I may be wrong,
but I suspect that new requirement may get forgotten a
few times, at least at first!

Anyways, regardless of the harrowing COPA article,
just click on the link above

I just wish COPA had spent the same effort on
the new 406 ELT legislation, as it did trying to
register for eAPIS!

[chipmunk]

You're good to "forget" to use this system (which replaces the old form 178) until sometime in May - can't remember the exact date and I'm too lazy to log on to eAPIS to find out...

I used it clearing in to the US from Central America a few weeks ago and I was surprised how easy it was.

NOTE: When going IN to the US, you STILL need to call ahead to the actual Customs office at your destination airport, since the eAPIS system does not alert them, and of course, it doesn't replace a call to CANPASS either for your return to Canada.

[Hedley]

Right - I think it's supposed to replace the faxed 178 form.

P.S. I flew the the US a couple weeks ago, and the Customs
guy insisted that I had to use the new eAPIS system - which
I hadn't registered for at that time. After arguing with him
for a while, he grudgingly gave me a fax number. As they
say, the writing is on the wall.

[Pirate Pilot]

May 18, 2009 is the announced day e-apis becomes mandatory. They introduced it 6 months in advance so pilots could practice. There are some pilots out there that seem to have problems with computers, forms, rules and regulations, etc. and there has been much discussion regarding this new program.
I registered back in Dec. 08 but I haven't used it. The grapevine tells me I will have to re-register? The way things are going I won't be going anywhere important for a while anyway.
The American pilots that commonly fly into Mexico are asking for a 6 month extension of the practice mode as they would like the program to be more "user friendly"

[youngtimer]

According to a couple different CBP agents, the e-apis does NOT replace the 178 form at landing rights (user fee) airports, and they suggested maybe not for any customs airport. As usual, different stories from every different 'authority' you talk to. As said above, call ahead. The only people who will likely have grief with this is the flying farmers and private guys who just go across for coffee or a visit and aren't overly proficient with computers and ongoing regulatory changes..., which is too bad cause they are some of the people who really love aviation.

[Bushav8er]

clunckdriver hit it on the head. The problem is charters and getting accurate info. You don't want to screw it up as the 'fines' are huge. You get a name list and come the flight one person was swapped for another and presto - trouble.

[wallypilot]

clunckdriver hit it on the head. The problem is charters and getting accurate info. You don't want to screw it up as the 'fines' are huge. You get a name list and come the flight one person was swapped for another and presto - trouble.

yeah, it's a pain in the butt, no doubt.

I have been using it since March 07 for charter ops, and it definitely (so far anyways) DOES NOT replace the 178. Think of the eAPIS as an additional requirement. It only increases your paperwork and replaces nothing.

[chipmunk]

I have been using it since March 07 for charter ops, and it definitely (so far anyways) DOES NOT replace the 178. Think of the eAPIS as an additional requirement. It only increases your paperwork and replaces nothing.

Interesting.

When I called the customs office in Key West, FL, I told them that I "filed" my information on eAPIS and got the email that said I was OK to go. I asked the officer if they needed anything else from me, and he said no. I did not fax a 178, and when I arrived, things went smoothly. I spent some time talking to the officers about it, and clarified that this indeed does replace the 178.

Wallypilot, maybe you were using it in a transition period and now it's up and running and has become the accepted replacement for the 178? Or maybe... it depends on which office you talk to, as per usual!!

[Pirate Pilot]

Yes, Chipmunk...I think that is what the american pilots are concerned about. On re-entry into the U.S. i.e. Yuma says "need 178, Maybe we got e-apis, maybe not" Prescott says "no 178 needed we have e-apis" The U.S. Customs personnel are not all on the same page yet (last wks. info) As previously mentioned though....MUST PHONE AHEAD always. That has not changed.

[the goal is soul]

There's a lot of 'regional disparity' with respect to the experience you'll get from one CBP office to another. Our ops group got to the point that we we not only filed APIS, but generated Gen Decs and 178's for each entry, and let the officer decide which paperwork he wanted when we got there. You wouldn't help your case by arguing that 'Omaha' told you you didn't need a 178 the last time, and the CBP officers treat you like you should know all the regs as well as they do.

Customs & Border Protection wants to know who you are and if you have a right to be in the country, and they make sure you're not damaging their economy. The Transportation Security Administration are the ones behind APIS - they want to know who's onboard your aircraft, and what their story is...before you show up. I haven't filed using eAPIS in about a year, but I remember there were some *optional* fields where you could list which hotel or residence you would be staying at while you're in the country. I think part of the issue is that the gov't is downloading these extra responsibilities onto the CBP people and expanding their jobs. I don't work there though, just an observation.

We never heard back from the TSA much about our eAPIS submissions, we stayed on top of it pretty well, but we were often late on the submission times. We'd never had a crewmember or pax flagged that we knew of. The one time we did get an email back about it was after we had an a/c divert due to a medical emergency, and so our route differed from what we had submitted via eAPIS, so we knew that someone was watching.

After a few years of arranging customs a dozen times a week, I can offer a few tips if it would save anyone a hassle:

1. Call the CBP office at the airport you want to arrive in. Sometimes it's tough to determine if they have customs or not (there's a difference between 'airport of entry' and 'landing rights' airports). A good resource for a phone number is the FBO.

The CBP officer is going to want some information, it will help if you have it ready:

a) ETA (zulu helps when you're crossing time zones)
b) Point of Departure
c) A/C Type and Registration
d) Private (pleasure) or Commercial (charter) - note: it doesn't matter if you're empty heading south going to pick up your pax, you would be commercial.
e) Number and Nationality of all pax & crew. The Capt gets put in the hot seat for this when you show up and realize that someone on board decided to bring their Irish passport instead of their Canadian one, and they need a Visa to enter the country. The CBP guy on the phone might flag you there and save you that experience on the ramp when you get there.
Where you're going to meet - sometimes they have an airside CBP office, sometimes they'll meet you at your choice of FBO.
f) What kind of paperwork they want to see, and a fax number to send it to. (Then call them back to confirm they've received it.) You can let him know you'll be filing APIS.

There's also some information that you're going to want to get:

a) Find out what their hours of operation are. If you arrive before they open, you'll end up sitting waiting for them to get to work. If you show up late, they'll be pissed, and you'll probably still have to wait.
b)Contact number. Sometimes they'll give you a cell number if you're showing up after hours that is different than the main contact.
c) Name or Badge #. Ask politely and they'll give it to you, no hassle. That has come in REALLY handy when the next guy picks up the phone and tells you that you can't come in, bla bla bla, and you can let him know that Officer Dino Ironbody #42215 has already approved it.

2. File APIS, and print a copy of it for yourself.

3. Revise your ETA with customs if you're going to be +/- 20 mins. You can even give FSS the cell number you got, and ask them to do it for you.

4. Be prepared to buy a customs decal if you don't have one already. $27.50, and you can pay with a credit card. Good for the calendar year.

5. "Yes sir", "No sir".


I have to agree with Hedley, eAPIS isn't a rough process. Actually the whole experience isn't too bad when you're well prepared for it. Just remember that 'ADCUS' means absolutely nothing.

Also, if you're on the west side of the country, Casper, Wyoming is a 'pleasant' spot to clear (KCPR= CPR will save you). The guy will ride out to the airport on his Harley to meet you anytime, day or night, except for Sunday mornings, because he's in church. He actually told one crew to keep the engines running (LJ35), opened the top door, poked his head in an asked, "y'all white?", took the paperwork and told them to have a good trip.

[chipmunk]

Great post, soul.

Everyone who's flying into the US should read that.

[ez4u2say]

"Attention Private Flyers: The Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States Final Rule requires that pilots of private aircraft (or their designees) transmit notices of arrival and/or departure and traveler manifest information to CBP electronically a minimum of 60 minutes prior to departure through eAPIS or another CBP-approved electronic data interchange system.

The new regulations are in effect with a voluntary compliance period ending on May 18, 2009. On this date, electronic transmissions become mandatory."

Ok...this to me means internet only (fax is not acceptable nor is a phone call)...all well and good till you find out your servor just crapped out or there is limited access to internet where you might just happen to be or you have no lap top and no wifi available etc etc....this procedure is in addition to any and all things which were originally in place...1/decal 2/filing of a fpl 3/unique transponder code requirement 4/immigration and customs clearance...this is the Department of US Homeland And Security....and this is something brand new for the GA pilots...
Yep, I'm registered have my unique code and my password, read the 45 minute tutorial...now lets see what happens...Oshkosh is coming..hopefully all the problems will be resolved....

[ez4u2say]

Ok, this is for all you transborder pilots who are familiar with the procedure which I know is not required till May 18. As stated in my previous post I am registered etc etc and thought I would give the system a try and check out how the passenger manifest works and that is the problem. I have sent an email to the help desk but they must only work weekdays so thought you computer wizards could assist. So here is the prodedure I am following:

"Log in to the Welcome screen, agree to the Terms & Conditions, and the Manifest Options screen will appear. The problem I have is that the first page that comes up is "Private Aviation - Manifest Options" (not the Manifest Options screen) This page has no resemblance to the tutorial and there is nothing on this page that I can see that would allow me to get to said page... so I am unable to fill in my Passenger info..what am I doing wrong....any help would be greatly appreciated.

[baron_dude]

As per usual CBP has no consistency. The best thing I have found, flying in and out of the states at least 3 times a week for the last year, is to call and find out what each place wants and then jot it down somewhere for next time. Most seem to agree though that eAPIS is a replacement for the 178. That being said the few times I have used it, the system has been down and I have been required to fax in the ol' 178. Remember to call no matter what you do! Hope they work out the bugs before the 18th. all hail the customs gods.

[ez4u2say]

Well I finally got my answer today..so I guess their help line does not work weekends..the answer is somewhat confussing, however for those that use the system it may seem simple. The way it was explained to me is .... the passenger manifest cannot be accessed untill you click on the submit notice of departure/arrival and since it was on the "live system" I did not feel too comfortable clicking on those since I was not yet prepared to head into the US of A....There is also an extensible markup language (XML) schema made available to facilitate manifest submission and individual software development for operations with frequent flights who want to use their own software to build the flight manifests...this is great for those commercial operators but for us GA guys? Anyway I hope I am proficient in the procedure before I head south...

[ez4u2say]

The battle begins....hate to think what would have happened if a passenger had reached down removing their hands from their head to remove the seatbelt...my personal aircraft U.S. of A bound aviation trips are on hold till they can overcome their bureaurcratic problems...
read the link below and also listen to the pilot's link

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/b ... tml#200528

[Pratt X 3]

Holy crap!! Guess I'm adding Long Beach to the "Do Not Clear At" list. I thought LAX was bad making everyone re-do their personal declaration forms because they were printed in 2004 versus the newer 2007 version (which have no discernible difference). I'll take that over drawn weapons and high-risk takedown tactics of a "random check". Pretty sad when this was an outbound flight and even scarier is the flight between Texas and California getting the same treatment.

AVFLASH NEWS
June 7, 2009

Pilot Protests Customs 'Check'
By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

Baja Bush Pilots, a group representing pilots who frequently fly to Mexico, is polling members to see if any have had an encounter with Customs and Border Protection agents similar to the experience of Long Beach, Calif. pilot David Perry and his three passengers a couple of weeks ago. In a podcast interview with AVweb, Perry says he was going through his pre-start checklist for a flight to Loreto, Mexico on May 22 when his Cessna 210 was suddenly surrounded by yelling CBP agents and local airport police, weapons drawn (the Customs agents had M-16s) who ordered them out of the airplane. "They were yelling at us to put our hands on our heads," said Perry, a retired military officer who said he makes frequent flights to his second home in Loreto. What followed was almost an hour of interrogation and searches for what was apparently a "random check" according to the senior agent in charge of the operation Perry said. "I couldn't believe I was in the United States," Perry said. AVweb contacted the Los Angeles field office of Customs and Border Protection and a spokeswoman said a statement is being prepared but would not be available before our publication deadline. AVweb will carry a follow-up story on the CBP's take on the incident as soon as the statement is transmitted.

Perry said he's since heard from another pilot who told him armed CBP agents in cars and a helicopter surrounded his aircraft on arrival at Long Beach on a flight from Texas. Perry said he's not opposed to security checks but he considered the agents unnecessarily threatening and aggressive for a random check. He also said the drawn weapons, besides terrifying him and his passengers, needlessly put them at risk. After the incident, he was cleared to resume the flight. It seems likely the agents knew when to intercept the flight based on the Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) which, under recently adopted regulations, requires pilots of all cross-border flights to provide detailed information on the flight and the identities of passengers.

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Pi ... 519-1.html

Link to the Baja Bush pilots' letter to CBP: http://www.bajabushpilots.com/pdf/Letter,%20Hoffman.pdf

[MichaelP]

I went through the rigmarole a couple of weeks ago.
I found it frustrating the first and second time I did it as the learning curve is steep at first.

You have to add yourself as pilot/crew member and then click on a drop down "crew" list that should now have you listed there.
I got a reply within minutes in my e-mail box, and then I phoned customs at Bellingham and they could see my details already listed.
Coming back I wanted to depart from Yakima, it's not in the database and so I listed Bellingham as my 'departure' point at the time I estimated I would fly overhead.
Concerned, I phoned CBP at Bellingham and the officer suggested that was alright, we don't have to land at a CBP airport before leaving the USA.

Don't forget to file your flight plan through spending too much time on somebody's computer down there. After all the argy bargy filling in the eAPIS on a Cub Crafter's office computer there was not much time to call FSS and file my plan before leaving... I did it ten minutes before engine start.

So allow enough time to phone Canada customs, two hours, do the eAPIS, forty five minutes, and file a flight plan... ETA ETA ETA! Don't forget the walk around and perhaps time to refuel....
Time management becomes interesting.

You're supposed to get a border crossing transponder code, I forgot that, but I did have flight following with Victoria Terminal at the time on one of their codes. It's wise to contact them even though I was in uncontrolled airspace above Bellingham... I fit in well with an MD83 inbound there.
I phoned Canada customs and remembered to close my flight plan with Kamloops... They hadn't got it yet from Seattle!

He also said the drawn weapons, besides terrifying him and his passengers, needlessly put them at risk.

Someone is going to get killed sooner or later.
The CBP will get the same reputation the RCMP is aiming for around here!
To me the open display of guns in a civilised country means that country is no longer civilised and is not a place I want to live.
They will only every do this to me once...
At SeaTac I have been singled out twice for 'Special' security checks. I'm as innocent of crime as the driven snow, not a single blot on my record... I was so offended I will never take a flight out of Seattle again.

[SuperchargedRS]

I hear that there is a fine if you dont use it,

$5,000 fine levied on the PIC for first offence, $ 10,000 for subsequent events.

easy site to use btw

[nookie201]

Wonder what happens now if you can't make it to port of entry and fly to alternate to clear customs instead.... or would you better abandon and file alternate back in Canada ?

G

[ez4u2say]

And now folks just another annoyance to add to your yearly Oshkosh or Fun n Sun trip...The TSA has just listed airports affected by the new security directive. I can see now that Piney or Piney Pinecreek Border MB (48Y) may become quite an active GA border crossing point (for us prairie dwellers) not wanting all the hassle. I have used it for the past few years...they even have 24 hour fuel (USA) side only..see following for the 454 airports affected.

TSA Lists Airports Affected By New Security Directive

A total of 454 airports will be subject to the TSA's latest Security Directive (SD-8G) restricting the movements of transient pilots, EAA said this week. The list includes airports in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam as well as in the U.S. Click here for the full list (PDF). The directive took effect June 1 and requires pilots to "remain close to their aircraft," leaving it only for trips to and from the FBO or airport exit, according to AOPA, although some airports may also offer escorts to transient pilots.



Since individual airports may develop a variety of programs that would satisfy the TSA directive, pilots need to call ahead to their destinations and ask the airport operator or an FBO on the field for information about that airport's security requirements, EAA says. The TSA is expected to provide future guidance regarding self-fueling and emergencies. The full text of the security directive has not been made public. The new listing of airports is not the same as a list of airports (PDF) released by the TSA in January for the Large Aircraft Security Program.

[ez4u2say]

Oops forgot the link...here it is for the airports affected

http://www.avweb.com/pdf/general_aviati ... 009-01.pdf

[ez4u2say]

Very interesting blog re all this border hassle at the following link

http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/GA_A ... 535-1.html

[nookie201]

USA is so confused and full of fear about anyone or anything approaching their border, how much safer is it now really for US citizens ?.

It was quite a simple solution for me, Border delays and hassles had me move all my business out of USA and avoid it where possible for any kind of business on US soil. I have been stuck more times then I can remember at many, many crossings.



-G

[canwhitewolf]

dltd