Faster Customs For International Travelers

If you fly into Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from outside of the United States, new technology may speed up your return through Customs and Immigration.

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is partnering with The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in rolling-out Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) at MSP.

EPP involves using advanced technology — like biometrics, digital ID verification and automated systems — to streamline and secure the movement of passengers through airport checkpoints, immigration and boarding.

At MSP, US citizens returning to America and going through MSP’s customs will be screened using advanced camera and biometric technology.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, EPP involves photographing travelers using auto capture technology to provide a complete customs assessment (biometric confirmation, eligibility, enforcement) before they reach a CBP officer.

“Enhanced Passenger Processing leverages facial biometrics to further secure and enhance the traveler experience for U.S. citizens while staying true to our enforcement mandate,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations at the Chicago Field Office.

“Travelers arriving at MSP will feel the benefits of this enhanced process — secure identity verification, shorter wait times, more efficient processing through Customs, and the improved ability to make connecting flights.”

How does Enhanced Passenger Processing work at the airport?

The program is pretty slick.

ThePointsGuy.com describes the whole process, but it’s pretty simple.

When you arrive at customs, a tablet camera takes your photo and compares it to passport or visa photos already in its database. In a matter of seconds, the system matches the photo with the images on file and the passenger is cleared from Customs.

If there are issues, a CBP officer is there to ask a few questions.

MSP joins these cities’ airports in offering Enhanced Passenger Processing:

• ATL — Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International
• CLT — Charlotte Douglas International
• ORC — Chicago O’Hare International
• DFW — Dallas-Fort Worth International
• DEN — Denver International
• DUB — Dublin (Ireland)*
• LAX — Los Angeles International
• YUL — Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International*
• MCO — Orlando International
• SAN — San Diego Cross Border Xpress
• SEA — Seattle-Tacoma International

*Passengers are screened prior to flying to the U.S.

Returning US citizens will go through new automated screening more quickly.

Officials say the technology frees-up CBP officers to focus on traveler interviews instead of administrative tasks in the re-entry process.

“Improved screening efficiency means passengers can clear customs more quickly to conclude their journey at MSP and head home or to make connections and get to their final destination,” says Roy Fuhrmann, chief operating officer of the MAC, which owns and operates MSP.

Passengers who don’t want to go through the new EPP screening can still go through the standard manual entry process.

Last year, MSP saw a record 3.5-million international passengers — nearly 1.8-million were arriving passengers.

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