April 22--Passengers landing at O'Hare airport from abroad can use a mobile-device app instead of paper customs declaration forms, potentially speeding their trip through customs, officials said Wednesday.
U.S. and Canadian citizens can submit their passport information and customs declaration form to customs via a smartphone or tablet app before their flight arrives in a program called Mobile Passport Control. They can then use an express line at customs.
Android and iPhone users can download the Mobile Passport app for free from Google Play and Apple App Store.
Using the app does not require preapproval and doesn't collect new information from travelers, according to Customs and Border Protection. However, users will need a Wi-Fi or cellular Internet connection to submit the form, although they can fill it out without being connected.
Travelers using the app will not have to complete a paper customs declaration form and can use a designated mobile passport control lane to clear customs, instead of entering the traditional processing lines.
Here's how, according to the federal agency:
--Download the Mobile Passport Control app before arriving.
--Create a profile with your passport information.
--Complete the "New Trip" section upon arrival in the U.S., which includes taking a selfie photo and answering customs declaration questions.
--Submit your customs declaration form through the app to receive an electronic receipt with an encrypted quick response (QR) code. The receipt is good for four hours.
--Using a special, faster lane, take your passport and smartphone or tablet with your digital code receipt to a customs officer.
O'Hare International is the fourth U.S. airport to offer the service, which is offered in Atlanta, Miami and Seattle. Mobile Passport Control is expected to expand to more airports this spring, the customs agency said.
O'Hare offers five ways for passengers to clear customs processing: Mobile Passport Control, automated passport control using self-service kiosks, 1-Stop for those with only carry-on luggage, the Global Entry trusted traveler program and traditional customs lanes.
Use of kiosks and automated passport control, in place since 2013 at O'Hare, has "significantly changed the passenger experience in the international arrivals hall at O'Hare" by reducing wait times and missed connections, Chicago's Aviation Department said. In the first full year of operation for the kiosks, average wait times at O'Hare were cut in half to 15 minutes, it said.
At O'Hare, annual international passenger traffic increased last year by almost 5 percent, to more than 10.8 million. For the first two months of this year, international passenger volume is up nearly 10 percent, according to the Aviation Department.
gkarp@tribpub.com
