Customs and Immigration forms

[cvsfly]

Where can you order US Customs forms - in paticular Form 6059B Customs Declaration and I-94. The rest I can print up from downloaded files. I've tried the US Customs web site last few days and it comes up with and error. Also how about Bahamas Immigration Cards. I know some publishers like for The Bahamas and Caribbean Pilots Guide will offer a packet of forms to purchase, but I need more than 10 at a time and only these particular forms.

 

[mike1mc]

I just went through this a few months ago:

Make your request with the U.S. Customs National Distribution Center.

Fax your request to 317-290-3046 on company letterhead for forms in bulk, otherwise you can get them from you local port office.

Here's the address just in case:

National Distribution Center
U.S. Customs Service
P.O. Box 68912
Indianapolis, IN 46268

 

[unclematty]

Hey, just went through this last week. If you need Bahamas forms (C7 &C7A) they are available on Flordiapilot.com (sp). IF you are a 135 operator you will need APIS outbound and inbound (takes 7days to process, or let universal do it), a GENDEC outbound and inbound, and most importantly a bond (still trying to get our own, universal let us use theirs).

as far as the customs 6059b tried 3 port offices (ilg, ilm, and pbi) pbi was the only office that had them. yes they are available in bulk, but the min. order is for 1,000.

one only needs a I-94 if there is a non-us citizen aboard.

I recommend you clear at pbi, recommend you stay on board untill told to disembark, and give a direct notification to customs,immigration,and ag.

don't forget a radiotelephone license is required for at least one pilot and an aircraft radio license is required.Both are available online at fcc.gov

eventhough 135 operators are not required to have a customs decal, it is still recommended (asked for by the inspector). any questions pm me

 

[mike1mc]

The APIS goes through immediately. You can use the online form found on the NBAA website: https://www.nbaa.org/part135/customs/

Also, as of right now, you only need to file an Inbound APIS. The outbound APIS is required for Immigration and that rule has been postponed. I use thge NBAA site about once a week and I've never had a problem. Just be sure you complete all the information that is required (the fines add up).

unclematty is correct, be sure you have a Customs Bond for a minimum of $75,000 and a copy onboard never hurts. You will need to file an outbound and inbound Gen Dec (even if you leave the country Part 91, but return 135).

The Gen Decs and Private Aircraft Enforcement Forms can be completed on the computer and faxed to the appropriate customs offices. I have a copy of these forms on my website:
http://www.armcharter.com/links.htm (very bottom of the page).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to PM me.

 

[cvsfly]

Thanks to all. Yeah, over the years we have figured out all the unrelated requirements (that aren't always apparent for pilots) for out and in the US. We will be needing the I-94 from from time to time and need to find a source for Bahamian Immigration forms. For US Customs 6059B form, I quess we need to steal more next time we clear - how much for a 1000 forms? We have PDF files for all the rest except the Crew Members's Declaration (numbered form). I've always wondered about the outbound US Gen. Dec. Always got different or no answers on that. APIS outbound for now is only recommended. APIS inbound required and if you get last miniute changes you better send another report. They need a more flexible system, like being able to fax or call in changes - only electronic now. Customs allowed us to get a $50,000 bond based on $5000/seat + $5000 for the operator. Then took it further and said they could reduce it to $30,000 based on frequency of trips (>10/yr). Also don't forget the ATC/TSA international waiver if you don't stop in a "PORTAL" country (Bahamas) before entering US.

 

[mike1mc]

The forms should be free, we paid only shipping.

 

[Hawker rider]

Well about the APIS requirements.

We since a few months as a 135 jet operator are required by them to file both inbound and outbound. According to our certificate holder there have already been a few warnings where they didn't do both, so they advised us to do it.

I remember seeing an e-mail from an official instance that we had to start doing it both ways too

 

[cvsfly]

The outbound APIS is still proposed/recommended - not required at this time. Your Company Operations procedures may differ. Good idea to use it so they can get a better handle the effectiveness of the system.

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains notices to the public of the proposed
issuance of rules and regulations. The
purpose of these notices is to give interested
persons an opportunity to participate in the
rule making prior to the adoption of the final
rules.
Proposed Rules Federal Register
292
Vol. 68, No. 2
Friday, January 3, 2003
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Immigration and Naturalization Service
8 CFR Parts 217, 231 and 251
[INS No. 2182–01]
RIN 1115–AG57
Manifest Requirements Under Section
231 of the Act
AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization
Service, Justice.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: This rule proposes to
implement section 402 of the Enhanced
Border Security and Visa Entry Reform
Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–173), which
requires the submission of arrival and
departure manifests electronically in
advance of an aircraft or vessel’s arrival
in or departure from the United States.
This rule also proposes to require
manifest data on certain passengers and
voyages previously exempt from this
requirement. This rule is necessary to
provide the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service (Service) with
advance notification of information
necessary for the identification of
passengers, crewmembers and any other
occupant transported. This information
will assist in the efficient inspection of
passengers and crewmembers, and is
necessary for the effective enforcement
of the immigration laws.
.... On May 14, 2002, section
115 of Public Law 107–77 was
superseded when Congress enacted
section 402 of the Enhanced Border
Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of
2002 (Pub. L. 107–173).
Section 402 of Public law 107–173
amended section 231 of the Act by
requiring that commercial carriers
transporting passengers to or from the
United States deliver arrival and
departure manifest information
electronically to the Service, beginning
no later than January 1, 2003. The
carrier must submit an arrival manifest
prior to the commercial vessel or
aircraft’s arrival at a port-of-entry in the
United States. In addition, with certain
exceptions, carriers must provide
departure manifest information before
the departure of a commercial vessel or
aircraft from the United States.
Section 231(c) of the Act, as amended
by section 402, provides specific
elements that must be included in
arrival and departure manifests. ...
How Are Arrival and Departure
Manifests and Lists Currently Collected
for Passengers?
Arrival and departure manifests are
currently submitted as follows: in the
form of a separate Form I–94, Arrival-
Departure Record, or as a Form I–94W,
Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-
Departure Record, or as a Form I–94T,
Arrival-Departure Record (Transit
Without Visa) (collectively Form I–94)
for each passenger not exempt from the
manifest requirements. The Form I–94 is
a perforated numbered card and is
composed of an arrival portion collected
by the Service at the time of arrival and
a departure portion that is returned to
the alien passenger. .... In accordance
with 8 CFR 231.2, the outbound carrier
currently has 48 hours to submit the
departure Form I–94 to the Service. The
Service enters Form I–94 data into the
Nonimmigrant Information System
(NIIS), thus recording the alien’s arrival
and departure into and out of the United
States.
....What Are the Current Arrival and
Departure Manifest Requirements for
Crewmembers?
Currently, crew arrival and departure
manifest requirements are governed
solely by section 251 of the Act and
Service regulations at 8 CFR part 251.
Arrival and departure manifests for
vessels may be submitted on Form
I–418, Passenger List-Crew List, while
aircraft may satisfy this requirement by
submission of a United States Customs
Service Form 7507 or on the
International Civil Aviation
Organization’s General Declaration.
Pursuant to ...
Will Carriers Be Required To Submit
Electronic Manifest Information for
Other Classes of Individuals Who Are
Not Currently Included in the Manifest
Requirement?
Yes. This rule proposes to require that
electronically transmitted arrival and
departure manifests be submitted for all
passengers and crewmembers
transported on commercial aircraft or
vessels, including passengers who are
United States citizens, Canadian
citizens, lawful permanent resident
aliens of the United States, immigrants
to the United States, in-transit
passengers, and persons on vessels or
aircraft arriving in the United States
directly from Canada or departing the
United States directly to Canada as well
as persons arriving in the U.S. Virgin
Islands directly from the British Virgin
Islands or departing the U.S. Virgin
Islands directly to the British Virgin
Islands.
What Is the Advance Passenger
Information System (APIS)?
The APIS is a system where
commercial air carriers collect and
submit biographical data from a
passport, visa or other travel document
at a foreign port and transmit this
information electronically to the Service
and the United States Customs Service
(USCS) in advance of the commercial
aircraft’s arrival in the United States.
The Service began implementing APIS
in conjunction with the USCS in 1989
as an effort to meet airport inspection
challenges which included increased
passenger volumes, especially during
peak hours and seasons, combined with
staffing and facilities limitations.
A Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) governs the administration of the
APIS program and is a formal agreement
between the three U.S. Federal
Inspection Services (FIS) agencies
(USCS, the Service, and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA–
APHIS)) and participating air carriers.
....Prior to the enactment of section 115
of the Aviation and Transportation
Security Act, Public Law 107–71, 115
Stat. 597 (2001), the electronic
transmission of such manifest data was
voluntary.
.....
The Service will notify the carrier
industry of any policy or operational
issues that affect the APIS program.

 

[cvsfly]

Will the Transmission of Data in
Accordance With the Current APIS
Program Satisfy the Proposed Rule’s
Electronic Manifest Requirement?
As noted previously, section 231(c) of
the Act, as amended by the Enhanced
Border Security and Visa Entry Reform
Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–173),
prescribes specific information that
must be included in arrival and
departure manifests. The current data
elements transmitted via APIS do not
contain all of the elements that are
statutorily required by section 231(c) of
the Act, as amended.
The proposed rule includes the
following statutorily-mandated manifest
information that is not currently
collected under the APIS system:
(1) Place of visa issuance;
(2) The United States address while in
the United States; and
(3) The country of residence.
It is important to note, however, that
all items listed above are currently
required on the paper Form I–94, which
has legally sufficed for this arrival
manifest. This rule proposes to amend
only the format and time frame by
which this information must be
provided. The proposed rule requires
that this information be submitted by
the air and sea carriers to the Service via
the USCS APIS system.
..... Carriers currently transmit
APIS information using the US
EDIFACT format. The amount of
information that can be transmitted
through the APIS system, via the US
EDIFACT for now is limited. This
format cannot accommodate the new
data elements such as US address, visa
number, date, and place of issuance,
and country of issuance that are
required by section 402 of Public Law
107–173. Given these limitations in the
US EDIFACT format, the Service
anticipates the carriers will convert
their reservation or computer systems to
the UN EDIFACT format which can
accommodate the required additional
data elements. Additional information
on UN EDIFACT can be located at the
following Web site: http://
www.unece.org/trade/untdid/
welcome.htm.
...In 2003, the Service anticipates the
carriers will convert their systems from
the US EDIFACT format to the UN
EDIFACT format to facilitate their
transmission of the new data element
requirements. ... This conversion is not
expected to affect small entities since
the USCS is developing a Web-based
APIS UN EDIFACT system, that is
expected to be complete in April 2003.
Will the Service Impose Any Fines on
the Carriers for Not Submitting the New
Data Elements on January 1, 2003?
No. The Service will not impose any
fines until the regulation is published as
a final rule. ..... However, before
issuing any fines during the conversion
period (from the effective date of the
final rule through December 31, 2003),
the Service will evaluate a carrier’s
performance to determine whether it
has made a good faith effort to comply
with the electronic transmission
requirement. The Service will consider
the following factors: (1) Whether the
carrier notified the Service of any
problems it was experiencing in
submitting the information; (2) whether
the carrier has a backorder for the
purchase of additional equipment, such
as document readers; (3) the completion
of the APIS UN EDIFACT format by the
Service and the USCS; and (4) the
totality of circumstances of each
carrier’s attempt to comply with this
regulation. ......
Does the Service Propose To Require
Any Other Additional Electronic
Information?
Yes. The Attorney General, in
consultation with the Secretaries of
State and the Treasury, may also require
additional manifest information if the
information is deemed necessary for the
identification of the persons transported
and for the enforcement of the
immigration laws and to protect safety
and national security. Pursuant to that
authority, the proposed rule prescribes
adding a Passenger Name Record (PNR)
locator or a unique identifier or
reservation number. The PNR locator is
a unique passenger identifier that is
specific to the airline industry in their
reservation systems. This does not
require carriers to create new
identifying systems. In any database
system a unique identifier is not
difficult to create. This identifier is very
important to the Service because this
will assist the Service in matching an
arrival record with a departure record.
The Service is particularly interested in
comments by the carrier industry to the
proposal that carriers submit the PNR
locator number or unique identifier
electronically as part of the manifest
requirement.
....
This rule proposes to require
commercial carriers transporting any
person by air to any port within the
United States from any place outside the
United States to submit electronic
arrival passenger manifests to the
Service no later than 15 minutes after
the flight departs from the last foreign
port or place. This will allow the
Service to check the manifest
information against appropriate security
databases prior to arrival. This rule
further proposes that air carriers be
required to submit the arrival crew
manifest electronically to the Service in
advance of departure from the last
foreign port or place. This is the current
transmission requirement for air carriers
submitting electronic arrival
information under the APIS program,
and this requirement will also conform
to the USCS’ rule published at 66 FR
67482 (December 31, 2001).
.....blah, blah, blah.

Welcome to a Brave New World.

 

[Kingairrick]

Does anyone know where to find a list of the "portal" countries?

 

[cvsfly]

I believe they are referenced in the FDC NOTAMS. This note I got from NBAA :
Waiver Information
Updated July 1, 2002
On July 1, 2002 FAA Air Traffic representatives announced that waiver requests will now be handled by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Existing FAA-issued waivers will continue to be valid. Operators requesting permission to conduct flight operations not permitted due to existing NOTAM's should send their requests to the newly established TSA office. NBAA Members are reminded that the use of the designated "portal" countries per NOTAM FDC 2/5319 is still required. TSA will continue to issue waivers for Part 91 international operators who wish to bypass the designated "portal" countries.
Operators can apply for waivers by completing the required form(s) below:
· Single Trip Waiver Request Form 29KB Word File | 69KB PDF File
· Blanket Waiver Request Form 28KB Word File | 69KB PDF File
Applicants are reminded to include all requested information and sign the security statement in order to ensure processing by the TSAA. For more information on the waiver process, contact NBAA at (202)783-9250 or [email protected].
The FAA has issued general waivers which permit some Part 91 operations prohibited by 01/3354, 01/3355, 01/3356 and 01/3359. The waivers listed below apply to all Part 91 operations. Part 91 operator do not have to request individual waivers for the types of operations outlined in the waivers listed below.
FAA Waiver #2127 (Adobe PDF file)
Issued November 30, 2001
Permits aircraft registered in the following countries, to operate between the countries listed below, without stopping in one of the "portals" named by NOTAM FDC 1/3356:
· Caymen Islands
· British Virgin Islands
· Bermuda

FAA Waiver Allowing Bahamian Operations (Adobe PDF file)
Issued November 6, 2001
Allows US, Canadian, Mexican and Bahamian registered aircraft to operate in the NAS.
Note: The following NOTAM was issued June 11, 2002 regarding existing FAA waivers:
!FDC 2/5323 FDC THE FOLLOWING FDC NOTAMS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED 1/3355, 1/3356 AND 1/3359 AND 2/5131 REISSUED IN SUBSTANCE AS FDC NOTAMS 2/5128 (SPECIAL NOTICE IFR OPERATIONS), 2/5167 (SPECIAL NOTICE VFR OPERATIONS), AND 2/5319 (SPECIAL NOTICE OPERATIONS TO/FROM LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THE U.S.) OPERATORS WHO HAVE RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION TO OPERATE UNDER A WAIVER TO THE CANCELLED NOTAMS REFERRED ABOVE ARE AUTHORIZED TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS AS THE WAIVERS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE NEWLY PUBLISHED NOTAMS.

I think basically: Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, and England.