CBP Implements Simplified Arrival for MSP International Passengers
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL – Arriving international passengers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) can now benefit from new technology that automates the inspection process required for entry into the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has deployed the Simplified Arrival program at both MSP terminals. Simplified Arrival uses facial biometrics to automate the checking of documents required for admission into the United States. The technology provides travelers with a touchless process that further secures and streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
“CBP is expanding the use of facial biometrics at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to provide travelers a safe, touchless international arrival process that further secures and modernizes air travel,” said Diane J. Sabatino, CBP Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations. “Collaborating with partners like the Metropolitan Airports Commission has enabled CBP to deliver a secure, streamlined travel process that will enhance the customer experience and support the travel recovery efforts.”
“The deployment of Simplified Arrival at MSP is a huge step forward for MSP and our stakeholder partners and the result of considerable work and cooperation between airports and CBP at both the local and national level,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which operates MSP. “The system will improve the experience for our arriving international passengers.”
Simplified Arrival only uses the biometric facial comparison process at a time and place where travelers are already required by law to verify their identity by presenting a travel document. When travelers arrive at MSP, they will pause for a photo at the primary inspection point. CBP’s biometric facial comparison process will compare the new photo of the traveler to a small gallery of high-quality images that the traveler has already provided to the government, such as passport and visa photos.
In addition, foreign travelers who have traveled to the U.S. previously will no longer need to provide fingerprints as their identity will be confirmed through the touchless facial comparison process. U.S. citizens and select foreign nationals who are not required to provide biometrics and who wish to opt out of the new biometric process may request a manual document check instead, simply by notifying a CBP officer as they approach the primary inspection point. These travelers will be required to present a valid travel document for inspection by a CBP officer, and they will be processed consistent with existing requirements for admission into the United States.
MSP is one of 31 airports where CBP has deployed the Simplified Arrival program, including Miami International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.
In addition to the new technology, the MAC is in the final stage of removing the previous Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks and reconfiguring international arrivals security areas for additional queueing and improved social distancing measures. The Simplified Arrival program incorporates strong technical security safeguards and has limited the amount of personally identifiable information used in the facial biometric process. New photos of U.S. citizens will be deleted within 12 hours. Photos of most foreign nationals will be stored in a secure Department of Homeland Security system.
More information about CBP’s efforts to secure and streamline travel through facial biometrics can be found here.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Public Affairs Contact: Steven Bansbach Mobile# 202-805-7958 Steven.p.bansbach@cbp.dhs.gov
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The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) owns and operates one of the nation’s largest airport systems, including Minneapolis-St Paul International (MSP) and six general aviation airports. The MAC’s airports connect the region to the world and showcase Minnesota’s extraordinary culture to millions of passengers from around the globe who arrive or depart through MAC airports each year. Though a public corporation of the state of Minnesota, the organization is not funded by income or property taxes. Instead, the MAC’s operations are funded by rents and fees generated by users of its airports. For more information, visit www.metroairports.org