OREANDA-NEWS.  October 07, 2014. Forty (40) new Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks unveiled at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) expedite the entry process for international arriving passengers at the airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal.

U.S. and Canadian citizens arriving from abroad, as well as travelers from the 38 Visa Waiver Countries who are also registered with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program, are eligible to use the new machines.

APC kiosks allow international travelers, including family groups, to submit their customs declaration form and biographic information electronically, thereby reducing the time they spend with a CBP officer.  A passenger can select from 13 languages to use.  Easy-to-follow instructions guide the user through the process, which includes scanning your passport, taking a photograph using the kiosk, answering questions, and fingerprinting for non-U.S. citizens.  Travelers will then receive a receipt confirming their information and proceed to a CBP officer to complete their entry into the United States.  Individuals can complete the process within 90 seconds and a family of three within four minutes.

"These kiosks will allow passengers to avoid long lines and reduce wait times at Customs, so they can be out the door faster and on their way to exploring the greatest city in the world," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.  "This important improvement to the passenger experience is all part of our work to overhaul nearly every terminal and bring rail to LAX, because Los Angeles deserves a world-class airport." 

 “After a long flight, the last thing passengers want to do is stand in line to process through federal inspection to enter the U.S.,” said Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.  “With faster processing times, shorter lines, and increased convenience these APC kiosks bring to LAX, we expect the passenger experience of the millions of international passengers who travel through LAX each year to improve  substantially.  We thank the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the airlines operating in the Tom Bradley International Terminal for their invaluable support of this program.”

APC is a free service, does not require pre-registration or membership, and maintains the highest levels of protection when it comes to the handling of personal data or information. Travelers opting to use the kiosks will no longer have to fill out a paper customs declaration form.