U.S. Customs and Border Protection February 16, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans to conduct a voluntary test in which participating commercial airlines and vessels use CBP's Traveler Verification Service (TVS) facial comparison service to comply with certain regulatory requirements regarding the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). CBP regulations currently require an appropriate official of commercial aircraft and commercial vessels (collectively ``carriers'') to submit electronic manifests to CBP listing crew, non-crew, and passenger (collectively ``travelers'') information upon arrival and departure of aircraft and vessels. The carrier is required to compare the travel documents presented by the travelers with the information the carrier submits to CBP to, among other things, ensure that the information is correct and that each traveler is the person to whom the travel document was issued. Additionally, the carrier is required to ensure that the travel document presented is valid for travel to the United States. Participation in this pilot does not remove this requirement for carriers. During this test, participating carriers will use the existing TVS facial comparison service to ensure the manifest information transmitted to CBP is correct and to perform the required identity verification. The use of TVS technology for APIS verification purposes has the potential to speed up the departure process for both carriers and travelers, as it enables travelers to be matched more efficiently to their travel documents. This notice provides a description of the test, sets forth requirements for participation, and invites public comment on any aspect of the test.