10 hours ago
U.S. border processing streamlined via facial recognition at Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau
Americans and other pre-approved visitors travelling to the U.S. through two of Canada's biggest and busiest airports can benefit from faster border processing times this summer, thanks to new facial recognition technology rolled out by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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In anticipation of this summer's FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S., in late May, the agency introduced two new initiatives aimed at 'streamlining lawful travel' — Enhanced Passenger Processing at Montreal-Pierre Trudeau International and Seamless Border Entry at Toronto Pearson International.
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'By leveraging advanced technologies and mobile applications, we are transforming inspections at airports into a seamless, touchless process, enabling faster risk identification and efficient processing of legitimate visitors,' stated Diane J. Sabatino, CBP's acting Executive Assistant Commissioner.
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If approved, the traveller can carry on without having to show their passport or interact with CBP officers. Those denied will need to check in with an officer for identity confirmation and risk assessment.
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'It's really a game-changer for us in how we welcome U.S. citizens back home,' Sabatino said at a news conference at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport at the time, per travel website That Points Guy.
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EPP is also available at international airports in Orlando, Denver, Charlotte, Seattle, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Cross Border Xpress in San Diego and Dublin, Ireland.
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For a US$120 fee, travellers, including approved foreign nationals, benefit from reduced wait times through special queues, aren't required to fill out paperwork and get a Transportation Security Authority (TSA) PreCheck, an expedited security screening.
