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ï»żSEA-TAC AIRPORT, Wash. - Itâs noontime at Sea-Tac Airport and for most international flights, thatâ
ï»ż
ăăSEA-TAC AIRPORT, Wash. - Itâs noontime at Sea-Tac Airport and for most international flights, thatâs rush hour.
ăăWhile midday lines tend to be the shortest at the ticket counters, lines of passengers waiting to clear passport control zig-zag in the windowless and secure basement of the South Terminal.
ăăBut, Ann and Haley Damian of Eugene, Ore. were able to bypass those long lines, go straight to baggage claim in the secure area, and pass though customs using a free app called .
ăăâIt was great, you just get to go past all those lines up there, go right down get your luggage,â said Ann Damian.
ăăHer daughter, Haley, said it took five minutes to answer all the declaration questions and scan her passport while they were waiting to get off the plane from Paris.
ăăMobile Passport Control is the first authorized app from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, intended to speed up a travelerâs arrival into the United States. Itâs free and itâs a time saver, especially during the international rush hours.
ăăItâs available only to U.S. and Canadian citizens.
ăăTravelers voluntarily scan their passportâs barcode using the camera on a smart phone or tablet, then answer the typical inspection-related questions asked at the Automated Passport Control kiosks. The app allows travelers to avoid the lines at those kiosks and the passport check that follows.
ăăâFirst, its to help the passengers complete the administrative tasks prior to arriving and secondly to assist officers to be more focus just on the inspection,â said Monyr Thabet, Chief CBP officer at Sea-Tac Airport.
ăăTravelers who successfully use the app will no longer have to complete the typical paper declaration form or use an APC kiosk.
ăăAs for security, the QR code the app generates for CBP to scan is only good for four hours, and a visual inspection of the traveler's passport is required when interviewed by the CBP officer. All data is deleted off the phone when the traveler clears customs.
ăăAside from Sea-Tac Airport, the app can be used atin the United States and Puerto Rico, and the cruise terminal in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
ăăAndroid and iPhone users can download the for free from the and .