Mobile Passport Control app
For this week's discussion, I have chosen the MPC(Mobile Passport Control app). The MPC app has been my favorite app lately since I have been able to start traveling again internationally. The MPC app allows you to answer all the entry questions from U.S. Immigration while you wait to get out of the plane at the airport. The MPC app is an application for reentering the United States from an international flight or ship. Generally, if you have the MPC app, you will be sent to the global entry line at the airport. The app starts with making you a PIN or enabling biometric security like Face ID or fingerprint ID.
Once you start the MPC app, setting up your or your family's passport information is the first step. Passports can be entered into the app by scanning the numbers at the bottom of your passport or by entering the information manually. Each passport also requires a current picture of the person. Once you get everyone's passport loaded into the MPC app, you will have all the necessary info for reentry to the USA.
On the way back from international travel, wait until you are at the port of entry since each app-generated QR code only works for 4 hours. Then choose what mode of transportation you used to come back to the USA. The next step is to select the point of entry if you are using an airplane. It would be the IATA airport code. The next step is to select the traveler(s), and then the final step is to answer all the immigration questions. At this point, the app lets you save the info submitted at the point of entry. However, if you are already at the point of entry, you can select submit now.
Once you submit the data, a QR code is created, and a 4-hour countdown starts. The QR code is deleted from the MPC app when the countdown is over. Show this QR code to the personnel separating the Global entry line and Standard passenger lines. At least in Orlando Airport(MCO) and Miami Airport (MIA) I was sent to the Global entry line when I showed the QR code. This might change as more people start using the mobile app. Once at immigration, the officer might ask for everyone's physical passport; however, with the time saved by going into the global entry line, I get to baggage claim before the bags start coming out. I have used the app to travel to Costa Rica and Colombia in the past few months since everything started to open, and the COVID restriction has been removed in most countries. Using the MPC app has been a great help when coming back from international travel.
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