Miami International’s (MIA) automated passport control kiosks, which have cut wait times by 40 percent for U.S. citizens since November, are available to travelers from 38 countries participating in the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Waiver Program.
The technology allows travelers who arrive at MIA from abroad to have their passports processed in fewer than two minutes via a self-service APC kiosk rather than waiting in line for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.
MIA is one of the first airports to provide such kiosks for Visa Waiver countries. The airport offers service direct to 10 of the 38 countries. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department purchased and installed 36 kiosks in MIA’s North Terminal in November at a cost of $3.5 million. The airport plans to purchase and install 36 more of the kiosks by the end of 2014.
“We project that 6,000 more passengers per day will receive expedited screening at MIA now that travelers from VWP countries are able to use our self-service kiosks,” says Emilio Gonzalez, director of MDAD. “We look forward to soon doubling our number of kiosks, gaining approval from CBP to process legal permanent residents, and further improving the arrival and connection experience at MIA.”
