Airport immigration beefed up as flights pour in
The Department of Immigration has announced that it has ramped up its operations at the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport in an effort to facilitate the increase in the number of travellers coming through that port of entry.
Recently, American Airlines announced that it will be increasing the number of non-stop flights from Miami to the BVI as the traveller demand has increased.
Chief Immigration Officer Ian Penn said the recent increase in immigration services at the airport is part of the long-standing practice to ensure the facilitation and regulation of international travel are administered in a manner that supports overall socio-economic development.
“We had to change some procedures and operational changes in terms of our staffing complement, and the way in which we manage the schedule to allow for smoother processing,” Penn said.
These adjustments include the deployment of the full capacity of Immigration Officers on-site at the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport since the commencement of the direct American Airlines flights between the Virgin Islands and Miami on June 1.
Penn explained that similar procedures will be applied to all larger flights, and in instances when multiple flights are being processed simultaneously.
He also explained that discontinuing the issuance of embarkation/debarkation cards significantly contributed to streamlining the process, ultimately contributing to a faster and more effective system.
The discontinuation of the forms is directly related to the department’s progress towards digitisation in efforts to improve its operational functions and services.
There are often complaints from travellers that immigration processing takes too long at the airport. The length of time for processing has been primarily caused by inadequate staff and a lack of digitisation of the requirements travellers need to fulfil before entering the territory.
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Simplify the forms!
Check them bags and boxes properly,because a lot of drugs and guns WILL be coming in from Miami!! Some of you custom officers done cut deals for that!! Chef of police please look into this bring in your white boys to deal with this!
Good news that they have dropped the embarkation/debarkation form. It is too much to fill out, other places don’t do this.
But what about ‘climate change’, and what would Gretta Thrombosis say about an industry that is dependent on fossil fuels?
You don’t need forms to simplify, we don’t need them at all. Everywhere is taking your picture and verifying your biometrics. San Juan and Miami done moved past forms. Get with the time, this is a part of your so-called improved infrastructure.
… arrivals would be processed much more quickly if the Immigration officers were at their desks, logged into the system, ready before the passengers get to the arrivals hall.
Exactly why do we have to wait for immigration officers to arrive, are they unaware of a plane landing and passengers coming in?
BVI Customs and Immigration officers are the rudest a-holes I experienced during our stay. FO.
They need more road townvand change them slow thing from deh. Can you imagine resident in line hour
BVI customs and immigration
where guns and drugs are welcomed with a payout
They are the worst I ever dealt with all over the world!
Imagine that and I was born and raised here my whole life.
The persons in them pics look like cleaners to me
if your airline agents would bring the paperwork for the flights on time
Immigration won’t have to be waiting and getting annoyed by you passengers acting stupid. FYI THEY DO BE AT THE DRSK ALL THE TIME DYING OF HEAT STROKE FOR UNGRATEFUL PPL LIKE YOU.
sometimes they are unaware cause again these agents for the airlines do not communicate the information properly.
if you were getting paid less than 10 dollars a hour you wouldn’t not even show up to work so be grateful that they do.
you still need to full out form but not for immigration. The forms you fill now is customs forms.