Minister: Change To Immigration Card Policy
With effect from 1st August 2012, completion of the pink immigration card will no longer be required for entry into Bermuda by PRC holders or work permit holders, Minister of National Security Wayne Perinchief said this morning [July 13] in the House of Assembly
“Machine-readable passports capture all data required for border control purposes. This change compliments the implementation of the Fast-pass cards for certain business travelers,” Minister Perinchief said.
“Capturing visitor data remains important to the development and monitoring of tourism initiatives and so our leisure guests and non-resident business travellers will still be asked to complete the form as a requirement for entry into Bermuda. However, a solution leading to a paperless immigration experience at LFW is being actively developed.
“This change will eliminate another step in the welcome process for those persons entitled and encouraged to be in Bermuda as residents. Forms can become a thing of the past through the promotion of secure, electronic initiatives that should be the hallmark of a sophisticated jurisdiction like Bermuda.”
The Minister also said the Department will acquire two new scanners required to properly collate the tourism data supplied on the arrival cards, which will replace hardware that has “reached the end of its natural life. ”
Minister Perinchief’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, through the Department of Border Control, the Ministry of National Security is committed to protecting Bermuda’s borders. Several years ago this Government enacted legislation to provide for the secure distribution of an advance E-manifest for all flights entering Bermuda. This has greatly enhanced the intelligence-led activities of the uniformed services at LF Wade International Airport.
Mr. Speaker, in the post 9- 11 world, opportunities for making the air traveller’s experience easier are rare but when they arise it is the responsibility of Governments to seize them to the advantage of its citizens and visitors. Honourable Members will recall that Bermudians no longer are required to complete the pink Immigration Arrival Card.
Mr. Speaker, to further support the work of my colleague, the Honourable Member, the Minister of Business Development and Tourism, I am pleased to advise this Honourable House and the public that with effect from 1st August 2012, completion of the pink Immigration Card will no longer be required for entry into Bermuda by PRC holders or those persons holding substantive, valid work permits and who reside in Bermuda.
Machine-readable passports capture all data required for border control purposes. This change compliments the implementation of the Fast-pass cards for certain business travelers also. Honourable Members will recall the introduction of that initiative to this Honourable House earlier this year.
Capturing visitor data remains important to the development and monitoring of tourism initiatives and so our leisure guests and non-resident business travellers will still be asked to complete the form as a requirement for entry into Bermuda. However, a solution leading to a paperless immigration experience at LFW is being actively developed.
Mr. Speaker, this change will eliminate another step in the welcome process for those persons entitled and encouraged to be in Bermuda as residents. Forms can become a thing of the past through the promotion of secure, electronic initiatives that should be the hallmark of a sophisticated jurisdiction like Bermuda.
Separately, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise Honourable Members that the Department will shortly acquire two new scanners required to properly collate the tourism data supplied on the arrival cards.
These scanners will replace hardware that has reached the end of its natural life. With the new scanners the Department will be able to reconcile visitor numbers faster, provide them to ITO who in turn will share final numbers with the Department of Tourism.
Mr. Speaker, the effort to keep Bermuda competitive is for all of us. The Ministry of National Security continues to do its part to support the promotion of Bermuda as a jurisdiction of choice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker
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Yes and now get rid of the VISA requirements that certain countries need to enter Bermuda. People that need a VISA for Bermuda most likely need a VISA for the UK and US and most likely travel through those countries anyway to get here
Wow – talk about rolling out the red carpet about 4 years too late!
Good move though – never understood why they couldn’t capture passport information and cross reference it to residential permits (work permits, PRC, residency visas and the like).
Next step would be to eliminate the paper permits and somehow either get it into an electronic format for immigration or to go ahead with the ID card style permits.
and don’t forget about the 1000′s that will be save buy not having to print those useless forms….
The cynic in me says they’ve already run out of money and can’t afford to print anymore so they’ll announce that they’re getting rid of the paper forms “in the interest of efficiency.”
You don’t need to travel with your paper PRC certificate – just take it and your passport into the Immigration offices and they’ll affix a stamp in your passport that says you’re a PRC. The receptionist can do that so you don’t even have to wait in line.
If you can capture all that information by our passports, what additional information do you get (that isn’t in your system) from the 5 year spousal letter, on 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper, I have to carry around?
so true… another waste of paper!!
Hey, they are fixing things… must be an election year…
Those pink forms been fudging the tourist arrival numbers for years
Now that this is out of the way, how about doing something about Spouses of Bermudians who are treated as though they do not bring anything to the table to support the Bermudian economy? I’m just saying!
So….how many jobs will be cut of those who used to process all that info that is not, was not, needed anymore?
Um what about the spouses of Bermudians? i dont see that here unless i miss read.
I remember sitting in a meeting with Rozy Azhar where she said that PRC’s were under the control of Immigration but (real) Bermudians were not. So this can’t be true.
Meanwhile the head of the immigration unit at the law firm my company uses said that not only did a PRC not have to fill out the form but they were entitled to use the “left hand line” which is for people “registered as Bermudians” since a PRC actually turns up on that registry.
Honourable Minister Perinchief,
Before I proceed, please let may extend my most profound thanks and gratitude to the introduction of this new policy. The immigration department is moving in the right direction with the e-paper policy. This is not only cost effective but also reduce the processing time upon immigration landing and clearance. Well done to you and your team.
Minister Perinchief,
Before I proceed, please let may extend my most profound thanks and gratitude to the introduction of this new policy. The immigration department is moving in the right direction with the e-paper policy. This is not only cost effective but also reduce the processing time upon immigration landing and clearance. Well done to you and your team.
This is a fine example of what Mr C. Famous is talking about in the RG when he says
“the PLP is writing a roadmap for the future while the OBA seeks to erase and rewrite their past”
Who’s erasing??
Wasn’t right when they issued the cards, still not right. Glad you could erase them. Amazing how easy it is to save money when you’re flat broke!