A special program to speed up the immigration process for pre-verified Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will soon be rolled out at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and four other major airports in the country, officials said on Wednesday.
The Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveler Program (FTI-TTP) was first launched at Delhi’s IGI airport on June 22. So far, 18,400 people (Indians and OCI cardholders) have registered for the service.
Efforts are underway to launch the FTI-TTP at seven other major airports – Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad – the official said, while listing the initiatives taken by the Union Home Ministry in the first hundred days of the elections. Modi 3.0 government.
The program ensures faster immigration clearance and so far 1,500 passengers have been cleared through e-gates in Delhi. The officials said the FTI-TTP aims to facilitate international mobility with faster, smoother and more secure immigration clearance. In the initial phase, it has been started free of charge for Indian nationals and OCI cardholders, they said.
The FTI-TTP is similar to the Global Entry Program offered by the United States, which allows expedited approval for pre-approved low-risk travelers upon arrival in America at select airports, another official said. The FTI-TTP will eventually be launched at 21 major airports in the country.
It is designed for faster, smoother and more secure immigration clearance for international travelers. Eligible passengers may use e-gates and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless journey. Eligible persons must apply online and submit their biometric data (fingerprint and facial image) along with other required information as specified in the application form.
The FTI registration is valid for a maximum of five years or until the validity of the passport, whichever comes first. A traveler can avail this facility by registering through the government website www.ftittp.mha.gov.in and providing the required details, which will be verified by the Bureau of Immigration.
Approved applications will receive a message to schedule an appointment to provide their biometrics. Applicants can provide their biometric data at designated international airports in India or the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) as per the schedule of prior appointment.
Biometrics are required to process the application. Applicants can ensure a minimum passport validity of at least six months when applying for the FTI-TTP. The program will run on e-gates, or automated border gates, that will minimize human intervention in the immigration approval process, the official said.
It will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, Indian citizens and OCI cardholders will be covered and in the second phase, foreign travelers will be covered. The aim of this program is to make international travel easy and safe by developing world-class immigration facilities through an expedited immigration pathway for international travelers, screened through automated gates (e-Gates).
During this process, once the ‘registered passenger reaches the e-gates, he or she will scan his or her boarding pass issued by the airlines at the e-gates to obtain the details of his or her flight. The passport is also scanned and the passenger’s biometric data is authenticated at the e-gates.
Once the passenger’s real identity has been established and biometric authentication has been performed, the e-gate will automatically open and the immigration permit will be deemed to have been granted. The Union Home Ministry also shared an email ID for the support helpdesk: india.ftittp-boi@mha.gov.in.
