http://www.gsnmagazine.com/node/23421?c=border_security
CBP inaugurates new voluntary small vessel entry program Wed, 2011-05-25 08:19 AM By: Mark Rockwell <http://www.gsnmagazine.com/author/21449/mark_rockwell> http://www.gsnmagazine.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/fullsize/smallboat web.jpg A new program that expedites small boats through the official entry process when crossing into the U.S. was unveiled on May 24 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. The CBP's Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS) is now available to small craft operating along the northern border, New England, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, said the agency. The free online reporting tool is a voluntary program, according to CBP, which speeds the entry process for participating boaters coming into the U.S. The agency plans to roll out the SVRS nationwide in the coming months. "The Small Vessel Reporting System allows international boaters to pre-register with CBP in order to obtain an expedited clearance upon arrival in the U.S.," said the agency's Executive Director John Wagner. "The SVRS makes the reporting process easier and faster." The system is open to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents, said the agency. Canadian citizens, Canadian landed commonwealth residents and Canadian landed immigrants who are residents in a Visa Waiver Program country and who have a valid passport and an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) are also eligible. Additionally, those with a U.S. admittance visa, a valid passport, and a CBP Form I-94 can participate, according to CBP. To enroll in the new program, boat owners and passengers can fill out an online application and schedule a visit to an enrollment center near them, it said. Boat owners or passengers who are currently members of a CBP Trusted Traveler Program, including NEXUS or Global Entry, or who hold a current form I-68, can enroll without visiting an enrollment center, it said. Once enrolled, boat owners file a small vessel reporting float plan prior to their departure from the U.S, if the trip begins in the U.S., or prior to their entry into the U.S., if the trip begins in a foreign location, said CBP. When the vessel arrives in the U.S., boat masters can call CBP at the closest port of entry with the float plan identification number received when the plan was filed, answer a few customs questions and receive clearance to enter the U.S., it said. CBP said the free program expedites the entry process, but failure to report entry into the U.S. can bring stiff penalties, from $5,000 for the first violation to $10,000 for each subsequent violation, vessel seizure and forfeiture. Any boat master who is convicted of intentionally violating the law is liable for a fine up to $2,000 and/or imprisonment. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
