Faster immigration clearance programme to be launched at 7 more airports soon, BA

A special programme to fast-track the immigration process for pre-verified Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will soon be rolled out in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and four other major airports in the country, officials said on Wednesday.

The Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) was first launched at Delhi’s IGI Airport on June 22. So far, 18,400 people (Indians and OCI card holders) have registered themselves for the service.

Work is in progress to start the FTI-TTP in seven more major airports – Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad – the official said, listing the initiatives taken by the Union home ministry in the first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government.

The programme ensures faster immigration clearance and so far, 1,500 passengers have been granted the clearance through e-gates in Delhi. The officials said that the FTI-TTP aims to facilitate international mobility with faster, smoother, and more secure immigration clearance. In the initial phase, it has been started for Indian nationals and OCI card holders on a gratis basis, they said.

The FTI-TTP is similar to the Global Entry Program offered by the United States that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers 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 safer immigration clearance for international travellers. Eligible passengers will be allowed to utilise e-gates and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless journey. Eligible individuals will need to apply online and submit their biometrics (fingerprint and facial image) along with other required information as specified in the application form.

The FTI registration will be valid for a maximum of five years or until the validity of the passport, whichever comes first. A traveller can avail of the facility by applying 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 would receive a message to schedule an appointment to provide their biometrics. Applicants may provide their biometrics at designated international airports in India or the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) according to the prior appointment schedule.

Biometrics is compulsory for the completion of the application processing. The applicants may ensure a minimum passport validity of at least six months while applying for the FTI-TTP. The programme will run on e-gates or automated border gates which will minimise human intervention in the immigration clearance process, the official said.

It will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, Indian citizens and OCI card holders will be covered and in the second, foreign travellers will be covered. The objective of this programme is to make international travel easy and secure by developing world-class immigration facilities through an accelerated immigration pathway for international travellers screened through automated gates (e-Gates).

Under the process, as soon as 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 get the details of his or her flight. The passport will also be scanned and the biometrics of the passenger will be authenticated at the e-gates.

Once the genuine identity of the passenger is established and biometric authentication is done, the e-gate will open automatically and immigration clearance will be deemed to have been granted. The Union home ministry also shared a support help desk email ID — india.ftittp-boi@mha.gov.in.