Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Dr Marcia Potter and Chief Immigration Officer, Mr Ian B. Penn are captured as they were the first to be processed by the Immigration Department’s new Border Management and eVisa System at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport ahead of the reopening of the Territory’s borders to visitors. Photo: GIS/Facebook

Chief Immigration Officer Mr Ian B. Penn has announced that the $6.4M Immigration Border Management and eVisa System is finally operational at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. Photo: Facebook/File

The Immigration Border Management System, according to Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), aims to maintain a high level of security and efficiency as well as to reduce contact and corruption among officers. Photo: BVITB/File

Good reviews

Mr Penn said so far there have been good reviews from travellers on the system.

“I am happy to say that our new Border Management System has been put in place and is operational. I was at the airport, and we had good reviews: the passengers came in, they were not in the line that long,” he said during an interview on the Honestly Speaking Radio Programme on Tuesday, December 1 2020.

“What that system does is persons can download the app, apply online, fill out their health, Immigration and Customs [Declaration] forms and then come into the territory and be checked. So it would be a paperless experience for everyone, and that is an accomplishment that the Immigration Department has envisioned for a long time, and we are happy and proud to have that because it means that we don’t have to shuffle through papers, everything is on the system. We can retrieve data just by the touch of a button in terms of statistics or in terms of what we would need on a daily basis,” Mr Penn further said.

The Chief Immigration Officer also mentioned that the system, which is already in place at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, would also be at the Road Town ferry terminal on December 8, 2020, when that port reopens to international travellers.

System allows for high level of security & efficiency- Hon Wheatley

Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) previously said the system would be installed in three phases.

He informed that it was expected to be rolled out by April 2020 at all the sea ports and the other phases would follow.

Nonetheless, the system rollout was placed on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The system, according to Hon Wheatley, aims to maintain a high level of security and efficiency as well as to reduce contact and corruption among officers.