Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of an Existing Collection of Information; Advance Travel Authorization (ATA)

Published date13 September 2023
Record Number2023-19720
Citation88 FR 62810
CourtHomeland Security Department,U.s. Customs And Border Protection
SectionNotices
Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 176 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 176 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 62810-62812]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2023-19720]
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                DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
                U.S. Customs and Border Protection
                [OMB Control Number 1651-0143]
                Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of an Existing
                Collection of Information; Advance Travel Authorization (ATA)
                AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of
                Homeland Security.
                ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.
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                SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border
                Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information
                collection request
                [[Page 62811]]
                to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in
                accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The
                information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain
                comments from the public and affected agencies.
                DATES: Comments are encouraged and must be submitted no later than
                November 13, 2023 to be assured of consideration.
                ADDRESSES: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s)
                contained in this notice must include the OMB Control Number 1651-0143
                in the subject line and the agency name. Please use the following
                method to submit comments:
                 Email. Submit comments to: [email protected].
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional PRA
                information should be directed to Seth Renkema, Chief, Economic Impact
                Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade,
                Regulations and Rulings, 90 K Street NE, 10th Floor, Washington, DC
                20229-1177, Telephone number 202-325-0056 or via email
                [email protected]. Please note that the contact information provided
                here is solely for questions regarding this notice. Individuals seeking
                information about other CBP programs should contact the CBP National
                Customer Service Center at 877-227-5511, (TTY) 1-800-877-8339, or CBP
                website at https://www.cbp.gov/.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CBP invites the general public and other
                Federal agencies to comment on the proposed and/or continuing
                information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
                (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This process is conducted in accordance with
                5 CFR 1320.8. Written comments and suggestions from the public and
                affected agencies should address one or more of the following four
                points: (1) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary
                for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
                whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy
                of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
                information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
                used; (3) suggestions to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
                the information to be collected; and (4) suggestions to minimize the
                burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond,
                including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
                mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
                of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
                responses. The comments that are submitted will be summarized and
                included in the request for approval. All comments will become a matter
                of public record.
                Overview of This Information Collection
                 Title: Advance Travel Authorization (ATA).
                 OMB Number: 1651-0143.
                 Form Number: N/A.
                 Current Actions: Revision to an existing collection of information
                with an increase in total annual burden.
                 Type of Review: Revision.
                 Affected Public: Individuals.
                 Abstract: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established new
                parole processes to allow certain noncitizens and their qualifying
                immediate family members to request advance authorization to travel to
                the United States to seek a discretionary grant of parole, issued on a
                case-by-case basis. To support these processes, U.S. Customs and Border
                Protection (CBP) developed the Advance Travel Authorization (ATA)
                capability, which allows individuals to submit information within the
                CBP OneTM application as part of the process. Through an
                emergency approval, CBP established the ATA collection. Initially, this
                capability was utilized by Venezuelan citizens and their qualifying
                immediate family members seeking authorization to travel to the United
                States under the DHS-established parole process for Venezuelans.\1\ DHS
                later developed similar parole processes for citizens of Cuba,\2\
                Haiti,\3\ and Nicaragua \4\ and their qualifying immediate family
                members. The four processes are collectively known as CHNV. There is no
                numerical cap on the number of noncitizens from these four countries
                who may apply; however, there is a 30,000 limit on the number of travel
                authorizations DHS may issue each month across all four processes.
                Additionally, participation is limited in the ATA capability to those
                individuals who meet certain DHS-established criteria, including but
                not limited to, possession of a valid, unexpired passport, as well as
                having an approved U.S.-based financial supporter.
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                 \1\ 87 FR 63507 (Oct. 19, 2023); see also 88 FR 1279 (Jan. 9,
                2023).
                 \2\ 88 FR 1266 (Jan. 9, 2023); see also 88 FR 26329 (Apr. 28,
                2023).
                 \3\ 88 FR 1243 (Jan. 9, 2023); see also 26 FR 327 (Apr. 28,
                2023).
                 \4\ 88 FR 1255 (Jan. 9, 2023).
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                 ATA requires the collection of a facial photograph via CBP
                OneTM from those noncitizens who voluntarily elect to
                participate in the process to provide accurate identity information for
                completion of vetting in advance of issuance of a travel authorization.
                Advance Travel Authorization (ATA)
                 The facial biometrics collected from the noncitizens will be linked
                to biographic information provided by the individual to U.S.
                Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This information
                collection will facilitate the vetting of noncitizens seeking to obtain
                advance authorization to travel. This collection will also give air
                carriers that participate in CBP's Document Validation (DocVal) program
                the ability to validate an approved advance authorization to travel,
                facilitating generation of a noncitizen's boarding pass without having
                to use other manual validation processes.
                 CBP OneTM allows the user to capture the required
                biometrics, currently limited to a live facial photograph, and confirm
                submission after viewing the captured image. If the user is not
                satisfied with the image captured, the user can retake the image. If
                the image capture is unsuccessful, CBP OneTM will provide
                the user with an error message stating that the submission was
                unsuccessful and permitting the user to try again. If the user
                continues to experience technical difficulties, the CBP
                OneTM application provides a help desk email to request
                assistance.
                 CBP conducts vetting to determine whether the individual poses a
                security risk to the United States, and to determine whether the
                individual is eligible to receive advance authorization to travel to
                the United States to seek a discretionary grant of parole at the port
                of entry (POE). In the event that an advance authorization to travel
                may be denied because of a facial photograph match found in criminal
                databases or if there is a mismatch that limits the ability to confirm
                identity, then the match or mismatch will be verified by a CBP officer
                before the advance travel authorization is officially denied.
                Currently, ATA collects certain limited biographic and biometric
                information, and biometric collection is limited to the collection of a
                live facial photograph.
                 If the advance travel authorization is denied, the individual will
                not be authorized to travel to the United States to seek parole under
                this process. In the event that the user is not authorized to travel
                under this process, the user may still seek entry to the United States
                through another process, including by filing a request for
                consideration of parole with USCIS or applying with the
                [[Page 62812]]
                Department of State (DOS) to obtain a visa. If travel authorization is
                approved, the approval establishes that the individual has obtained
                advance authorization to travel to the United States to seek a
                discretionary grant of parole, consistent with 8 CFR 212.5(f), but does
                not guarantee boarding or a specific processing disposition at a POE.
                Upon arrival at a U.S. POE, the traveler will be subject to inspection
                by a CBP officer, who will make a case-by-case processing disposition
                determination.
                 This collection of information is authorized by 8 U.S.C. 1103 and
                1182(d)(5), and 8 CFR 212.5(f). DHS has also publicly announced the
                policy and accompanying collection on its website and has also
                published a Federal Register notice for each of the named countries.
                 CBP OneTM collects the following information from the
                individual submitting a request for an advance authorization to travel
                to the United States to seek parole under this process:
                1. Facial Photograph
                2. Photo obtained from the passport or Chip on ePassport, where
                available
                3. Alien Registration Number
                4. First and Last Name
                5. Date of Birth
                6. Passport Number
                 Additionally, CBP further revised this collection through another
                emergency submission to allow individuals seeking to travel to the
                United States as part of the Family Reunification Parole (FRP)
                processes for certain nationals of Cuba,\5\ Haiti,\6\ Colombia,\7\
                Guatemala,\8\ Honduras,\9\ and El Salvador \10\ to use the existing ATA
                capability to submit information to CBP. The FRP processes begin with
                an invitation being sent to a petitioner who previously received an
                approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of the
                potential principal beneficiary, and if applicable, the beneficiary's
                accompanying derivative beneficiaries. The petitioner then submits a
                Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of
                Financial Support, on behalf of the potential principal beneficiary,
                and if applicable, the beneficiary's accompanying derivative
                beneficiaries. For those petitioners whose Form I-134A is confirmed by
                USCIS, the beneficiaries will receive an email with instructions to
                create an online account with myUSCIS. There, the potential beneficiary
                will confirm their biographic information and complete attestations,
                and then receive instructions to download the CBP OneTM
                mobile application to continue through the process. USCIS will send the
                biographic information to CBP. Additionally, once the beneficiary
                completes their CBP OneTM submission, utilizing the ATA
                capability, CBP will conduct vetting, and if appropriate, issue an
                advance authorization to travel. The information collected as part of
                these new processes is the same as that which is already collected from
                other populations through ATA. This information collection will
                facilitate the vetting of noncitizens seeking to obtain advance
                authorization to travel and will give air carriers that participate in
                CBP's DocVal program the ability to validate an approved travel
                authorization, facilitating generation of a noncitizen's boarding pass
                without having to use other manual validation processes.
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                 \5\ 88 FR 54639 (Aug. 11, 2023).
                 \6\ 88 FR 54635 (Aug. 11, 2023).
                 \7\ 88 FR 43591 (July 10, 2023).
                 \8\ 88 FR 43581 (July 10, 2023).
                 \9\ 88 FR 43601 (July 10, 2023).
                 \10\ 88 FR 43611 (July 10, 2023).
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                New Changes
                 1. Adding Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) respondent group to collection:
                In response to the President's commitment to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian
                citizens and others fleeing Russia's aggression, DHS, in coordination
                with DOS, established the Uniting for Ukraine \11\ (U4U) parole process
                on April 25, 2022. This process allows Ukrainian citizens and their
                qualifying family members the ability to submit certain personal
                information to USCIS and CBP to facilitate the issuance of an advance
                authorization to travel to the United States to seek parole. At the
                time U4U was implemented, full ATA capability was not yet developed and
                CBP uses different processes to screen and vet Ukrainians seeking
                parole. Currently, individuals seeking to travel under U4U do not
                utilize CBP OneTM or the ATA capability during their
                process. To align U4U with the other DHS parole processes, including
                CHNV and FRP, the ATA capability will be implemented for those
                individuals requesting authorization to fly directly to the United
                States to seek a discretionary grant of parole. The ATA capability will
                be added as part of a step in the U4U process to facilitate the vetting
                of noncitizens seeking to obtain advance authorization to travel and
                will give air carriers that participate in CBP's DocVal program the
                ability to validate an approved travel authorization, facilitating
                generation of a noncitizen's boarding pass without having to use other
                manual validation processes.
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                 \11\ See Implementation of the Uniting for Ukraine Parole
                Process, 87 FR 25040 (Apr. 25, 2022).
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                 2. Adjusted Burden: Furthermore, coinciding with USCIS, CBP has
                added to the burden estimate for this collection, to account for any
                potential expansion(s) that align with new or revised policies or
                processing capacity over the next three years.
                 3. New Data Element: This revision also adds a new data element to
                this collection; the physical location (longitude/latitude) at the time
                of any biometric information submission. This data element will further
                secure the submission process and provide accurate identity information
                for completion of vetting in advance of issuance of a travel
                authorization.
                 CBP invites comments from the public on all changes established by
                previously approved emergency submissions and the new proposed
                revisions listed in this FRN.
                 Type of Information Collection: Advance Travel Authorization (ATA).
                 Estimated Number of Respondents: 562,000.
                 Estimated Number of Annual Responses per Respondent: 1.
                 Estimated Number of Total Annual Responses: 562,000.
                 Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
                 Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 93,667.
                 Dated: September 7, 2023.
                Seth D. Renkema,
                Branch Chief, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border
                Protection.
                [FR Doc. 2023-19720 Filed 9-12-23; 8:45 am]
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