NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to expand special fast-track immigration programme, which was first implemented at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi, to 21 other major civil aviation infrastructure facilities across the country. Officials said that services will be available for pre-verified Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders.The Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) was first launched at Delhi’s IGI Airport on June 22, officials said. Work is in progress at seven major airports – Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad; the rest will be taken up soon.The officials said that the expansion plan of the FTI-TTP was one of the initiatives taken by the MHA under its first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government.The FTI-TIP ensures faster immigration clearance. So far 18,400 people including Indian citizens and OCI cardholders have registered themselves and as many 1,500 passengers have been granted clearance through the e-gates at the IGI Airport till now, the officials informed.The FTI-TTP has been introduced with the purpose of facilitating international mobility with faster, smoother and secure immigration clearances. It is similar to the United States’ Global Entry Program, which allows fast-tracked clearance for pre-approved and low-risk travelers upon their arrival at select airports in the US.Under the FTI-TTP programme, eligible passengers are allowed to utilise e-gates and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless experience. Under the programme, the passengers are allowed to get through the e-gates on the basis of their boarding pass and biometrics.As soon as registered passengers arrive at the e-gates, they are required to scan their boarding pass issued by the airlines to get the details of their flights and then their passport are also scanned and their biometrics are authenticated at the e-gates.Once their identity is confirmed and biometric authentication is done, the e-gate opens automatically, indicating that the immigration clearance has been granted.Eligible persons can apply for FTI-TTP through the government website: www.ftittp.mha.gov.in, where they have to furnish all the required details, which then are verified by the Bureau of Immigration.Once approved, applicants are required to schedule an appointment to provide their biometrics, which they can do at designated international airports in India or at the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
Source link
