[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45668-45670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11341]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

[OMB Control Number 1651-0143]


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

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of 
Homeland Security.

ACTION: 30-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 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 
June 24, 2024) to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) 
contained in this notice should be sent within 30 days of publication 
of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Please submit 
written comments and/or suggestions in English. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

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 proposed information collection was 
previously published in the Federal Register (88 FR 62810) on September 
13, 2023, allowing for a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for 
an additional 30 days for public comments. 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 from certain countries, 
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 the CHNV process. 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 the CHNV process. 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, 2022). See also 88 FR 1279 (Jan. 9, 
2023) (updating the process announced in 2022).
    \2\ 88 FR 1266 (Jan. 9, 2023), as amended by 88 FR 26329 (Apr. 
28, 2023).
    \3\ 88 FR 1243 (Jan. 9, 2023), as amended by 88 FR 26327 (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 CHNV process, in order to provide accurate identity 
information for completion of vetting in advance of issuance of a 
travel authorization.

Advance Travel Authorization (ATA)

    The biographic information collected on the I-134A is passed to CBP 
systems to allow the individual to complete their CBP One submission. 
The information the individual enters in CBP One must match the I-134A. 
The facial biometrics

[[Page 45669]]

collected from noncitizens for the CHNV process 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.
    If the advance travel authorization is denied, the individual will 
not be authorized to travel to the United States to seek parole under 
the CHNV 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 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 sections 103 and 
212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1103 and 
1182(d)(5)), and 8 CFR 212.5(f). DHS has also publicly announced the 
CHNV process policy and accompanying collection on its website and has 
also published Federal Register notices for each of the named 
countries, as noted above.
    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 the CHNV 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 include individuals seeking to travel to the 
United States as part of the Family Reunification Parole (FRP) 
processes using the existing ATA capability to submit information to 
CBP, as updated for certain nationals of Cuba \5\ and Haiti,\6\ and as 
implemented for certain nationals of Colombia,\7\ Guatemala,\8\ 
Honduras,\9\ El Salvador,\10\ and Ecuador.\11\ 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.
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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).
    \11\ 88 FR 78762 (Nov. 16, 2023).
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    The information collected as part of these new FRP 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.

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 (U4U) parole 
process on April 25, 2022.\12\ This process allows certain Ukrainian 
citizens and their qualifying family members to submit certain 
identifying 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 other DHS parole processes, including CHNV 
and FRP, the ATA capability will be implemented for those individuals 
requesting authorization to travel 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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    \12\ 87 FR 25040 (Apr. 27, 2022).
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    2. Adjusted Burden:
    Furthermore, in coordination 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

[[Page 45670]]

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) of device utilizing ATA 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: May 20, 2024.
Seth D Renkema,
Branch Chief, Economic Impact Analysis Branch, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection.
[FR Doc. 2024-11341 Filed 5-22-24; 8:45 am]
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