There are a number of 3’rd party APIS Apps on the market designed to simplify the task of preparing and submitting APIS manifests to CBP and also to other foreign countries with APIS requirements. However, we have detected several unique scenarios that have resulted in issues for pilots not only in the US but in foreign countries as well. The following are some of these scenarios to make you aware in the event that they might apply to you.

Selecting the wrong person. Most 3’rd party Apps allow you to store information on crew and passengers so that you only have to enter it once. However, when two or more people have the same, or similar, names, it is easy to select the wrong person when you are in a rush. Submitting incorrect data on your manifest is a violation in any country and unfortunately, we are aware of pilots receiving penalty cases for this mistake.

Forgetting to update your information. Passports expire or can be stolen, and the passport information in the App needs to be updated when the new passport is obtained. Addresses can change as well. Whenever your APIS manifest data changes, don’t forget to update it in the App so that you submit the correct APIS data in your next manifest. Sending incorrect data is also cause for a penalty case and unfortunately, we have seen that happen. The App is only as good as the data you store in it.

Dual citizens. Some persons may have dual citizenship and may need to submit different APIS data (passports) to the departure country versus the arrival country on the same flight (USA-Mexico, for example). If the incorrect passports are submitted to one country or the other, it could be cause for a penalty case and we are aware of pilots running afoul of this mistake also. Most Apps do not have the capability to automatically substitute passport information between two countries so make sure that if this applies to you, you find a way to address it.

Re-submitting APIS. Sometimes, you may have to resubmit your APIS manifest at the behest of either the departure country or the arrival country for different reasons. If both countries involved in that flight require APIS, some Apps usually retransmit the respective APIS manifests to both countries automatically. If one of the countries is like the USA, this means that you need to be sure to satisfy any timing requirements before departing, obtain a new clearance email and once again request permission to land as new APIS manifests will nullify any previous authorizations and permissions.

Don’t make the same mistakes that other pilots have made which got them into trouble. Make sure you know how the APIS App you are using works under these circumstances to avoid getting into hot water with any of the countries involved.

CST Flight Services (Formerly: Caribbean Sky Tours)
www.cstflightservices.com