Outgoing Passenger Card Soon to Disappear from Border Clearance Process in Australia!

Getting into a long queue, going through a security check, asking for an outgoing passenger card on the airline counters, finding the spot to fill it and depositing it in the drop box located after departure Smartgate.

It’s the process that vexed people when leaving Australia, in turn, adding a negative point to the overall Australian experience.

Good news is you don’t have to go through this anymore!

From 1^st July, 2017, the paper-based passenger card will be obsolete in an attempt to make the border clearance process seamless and secure.

The number of international travellers in Australia is anticipated to rise up to 50 million annually by 2020 which called for a better organisation and reliable automated system. This organisation will be an effective way to manage and make the border clearance a faster, integrated process.

Majority of the information of each passenger is already available via their airline’s Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). The data from previous trips and passport details which is present in the database will also be assembled and utilised.

The Department of Home Affairs worked with the ABS and Tourism Australia to come up with better amends in relation to the passenger cards. It has come to the decision of removing of the outgoing passenger cards after ascertaining and testing out the alternatives for the data sources of the passengers.

The incoming passenger card, on the contrary, still needs to be submitted by the travellers arriving in Australia. It is again, expected to be scrapped by the end of 2018.

For those who are not aware of the Passenger Cards, here is the brief overview:

A passenger card is a form that represents passenger’s identity and serves as a record of their entry to and departure from Australia.

An Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) needs to be submitted by the travellers entering Australia.

An Outgoing Passenger Card (OPC) needs to be submitted by the travellers departing Australia.

The records from these cards have been maintained since long (around 1965) and the Australian Tax Office has access to it. In cases of disputes, while challenging the claims made by the people of not being Australia resident and hence not liable for taxes, these cards have been used as evidences of the individual’s status.

For more information on passenger cards, feel free to get in touch with our immigration consultants today.