bubba1 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Will a US citizen with an APEC card get 90 days on arrival? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 You will get the 90 day entry allowed by the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 1) Does the purpose of the visit need to be business? 2) Can it be extended 30 days at an immigration office? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Doing business here is the purpose of the card but there is no way they can very that is what you are doing when you enter. No extension of any amount is possible other than 7 days to leave the country for a denied application. Have you checked to see if you can get the card. As far as I know the US is not a participant in the program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Doing business here is the purpose of the card but there is no way they can very that is what you are doing when you enter. No extension of any amount is possible other than 7 days to leave the country for a denied application. Have you checked to see if you can get the card. As far as I know the US is not a participant in the program. Yes, the US is part of the program it started in June and people are getting cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overherebc Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 (edited) As far as I know US citizens can get a card but as yet don't get full privileges as USA is not a full member at the moment, I think it allows fast track etc but not automatic visa, so not 100% sure if you will get the 90 days on landing. Willing to be corrected. Edited August 29, 2014 by overherebc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedemon Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Unfortunately overherebc is correct, the card issued to US citizens only enables the queue jumping benefit and perhaps expedited entry visa processing. For the US to become a full member of the scheme would require that the US give reciprocal visa-free entry to card holders from, among others, Russia and China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Unfortunately overherebc is correct, the card issued to US citizens only enables the queue jumping benefit and perhaps expedited entry visa processing. For the US to become a full member of the scheme would require that the US give reciprocal visa-free entry to card holders from, among others, Russia and China. Are you sure about this? Does Australia which gets 59 days in the Philippines with a card give visa free entry to Chinese? I don't think so. Anyway i am talking about the scheme started in June not the HK PR which allowed it before. Not sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Unfortunately overherebc is correct, the card issued to US citizens only enables the queue jumping benefit and perhaps expedited entry visa processing. For the US to become a full member of the scheme would require that the US give reciprocal visa-free entry to card holders from, among others, Russia and China. Are you sure about this? Does Australia which gets 59 days in the Philippines with a card give visa free entry to Chinese? I don't think so. Anyway i am talking about the scheme started in June not the HK PR which allowed it before. Not sure I can find nothing to support what they are saying, The only thing I can find is that a APEC card holder gets a 90 days entry to Thailand. Info is here: http://www.businessmobility.org/key/abtc.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PH59 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Yes as an Australian APEC Card holder I get visa free to China and Philippines, in total 17 APEC countries each country varies on days allowed from 30 to 90 days depending n the country In the USA it just gets me fast track at entry. Having said that AU PP holders don't need visa just a 2 yearly extemtion application Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedemon Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Unfortunately overherebc is correct, the card issued to US citizens only enables the queue jumping benefit and perhaps expedited entry visa processing. For the US to become a full member of the scheme would require that the US give reciprocal visa-free entry to card holders from, among others, Russia and China. Are you sure about this? Does Australia which gets 59 days in the Philippines with a card give visa free entry to Chinese? I don't think so. Anyway i am talking about the scheme started in June not the HK PR which allowed it before. Not sure I can find nothing to support what they are saying, The only thing I can find is that a APEC card holder gets a 90 days entry to Thailand. Info is here: http://www.businessmobility.org/key/abtc.html Yes it's quite difficult to find specific information about what the entry requirements are for an APEC card holder. I have never seen a list of the member countries where that is spelt out clearly. However you can do a search country by country on TIMATIC which is specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1638/~/apec-business-travel-card-(abtc)-for-u.s.-citizens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1 Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1638/~/apec-business-travel-card-(abtc)-for-u.s.-citizens Where does it say US citizens don't get 90 days on a visa waiver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkkfaranguy Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Yes a USA citizen can now get an APEC card, but you first apply for a GOES Card or similar card with the US Customs and Border control, once you have that you can obtain a APEC card. You can apply online at the GOES website (sorry traveling now so don't have the link) then you schedule an interview usually at a USA airport, I am doing my interview in Singapore in November at the embassy and its the only place outside of USA to do an interview in the Asian region. Once you have passed an interview you will be eligible for the APEC card, but for USA citizens its really on good for using fastrack lines at all the participating countries, you are still required to get the proper visa for the countries that require visa's. So for Thailand it is only good for in and out threw fastrack, if you are needing any type of visa besides the 30 day exempt visa you will still need to apply for the appropriate visa. This program started this year in June and while its not as good as the Australian or other Asian countries APEC card it is a start in the right direction, the cost for the GOES card is 100USD and another 70USD for the APEC card which is good for 3 years. After the first 3 years they are going to analyze the program and decide to continue or expand it. Edited August 30, 2014 by bkkfaranguy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JXXXL Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I am a US passport holder and just got my APEC card. The first time I entered Thailand using the APEC card, they gave me a 90 day stamp. Prior to using the APEC card, it was always 30 days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1 Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 Any recent updates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba1 Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 Any updates?anyone else get 90 days without a visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedemon Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 The USA and Canada are transitional members of the ABTC scheme. US or Canadian ABTC holders still require a visa, where required, for entry into APEC economies. The United States does not participate in the APEC pre-clearance visa free travel scheme. For an APEC card to be valid for entry to an APEC member country, that country must be mentioned on the back of the card e.g.THA for Thailand. US issued cards don't have any countries listed on the back. It looks like this: As opposed to this: If Thai immigration granted a US card holder 90 days solely on the basis of the card that is a mistake. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glherzog Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 I am a US Citizen with an APEC card and I can confirm that you only get 30 days with the card in Thailand. You get to use the VIP lanes at Bangkok airport and do not need to get any other kind of visa (like a visa on arrival) but you do NOT receive the 90 days, only 30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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