A special fast-track immigration programme, which was first launched at the Delhi airport, is now being expanded to other major cities 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 Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 22, and is now a work-in-progress at seven other major airports -- Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad.
The FTI-TTP is one of the initiatives taken by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under the first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government.
In the programme, which ensures faster immigration clearance, so far, 18,400 people -- both Indians and OCI cardholders -- have registered themselves and as many 1,500 passengers have been granted clearance through the e-gates in Delhi.
What Does FTI-TTP Do
The FTI-TTP has been introduced with the purpose of facilitating international mobility with faster, smoother, and more secure immigration clearance.
The initiative is similar to the United States' Global Entry Program which allows fast-tracked clearance for pre-approved and low-risk travellers upon their arrival in America at select airports.
FTI-TTP is designed for faster, smoother and safer immigration clearance for international travellers. Under the program, eligible passengers will be allowed to utilise e-gates and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless experience.
Following necessary verification, passengers will be able to get through the e-gates on the basis of their boarding pass and biometrics.
As soon as a registered passengers arrives at the e-gates, she/he will scan their boarding pass issued by the airlines there to get the details of their flights. Then their passport will also be scanned and their biometrics authenticated at the e-gates.
Once their identity is confirmed and biometric authentication is done, the e-gate will automatically open, indicating that the immigration clearance has been granted.
The FTI-TTP will eventually be launched at 21 major airports in the country.
How To Apply
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 will be verified by the Bureau of Immigration.
Once approved, applicants will have 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).
It is notable that biometrics is mandatory for the completion of the application processing.
The FTI-TTP registration will be valid for a maximum of five years or until the validity of the passport, whichever comes first. To apply for the program, applicants will have to ensure that they have an at least six months of passport validity.
An official said that the programme will run on e-gates or automated border gates which will minimise the human intervention in the immigration process.
FTI-TTP will first be implemented in two phases, first one for Indian citizens and OCI cardholders, and second for foreign travellers.
The main objective of the programme is to make international travel easy and secure by developing world-class immigration facilities through an accelerated immigration pathway for international travellers screened through automated/e-gates.
The Home Ministry also shared a support help desk email id for the requirement of any kind of assistance -- india.ftittp-boi@mha.gov.in.
