What is CBP-ONE, the app to request asylum in the United States that would cease to exist?

Last year, due to the high migratory flow and the collapse in care centers for asylum seekers in the United States, the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of that country developed a mobile application with which I was looking expedite the process and avoid long delays.

CBP-ONE is a free app through which immigrants can request their appointment, as well as make payments and advance the delivery of forms in order to start the process of legalizing your stay in the United States.

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But how does it work and what other benefits does this application bring, whose fate now hangs by a thread?

An application that promises to expedite the immigration process

CBP-ONE is designed to expedite the entire Form I-94 application and advance payment process, the arrival and departure record issued by all persons entering the country, including returning aliens, those traveling on immigrant visas, and most Canadian citizens.

In addition, it also reaches citizens who benefit from the ESTAthe Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which helps determine who is eligible to enter the country under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

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Given the demand to enter the United States, the objective of the Office allows you to reduce long waiting times, and at the same time facilitates the presentation of applications.

How to use CBP-ONE?

To apply for asylum, applicants forthey must use the application to be able to present themselves at the point of entry and start the process.

–Register and submit the application. An appointment confirmation notification will arrive and the applicant has 23 hours to confirm.

-In order to apply for asylum, the migrant must be in Mexican territory, specifically in the center or north of the country.

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-When making the application and confirming the registration, the applicant migrant must Go to a point of entry in the United States.

The application, which is free to download, It is available for both Android and iOS and is developed in English and Spanish. In addition, it incorporates technology that includes GPS and facial recognition.

Other benefits of the CBP-ONE app

– Through the I-94 function, you can access the form of payment quickly, safely and without the need to print the document. It is necessary to select the options “Apply for I-94 in advance” and “Get my recent I-94”.

– After requesting the I-94 applicationit can be sent up to seven days before the travel date. Likewise, it is possible to monitor waiting times at ports and airports of entry in real time.

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– Thanks to its automation, the application allows you to verify the expiration data of the I-94 and use the form to adjust status or extend stay in the United States. However, you must take into account that you must leave the territory before the departure date indicated on the form.

– By having direct access to the CBP arrival and departure record, this application is used to obtain a electronic I-94 voucher and prove legal status to employers, colleges, universities and government agencies, mainly.

– In addition to using it for travel, the previous I-94 is archived in the mobile app and can be verify up to five years of travel history.

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On the other hand, with regard to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which helps determine who is eligible to enter the country Under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries must have an active visa to use the CBP One I-94 feature.

Likewise, the Office recommends these travelers obtain an approved ESTA certificate to take advantage of the time savings offered by using CBP-ONE or the CBP I-94 website.

Protests against the possible disqualification of CBP-ONE

Hundreds of migrants came out this Friday to protest in the vicinity of the Consulate General of the United States, in the Mexican border city of Tijuana to request that the CBP-One application not be removed.

“We want to enter legally”, “We want CBP-ONE“, were part of the slogans of the approximately 200 undocumented immigrants who are looking for a way to request asylum in the United States.

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Pastor Albert Rivera, director of the Ágape shelter, said in a message to the media that the demonstration was motivated by the fact that last Tuesday some judges filed two lawsuits against the application, so that it is disabled under the argument that it is not working.

This provoked the annoyance of the protesting migrants, since For them, this application is the only option they currently have to enter the United States legally. by making an appointment request for humanitarian asylum.

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On May 11, the United States ended Title 42, a measure that has been used millions of times to automatically deport to Mexico to migrants who crossed into the United States, instead the Title 8 and new restrictions on applying for asylum.

The region is facing an unprecedented migratory flow, with more than 2.76 million undocumented immigrants intercepted by the United States on the border with Mexico in fiscal year 2022.

Santiago Andres Venera Salazar
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
With information from agencies and La Nación (Argentina) / GDA

* Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), to which EL TIEMPO belongs, is a leading media network founded in 1991, which promotes democratic values, the independent press and freedom of expression in Latin America through quality journalism for our hearings.