Business Mobility Group - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

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APEC Member Economies are committed to enhancing business mobility by exchanging information on regulatory regimes, streamlining the processing of short-term business visitor visas and procedures for temporary residence of business people, and maintaining a dialogue on these issues with the business community. This work is coordinated by the Business Mobility Group (BMG), formerly known as Informal Experts' Group on Business Mobility (IEGBM). Australia currently chairs this group.

Business and Private Sector Participation
The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) has made facilitation of business travel a priority. The Committee on Trade and Investment's agenda on business mobility has been guided by ABAC's recommendations, and the BMG liaises closely with ABAC on developments. The business/private sector has also been closely consulted in the development of the APEC Business Travel Card scheme and the introduction of other APEC initiatives. ABAC continues to be a strong promoter of the APEC Business Travel Card and was instrumental in expediting Japan's participation in the scheme.

Latest Developments
The BMG is continuing work on initiatives to improve immigration processing, to make it faster and smoother for travellers, and to more effectively assure passenger safety and border security. Specifically, members are continuing on a pathfinder basis, the implementation of Advanced Passenger Information (API) systems. Additionally, the BMG is progressing work on a new Regional Movement Alert System, which would enhance security through coordination without noticeably impeding travellers' movements. Australia, the United States and New Zealand have launched the system, and more BMG members are expected to participate in the future.

The BMG is also developing standards that will assist economies in improving the quality and consistency of their immigration services and systems. Standards have been developed for: professional conduct for immigration officers; immigration legal infrastructure; improved travel document security and related issuing and storage systems; and transparency. The BMG's agreed capacity building is to set best practice standards against which all economies can self-assess their existing regimes and develop their own tailored strategic action plans to implement the agreed standards. Technical and training assistance is provided to economies to build their capacity to implement the standards.

Also, economies continue work, on a 'best endeavours' basis, to streamline processing of temporary business residency permits and process applications from intra-company transfers within 30 days, where all documentation is complete.

APEC Business Travel Card scheme

The APEC Business Travel Card scheme provides bona fide frequent business travelers with visa-free travel and expedited airport processing when visiting participating economies. APEC Member Economies fully participating in the scheme include Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Chile; China; Hong Kong,China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; and Viet Nam. In September 2007, the United States became a "transitional member" of the scheme with the aim of becoming a full participant within three years.

Key Outcomes

Key outcomes in the area of business mobility include -

Launch of a new Regional Movement Alert List system, designed to improve detection of the use of passports reported as lost or stolen. This initiative aims both to assist in the detection of persons of concern and fraudulent travel documents, thereby enhancing border security and safety, and to streamline processing of bona fide travellers.

Work to build economies' capacity to process and adopt machine readable travel documents, incorporating biometric data, in order to improve travel document security and integrity, and thereby improve both security and border controls.

Agreement on standards for the implementation of advance passenger information systems across the region, with benefits for travellers in increased safety and security.
The development of best practice travel document examination regimes across the region to assist the detection of fraudulent documentation.
The development of standards to improve the standard and security of travel documentation and of standards for immigration legal infrastructure, to enhance the security of borders and address illegal movement of people.
Continued progress by economies to improve the standard of professional immigration service.
Agreement to improved service standards for processing applications for, and extensions of, temporary residence permits for executives, managers and specialists transferred within their companies to other APEC Member Economies.
Collective agreement to continue to examine ways to streamline processing procedures for business travellers, and individual action to facilitate business travel, for example by expanding visa-waiver programs or extending the validity of multiple-entry visas or by joining the APEC Business Travel Card scheme.
Maintenance of up-to-date information on requirements for short-term business visas and temporary business residency permits in the Internet version of the APEC Business Travel Handbook, which is available on the BMG's website (www.businessmobility.org). The Handbook also includes contact information on offices that issue visas across the APEC region.