Caribbean APIS Regulations

[JB]

Has anyone had any recent experience with the new APIS regulations for entering the Caricom countries? NEW APIS REGULATIONS They seem to require pre-clearing in to each country electronically prior to arrival. Since I haven't been there since these supposedly went into effect, I was wondering if they are actually required, and if so, what experience you may have had. Thanks!

[Hud3]

JB,

Here's the latest info that I'm aware of. It's from a thread I started at http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ers-10416.html . The Caribbean Compass has been doing a great job of keeping on top of develoments. They'll have a new issue out around Dec 1st.
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APIS Update
Just got back from Antigua, after launching "The Belle" for the season. When I cleared out, I learned from the immigration officer that Antigua was no longer enforcing APIS on small yachts. She said that the requirements still apply to yachts over 100 tons. My concern continues to be that, with the laws on the books, enforcement could be re-instated with no notice, and failure to comply is subject to fines of $200,000 to $300,000 EC dollars.

Sally Erdle, editor of the Caribbean Compass, has done a thorough job of documenting the lastest in the November issue. LINK: Working Together

Here's what she wrote about each individual islands' approach:

Island by Island
As this issue of Compass goes to press, the current situation to the best of our knowledge is as follows.·
Antigua & Barbuda, which had been asking yacht skippers to go to an internet café and fill out APIS forms this summer under its Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Act, 2007, has now suspended enforcement of this requirement for all yachts.·
St. Kitts and Nevis are not applying an APIS requirement at the moment and according to a correspondent have no plans to do so in the immediate future: "They think it would cause confusion among the yachts. They particularly appreciate that the 24-hour rule cannot work for them with yachts coming from non-API islands like St. Barts."·
In Dominica, "this would not be implemented any time soon," according to one official. Dominica, being located between the non-API islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, would be especially vulnerable to the 24-hour rule.·
St. Lucia has not yet enforced its APIS legislation either, and Keats Compton, as President of the Marine Industry Association of St. Lucia, is writing to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Tourism formally requesting the suspension of St. Lucia's Immigration Act of 2007 as it applies to yachts.·
St. Vincent & the Grenadines Immigration officers asked yachts to fill out APIS forms online for a brief period in October, and one or more boats arriving from Grenada waters were reportedly turned away at Union Island because they hadn't filed API forms before leaving Grenada. However, Melodye Pompa of the Caribbean Safety & Security Net says that yachts clearing out of Union Island have not reported any mention of APIS. The issue of API for yachts is set to be the top agenda item for an October 29th meeting of SVG's Tourism Advisory Board.·
Grenada has not enforced its Immigration (Amendment) Act of 2007 in regard to yachts.·
Trinidad & Tobago's legislation requiring APIS enforcement expired on June 30th and has not been renewed.
With relatively little visiting yacht traffic, especially at this time of year, we've had no feedback from Guyana, Barbados or Jamaica.

For updates on the APIS situation visit the Safety & Security Net's NEWS and Chris Doyles' site NEW APIS REGULATIONS.

[HAwkcharter]

"Captain Ron" wouldn't survive the APIS red tape. I was hoping to sail away into romantic sunsets without red tape..the older I get the more intricate the rules have become.

MArk Twain had it right, in essence; Pass a law that makes it illegal to pass anymore laws without first repealing two existing laws.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by HAwkcharter

MArk Twain had it right, in essence; Pass a law that makes it illegal to pass anymore laws without first repealing two existing laws.

Mark Twain spoke to much. He should have just said: Pass a law that makes it illegal to pass anymore laws.

[Hud3]

Here's Chris Doyle's latest post on the status of APIS:

(Nov 30, 2007) GOOD NEWS!
I can now confirm API has been suspended in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the level of knowledge about it among the officials in Union Island, leads me to believe that the knowledge of this will have gone out to every customs station. So for the time being none of the Eastern Caribbean islands on the main sailing route are applying API. API is now dormant for most of us. I would like to think it was dead, but I am not convinced of that yet. However, hopefully we can sail this coming season free of this badly thought-out bureaucratic nightmare.
I would like to thank all those who took action on this whether it was contacting tourist offices, complaining, or avoiding islands that instituted API. It all had an effect.
Away from the main yachting islands I am checking on the status of Montserrat, but no one has yet complained, so hopefully it is not being applied there. I will work on the information for Guyana, but that may take a few days. I have heard a rumor that Barbados has now started applying it, but have no confirmation.