The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) praised the launch of a pilot program to automate the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form I-94W for Visa Waiver Program travelers from Auckland, New Zealand to Los Angeles International Airport. Under this pilot program, an effort NBTA has supported for years, passengers traveling with an approved travel authorization via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) are not be required to fill out the paper 1-94W form.

Michael W. McCormick, NBTA Executive Director & COO, said, “In today’s challenging times, facilitating international commerce is crucial to job creation and economic recovery. This pilot program, one that NBTA has long encouraged, promises to set in motion an initiative to tear down barriers and speed up the process for international business travelers entering and exiting the United States. We look forward to the program’s success and swift expansion to ensure the safety and efficiency of travelers coming to the United States from around the world.”

The 30-day pilot program will be tested on Air New Zealand Flight 6 starting November 12. CBP will evaluate the program’s success and consider expanding it to additional Air New Zealand flights during the testing period.