ST. JOHN — To facilitate the processing of small vessels entering the USVI from foreign destinations during this summer season, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in St. John said it will continue to provide services in its temporary facility daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Permanent CBP facilities in St. John were destroyed by Hurricane Irma and Maria; however, CBP is committed to serve its public to the best of its capacity and using all current available resources” said Todd Bellew, assistant area port director.
CBP Officers are currently processing only private vessels and small charters at the temporary facility, CBP said.
According to the release, operators of small pleasure vessels arriving in the United States from a foreign port or place are required by law to report their arrival to CBP immediately. Once the master of the vessel reports the arrival, CBP Officers provide further guidance regarding the next step in the inspection.
Currently, vessel arrivals to St. John must report by calling 1 (877) 305-8773.
During this summer season CBP deployed tje mobile application ROAM (Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile) for small pleasure boaters in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The CBP ROAM app is a free mobile application that provides an option for pleasure boaters to report their U.S. entry to CBP via their personal smart phone. This app should facilitate the reporting process for all boaters that pass through the Caribbean and arrive in USVI. ROAM users are expected to experience a smoother CBP process, CBP said.
After the deployment of ROAM, CBP St. John telephone number will continue to operate as usual as the use of ROAM is strictly voluntary.
Tags: customs and border protection, ROAM, usvi
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