APEC Business Travel Card Renewal

[Max Samuels]

Does anybody know how/where these can be renewed?

 

[moa999]

Same application form, basically same process - you need to be recleared by each country.
Thus recommended you start renewal process four months out.

Note that the application criteria appears to have been tightened recently:
Business Mobility Group - Key Initiatives

 

[NM]

From http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/business/apec/apply.htm

Renewing your APEC Business Travel Card

If your old APEC Business Travel Card expires (or has only six months validity remaining) and you would like to apply for another APEC Business Travel Card, you must lodge a new application.

The process for renewing your APEC Business Travel Card is exactly the same as making an initial application. Australia is required to seek pre clearance with each economy each time a new application is lodged. The validity of each new card remains at three years.

 

[Siegfried]

...
Note that the application criteria appears to have been tightened recently:

Yeah - mine expires in October, so I downloaded the form yesterday. My last renewal, I just put the same information on as the time before that, and had to sweet talk them when they phoned me to follow up on the application. This time, though, it looks like I might have to LMAO (and in this case, the "L" doesn't stand for laugh).

I might be lucky though - had a chat to my boss (the guy that owns the company, fortunately), and pushed the economic argument (I've saved more than the application fee over the last 2 years through not having to pay the reciprocity fee in Chile). It would be uncharitable of me to say that my boss is tight with a dollar, but you CAN hear his cough-cheeks squeaking when he walks. So, it seems that I'm about to be "promoted" - without going into specifics, I think that the only progression from my new position would be total world domination.

But, I hear that the good people at the BMG are a tad hard to impress - so I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Max Samuels]

Note that the application criteria appears to have been tightened recently:
Business Mobility Group - Key Initiatives

Jeezzz... it sure has! Interestingly enough they don't ask for any of the supporting documentation in the application??

 

[Max Samuels]

But, I hear that the good people at the BMG are a tad hard to impress - so I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Yeah it looks like it. Apparently you are not even considered a company unless you export more than multiple millions of dollars of trade every year! And only the top 3 execs in a company too!

 

[Siegfried]

I was just thinking that it might be useful to apply some analysis to this - does anyone know how may applications are made, and what the size of the processing / decision-making staff is?

Looking at the application form, the only quantitative question are 16 (no. of planned APEC economy vists) and 17 (average length of stay). In my experience, these would be the first "filter" on the application. The number of applications and staff available to process them would probably come into play on the qualitative questions - 18 and 19.

Q16 and Q17 are statements of future intention, so you can pretty much say what you like without them being binding.

So, the problem as I see it is to "cast" the answers to Q18 and Q19 in the most favourable light. If the volume of applications is large and the processing resources relatively small, then hitting the right "key phrases" for these questions should help the application through the gate.

Or I could just be talking out of my cough!!

 

[explorer13]

Wow quite a change, mine expires July, I started the process for renewal in March, I have my new card now. The process seemed straight forward and the preapproval from the countries seemed to have occurred quicker this time. Looking at the conditions this may be the last one for me!!

 

[DeKa]

A whole heap of people at my work have had them rejected in the last week or two. Some of them are very senior people, and others aren't. The senior people may be able to provide more information and have their cards renewed, but most I don't think will gain that approval. The biggest frustration is that this wasn't a known issue a month or so ago when they sent off their renewals, and they are now faced with expensing a $200 fee they got nothing for!

What are other people seeing in their work place?

 

[travelbug11]

I think these new requirements are simply to cut down on the number of Australians using the APEC scheme. I forget the stats, but I think Ozzies had something like 50% of all the APEC cards issued.

If you check the New Zealand APEC application page, it still has the old requirements.

I suspect these new requirements will have to be relaxed at some stage, as surely there are not many people who are going to qualify.


** (I just checked, and Australians have nearly 40% of all issued cards)

 

[DeKa]

How are people going with their renewals now? Any better luck?

 

[Seat 1A]

FYI - My card expired end of August this year so started the renewal process in May. By end of August I had all countries approved axcept PNG and CHN. At that stage I asked for an interim card and paid for a 12 mth Chinese multiple entry Business Visa to tide me over. Still today I am waiting for the Chinese approval, I have phoned and emailed the APEC mobility people and they tell me China approvals are now taking 6 month, so others beware. Also on the Business Mobility application status page, there has been a bug in the web software since Oct 8th and not giving status advice since then.

 

[DTM1]

Out of interest, what is your role within the company?

My card still has 18mths to go, but I don't think that they're going to be too keen to re-issue to lawyers going fwd...

...no jokes necessary....

 

[Seat 1A]

I fit the eligibility requirements as mentioned on the business mobility website: 'only those people occupying the three highest management tiers of a large business enterprise'

 

[moa999]

don't think that they're going to be too keen to re-issue to lawyers going fwd...

Agreed. Seems weird to restrict it to 'direct' investment when there is a massive service industry that goes along with international trade - lawyers, accountants, banks etc.

 

[Seat 1A]

For the record, the full APEC card arrived at my office in Oz by registered mail last week while I was in China. Nearly 6 months from initial renewal application. Interestingly in China I used APEC entry and exit lines and showed my interim (non China approved APEC card) plus my 12mth multiple entry Business visa, both occasions they let me through so it saved me the long tourist queues. Not sure it will work every time though so glad the full card has arrived. Also BTW on the Business Mobility application status page, there is still a bug in the web software since Oct 8th and not giving status advice since then.

And apologies DTM1, forgot to mention I am not a lawyer but have many as friends, cheers and good luck

 

[dot]

I suspect these new requirements will have to be relaxed at some stage, as surely there are not many people who are going to qualify.


** (I just checked, and Australians have nearly 40% of all issued cards)

I wouldn't bet on that - my team mates in Taiwan and China face similar issues to the new qualification requirements - for example, in Taiwan you need to be a C level exec to get an APEC BT Card for instance.

 

[Fantic125]

Any further updates on how people are going with the new regulations?

Mine's due for renewal later this year, and I'm interested to hear what the acceptance / rejection rate is like.

 

[Febs]

Any further updates on how people are going with the new regulations?

Mine's due for renewal later this year, and I'm interested to hear what the acceptance / rejection rate is like.

Knocked back, and knocked back again when I contested the decision. Nice that they take your $200, regardless of the outcome. :evil:

The new criteria are being strictly enforced it seems, largely due to Australia already having "too big a chunk" of the membership. Whilst I qualified under the old criteria, I was probably on the fringe of actually being eligible, and so under the new criteria, it was a bit more clear cut in their eyes that I was no longer eligible.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Danger]

Working in Federal politics, I've been made aware of some questions that were placed on notice in relation to the APEC Business Travel Card during the May round of Senate Estimates. (Senate Estimates is essentially a process whereby all government departments (and particularly their expenditures) are scrutinised. It also gives Senators the opportunity to ask (almost) any question on (almost) any topic, with the expectation that a clear answer will be given, either then and there or within the timeframe for reporting questions on notice.) The below answers have been provided by the Department of Immigration & Citizenship's APEC Business Travel Card unit and are now a matter of public record.

Question: Is it correct that the renewal requirements for the card were significantly tightened? If so, why and what are the new requirements?

Answer: Yes. In June 2010, DIAC amended the eligibility criteria for Australia’s APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) to bring its eligibility requirements into closer alignment with that of most other APEC economies. New applicants and those reapplying were required to satisfy the following criteria:
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1. The applicant must be a senior executive level business person.
2. The applicant must be directly involved in the trade of goods and/or services or the conduct of investment activities when travelling overseas.
3. The business entity (which the applicant represents) must be wellestablished and well-credentialed in terms of its international trade and investment activities.
4. The business entity (which the applicant represents) must demonstrate significant economic benefit within the APEC region from its business activities.
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The purpose of the amendments was to counter any perception, among member economies of the APEC Business Mobility Group (BMG), that Australia was either using the scheme for its own self-interest or did not respect the approach taken more broadly by other APEC members, mindful that each ABTC application creates significant work for all participating economies. Australian cardholders, at the time, represented 30 per cent of all cardholders in the ABTC scheme.

Australia’s underlying objective was to maintain the goodwill of other APEC members as this is relied upon to preserve the benefits and long-term viability of the ABTC scheme.

Recognising the need to ensure that the ABTC scheme adequately supports the needs of business travellers, a review of the arrangements commenced in March 2011 involving consultations with a range of peak business bodies and business councils. DIAC is currently in further consultations with business bodies and expects to implement revised eligibility requirements in the latter half of 2011 [emphasis added].
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Question: What are the annual numbers of applications submitted and the number approved for the card since its inception?

Answer: The APEC Business Travel Card Processing System is used by all APEC economies to process applications. This system is used differently by APEC economies, with some economies only entering approved applications into the system. This means that it is not possible to provide information on the numbers of applications submitted annually.

The table below sets out the total number of cardholders in the scheme (at 31 December for all years except 2011) since it commenced permanent operations in 1999. In 2006, data from a previous system was migrated to the existing APEC Business Travel Card Processing System.

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