This past weekend, my family returned from our trip to Costa Rica. We had a layover in Houston where we had to go through immigration/passport control. While three people in my family of five have Global Entry that could expedite our international arrival, 2 of my kids do not. Because the interview process for Global Entry takes longer, we opted to just get them TSA Precheck. So, since we couldn’t all go through the Global Entry kiosks, I decided to try the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app.
Mobile Passport Control (MPC)
Mobile Passport Control wasn’t on my radar until my travel-agent friend raved about it recently. MPC is a program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reduce your wait time and processing time at certain points of entry. The MPC app is free to download, and, unlike Global Entry, there is no cost to register.
MPC is available at 51 locations, including Houston George Bush International Airport (IAH). MPC is available to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA.
Before our trip, I downloaded the app on my phone. I created an account and added all of my family members. Within the app, I was able to scan our passports and add our photos. I selected IAH airport as my point of entry, so it was all set for our return to the U.S.
Once we landed and I turned my cell phone back on, I went into the app and clicked on the prompt to confirm we had landed at IAH. The app then prompted me to snap another photo of each family member, which we did on the plane while we were still taxiing to the gate.
When we got to the passport control lines, the MPC line was separate and well-marked. It was indeed much shorter than the general line.
How much time did we save?
To be honest, I’m not sure we saved a ton of time by using MPC this time. The general line was longer, but there were also more agents processing passports. Our line was shorter, but there were only two agents. And, once we were at the counter, the agent still scanned all of our passports and took our photos (again!).
Unfortunately, whatever time we may have saved was soon consumed by the hideously long security line that all international passengers had to go through for connecting flights at IAH. TSA Precheck was unavailable in that line. We had 2 1/2 hours between our flights, and we barely made our connecting flight to DFW because of that long security line. There were many grumpy passengers in line with us who were all at risk of missing connections.
Overall Thoughts
I like the idea of MPC, and I intend to use it again in a few weeks with my daughter. It’s free and fairly easy to use, so if it saves some time, why not? One of these days I’ll get around to getting Global Entry for my youngest two kids. But until then, I’ll try my luck with MPC.
Have you used Mobile Passport Control (MPC)? What has been your experience with MPC?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Thanks for sharing your MPC experience. Why didn’t you have your other family members do a Global Entry interview on arrival? That’s the easiest way these days.
By all means do not use the security immediately after exiting Customs. Make your way back to the normal airport and go find a Precheck lane.
@Ryan I’ll have to figure that out for next time (exiting before security). It didn’t seem like an option with the way they funneled us through the line.
Upon returning from Costa Rica, via Houston, in November, I was also told that my TSA Precheck was not going to help, because they were “not offering it”. No explanation, no excuse. Step this way sir, and enjoy your X-ray, or if you really insist, your pat down. I chose the second, since it’s not associated with cancer.
@Luciano That’s frustrating for sure!
I love MPC and have used at JFK and IAD. Much shorter lines that regular. In neither case was I connecting so didn’t have to worry about security rescreening. Went through line with minimal wait, got our bags and left. Granted Global Entry is better but I’ll stick with Precheck. I only do 1-2 International flights a year and frankly not worth the time or hassle for me to get GE.
@ACinCLT I’m glad to hear MPC has worked well for you. I feel the same about Global Entry for my kids–with only 1-2 international trips a year, I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle.