Ministry of Immigration and Border Services Implements Contingency Plans Following Network Outage  

PRESS RELEASE

FROM THE MINISTRY OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SERVICES

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands 23^rd December 2024 – The Ministry of Immigration and Border Services is implementing contingency plans to minimize disruptions to public services following a network outage. The public is advised of the following changes:

Customs Service Department

The Customer Service Department maintains normal operations and continues to accept all applications. However, payment receipts are currently being issued manually.

Employment Services Department

• The Employment Services Department’s Customs Services unit remains open to the public but is currently not accepting payments.
• The Department’s Corporate Unit continues to accept applications, although receipt generation is temporarily unavailable.
• Payments will be processed for applications with existing receipts.
• In urgent cases requiring a temporary work permit (e.g., essential personnel, critical projects), applications will be accepted, and a manual receipt voucher will be issued.

Border Force

• All import declarations will be processed as pre-entries using the relevant pre-entry form. Pre-entry forms are available at the Border Force website at https://borderforce.gov.tc/forms. Brokers must submit three hard copies of the pre-entry form along with the Bill of Lading/Airway Bill, Worksheet, and invoices.
• Manifests are currently processed manually. Two hard copies of the Bill of Lading must be submitted to Border Force.
• Vehicle Examinations are presently conducted using paper forms until the e-Vehicle portal is restored.
• Duties and fee payments are accepted via credit/debit cards and cheques, with cheques currently preferred due to connectivity issues.
• Concession requests must be submitted to drobinson@gov.tc via email or via letter hand-delivered to the Border Force Services Office on Airport Road, Providenciales. Requests will be processed manually. Once the online concession portal is restored, requests must be uploaded to the portal.
• To facilitate cargo clearance, the Entry Processing Unit in Providenciales will extend its operating hours to 3:00 p.m. Border Force will also offer extended hours at transit sheds, although specific timings may vary. The public is advised to contact individual transit sheds directly to confirm their operating hours.

The Ministry of Immigration and Border Services apologises for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates the public’s understanding and cooperation.

This information is subject to change as the situation evolves. For the most up-to-date information, please contact the relevant department directly.