Do airlines transmit flight data with immigration?

I'd like to ask the following question

Obviously, upon travelling, we have to go to the check-in in order to get the boarding card/pass and then we have to clear immigration by going to the entry or exit immigration spots (I'm not considering customs). Do airlines generally share flight data with the immigration or does the latter only check the eligibility of the individual to enter the country, or does it depend on the country?

Best Answer

It depends.

Traditionally, and this is still the case in many countries, no. Airlines used to just check requirements, and they didn’t transmit anything to anyone.

However, over the last couple of decades, this has changed a lot, and many counties require information from airlines either for incoming passengers or exiting passengers, or both.

This takes the form of API (advance passenger information), also known under a variety of different names in different places.

If an airline asks for your passport info before they let you check-in, it’s for the purpose of transferring it to either the destination or origin country.

Most notably:

all passengers going to the US (or even flying over the US) will be notified to the US. They will be checked against no-fly lists, and for those going to the US, their eligibility will be checked (valid ESTA or visa...). If you’re not eligible, you won’t be allowed to board.
all passengers leaving the US or the UK will be notified to the origin country. Neither has exit immigration checks, so that allows them to update records and notice overstays.

I believe the EU (or is it the Schengen area?) already has a similar system for incoming passengers. Other countries already have or plan to have the same.

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Do airlines transmit flight data with immigration? - Airplanes at the Airport

Can airport See your travel history?

Answer: There is no government agency that keeps track of travel history. You can contact your travel agent; he/she may be able to pull up records of bookings in the past. Your passport will also contain records of entry and exit from the countries you have been to through the stamps and visas including dates.

Are flight records public information?

Aside from military and government sensitive flights, flight information collected by the FAA is considered public information because taxpayers pay for air traffic controllers, runways, towers, and other resources utilized by both commercial and private pilots.

Can you find out passenger name on flights?

The Passenger Name Record (PNR) contains details about the route of flight. A passenger acquires a PNR number once he/she purchases a flight ticket. A PNR record also has information of the passenger's contact details and preferences of seats, meal choices and many more.

Do US citizens need to complete Apis?

The USA requires more advance on certain data elements. Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is API information required by US authorities of all persons traveling to and from the country. All air carriers, including Icelandair, are bound by law to transmit API/APIS information prior to departure.

These Countries will DENY ENTRY at Immigration. Vacation Disasters

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