USA: Small Vessel Reporting System replaced by CBP ROAM app from September 5, 2018
The new CBP ROAM App introduced in September 2018 replaces the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). This is a much simpler and quicker process to report your arrival in US waters as it allows skippers to present themselves for face to face inspections with a CBP Officer using Video Chat.
Published 6 years ago, updated 5 years ago
This news item is now out of date: See latest ROAM info. on the CBP website.
Since September 5, 2018, the Small Vessel Reporting System has no longer been in service and float plans no longer accepted.
Instead, pleasure boaters are encouraged to use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile (ROAM) application when sailing into the U.S. from a foreign port or place. Existing SVRS numbers will continue to remain valid and may be entered in the CBP ROAM app for expedited processing. Boaters may also continue to report their arrival via designated telephone reporting numbers or report to a port of entry if desired.
The CBP ROAM app is a convenient and efficient way to report your U.S. entry from a smart device. Travellers can use the CBP ROAM app to input their biographic and trip information, followed by a video interview with a CBP Officer, to meet reporting requirements. While all travellers may use the CBP ROAM app, there may be circumstances in which a boater must still report in person to CBP, including, but not limited to, if an I-94 (Immigration) or other document is required, if customs duties must be paid, or in other relevant circumstances.
ROAM has developed over the last 3 years and there are plans to integrate it into CBP ONE at the end of 2021.
- See CBP news item.
- Sese Noonsite news item.
Where can I download the CBP ROAM app?
Download CBP ROAM on your Android or Apple device! Detailed instructions on how to install and use the app on a personal device are attached for your reference. In certain locations, travellers can use a CBP tablet located at a partner organization to access the CBP ROAM app.
Where can the CBP ROAM app be used?
The CBP ROAM app can be used to report U.S. entry by boat in the Great Lakes, USA coastline, and U.S. territories in the Caribbean.
Who can use CBP ROAM?
This app is for all foreign arrivals (US, Canadian and all other flagged boats). However, new features were introduced in September 2021 enabling cruising licenses via ROAM, and this appears to have made it more difficult for non US and Canadian boats to use the App. ROAM will be integrated into CBP ONE at the end of 2021 and hopefully this will enable use by all foreign vessels. If you cannot use ROAM then report your arrival via designated telephone reporting numbers or report to a port of entry. See USA Clearance for more details.
How do I use the CBP ROAM app to report my U.S. entry?
ROAM Process:
- Download the CBP ROAM app and creating an account on login.gov.
- Fill out the traveler and vessel information in the app prior to departing for the US.
- Once anchored or berthed in the US, report your arrival through the app.
- A CBP Officer will review your submission and may initiate a video interview if necessary.
- The CBP Officer will contact you through the phone number provided and attempt an interview through facetime. Noonsite has been advised by CBP officials that they are unable to call back to international phone numbers.
- Following the video interview, you will receive a notification and an email with your clearance status and/or next steps.
- The local CBP field office will give an Arrival Reference Number during the first call to check in, which you must have when you go for your in-person check-in.
- For expedited processing, individuals without a Trusted Traveler number
may also apply to enrol as a “Verified Traveler” through the CBP ROAM
app; approved travellers will receive a Verified Traveler number that
can be used for future trips.
For more information on the CBP ROAM app, visit the CBP ROAM page on CBP’s website. For CBP ROAM questions or comments, please reach out to [email protected]
Related to following destinations: Puerto Rico, USA
We used CBP ROAM to clear into Culebra, Puerto Rico on Christmas Day, 2022 from the BVIs. Idril is a 45 foot, U.S. flagged monohull, with all crew (all two of us…) U.S. citizens. The process went very smoothly. I created and submitted an arrival request at the entrance to Ensenada Honda, and within a few minutes received a phone call from CBP. They asked me to confirm the number of persons aboard and my answers to the clearance questions, and said we were free to enter. I received a confirming email a few minutes later.
As others have noted, boats over 30 feet in length will need a DTOPS decal number to complete the vessel profile. You can get it online at https://dtops.cbp.dhs.gov/main/home.htm. The decal has to be delivered to a physical address, but while you are waiting for it, you can use the receipt number from the payment site to complete the ROAM vessel profile. The decal is good for one year.
The ROAM App is being replaced by the ONE App in early 2022.
CBP ROAM has not yet transitioned its services to the CBP One™ mobile application. This transition was expected to occur in July 2021, but was postponed to late 2021, early 2022. New features will be released in August 2021 including applying for a cruising license and reporting domestic ports of call. Cruisers/boaters should continue to use CBP ROAM, and when transition takes place, all existing CBP ROAM users will continue to use their login.gov accounts to access ROAM features. However, this transition will require a one-time re-entry of master and traveler profile(s) and mode of travel information. Once entered, this information will be saved and stored into CBP One™ for subsequent use. Find out more at this news item.
UK REGISTERED VESSEL & CREW WITH B1/2 US VISAS
We recently cruised from the BVIs to the USVIs and this seemed the perfect time to test out the new(ish) ROAM check in system for the US and US territories. We were travelling with approved B1/B2 visas allowing us entry for 6 months at a time, having already used them in mainland US the previous summer. We registered all our boat and personal details on the app, including a US phone number, and duly reported our arrival in US waters (Hansen Bay, St John’s). Although the app reported the acceptance of our arrival, sadly we were not offered a video call and were asked by email to report to the nearest port of entry within 24hrs. We duly sailed to the other end of the island the next day only to be told by the CBP Officer that, as non US Nationals, we were not allowed to use the ROAM app.
This, of course, is nonsense but clearly the CBP officers in the USVIs have no intention of making use of what should be an excellent way of checking in to their country.
If travelling to the USVIs as a non US citizen on a pleasure craft, I would suggest you do not waste the time, effort and costly data on the ROAM system and visit your nearest check in port in person.
Lindsay Carswell says:
Jan 03, 2019 12:48 PM
We arrived into Culebra on Dec 31, 2018, and CBP are now asking everyone to use the CBP Roam app to clear in (we were told this by phone) and they promptly processed our arrival, without leaving the boat. We have the US flagged vessel and all crew were from the US.
1/1/19 We used this App / Process when we entered Miami on the evening of the 31st from the Bahamas. NOTE: We needed a DTOPS ‘decal’ which required a $28 purchase. (We are a US Coast Guard registered boat). Once that was done, we entered our documentation on the boat, decal and passports.
We included our GOES information as we have done that program as well. Once the data was entered and pictures provided of our passports, the approval to enter came in 3 minutes. We did not have to present ourselves at the CBP office, which more than covered the expense of the DTOPs decal. Safe Harbor: this was just our experience, yours may vary.