Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood on Friday praised the performance of the Arrive Antigua electronic immigration system, saying the platform has received strong regional and international feedback and is strengthening both efficiency and border security at the country’s main airport.

Speaking at a press conference, Yearwood said Antigua and Barbuda has been commended by counterparts abroad for the system, which replaces traditional paper and manual embarkation and disembarkation cards with a fully automated online platform .

She said the system differs from similar platforms used in other jurisdictions because it does not require travelers to manually enter passport details. Instead, passengers scan their passports, allowing the system to automatically populate the required information, making it easier for children, elderly travelers and frequent flyers to use .

Yearwood said Arrive Antigua is also designed to be time-efficient on arrival. Travelers can access a dedicated Wi-Fi network at the airport that links directly to the platform, allowing them to complete the process immediately upon landing, without access to other internet services .

Beyond convenience, she said security was a central feature of the platform’s design. The system requires users to submit a selfie, which is then checked through multiple security channels, including international databases such as Interpol, as well as internal screening tools .

Yearwood said the platform also has the ability to flag potential concerns that may not appear in formal criminal records, noting that some information relevant to risk assessment may surface through open-source or social media checks even when there has been no court conviction .

“I can state, without hesitation, that for the region, Antigua is leading with our online ED card platform,” Yearwood said, adding that the system has significantly improved the country’s ability to understand who is entering its borders .

She said immigration authorities will continue refining the platform based on user feedback and are exploring ways to share the system’s success and best practices with other countries in the region, while maintaining a strong focus on security and risk management .