Background
A "visa" is an endorsement by a foreign government or its representative that authorizes the export of textile shipments to the United States. It describes the shipment, certifies the country of origin, and authorizes the shipment to be charged against any applicable quota. The Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) is a program developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that uses electronic data transmissions for information, particularly visa stamps, normally found on commercial invoices. ELVIS also assists CBP efforts to monitor textile quotas, thereby ensuring that proper restraint levels are charged. Foreign countries participating in ELVIS transmit information via a global network service provider. This allows connectivity to CBP Automated Commercial System (ACS). The electronic linkage permits the participating country to transmit data elements some of which include a:

• visa number in standard alpha-numeric format;
• date of visa issuance;
• category (including merged/part categories);
• quantity;
• unit of measure; and
• Manufacturer Identification Number (MID).

When making entry, specific data elements transmitted to CBP by the importer must match ELVIS data from the foreign country before any applicable quota is reported and the shipment released. Once this information is processed through ACS, information regarding visa usage is made available to the participating country upon request.

Initially, foreign countries that participate in ELVIS operate on a dual system, and concurrently submit paper visas that support the electronic transmissions of visas. Eventually, foreign countries may move to a completely paperless transaction.

Benefits

• SECURITY -ELVIS data moves electronically between government systems. Safeguards are in place to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the information.

• REDUCED VISA FRAUD -There is an immediate reduction in the chance that counterfeit paper visas will be used because the information provided by the importer must match the information transmitted by the foreign government. Paper documents are more susceptible to tampering.

• IMPROVED COMPLIANCE -There is a decrease in data discrepancies since the importer's entry data must match the foreign government's export information.

• IMPROVED MONITORING -Statistical reporting and tracking of visas is improved. ELVIS allows the participating governments to monitor visa utilization by electronically requesting the Visa Activity Report (VAR).

• TIMELESS PROCESSING -ELVIS participants are authorized to transmit an electronic request to register a visa at any time, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Eligibility
Any country actively engaged in the production of textiles and textile products that require a visa for exportation to the United States is eligible to participate in ELVIS. To participate, the country must have a visa arrangement in place with the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), U.S. Department of Commerce.

The following countries are ELVIS participants:

• Bangladesh
• Cambodia
• China
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Korea (South)
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Cost
Initial design and developmental costs depend on the availability of technical expertise in the participating country. Data transmission costs depend on volume of transactions, software, choice of network, and terms of contract with the authorized service provider. Customs may not be held liable for costs incurred for sending or receiving electronic data.

Application Process
Foreign governments wishing to participate in the ELVIS program must submit a written request to CBP. The information below must be supplied to CBP for review prior to receiving approval for ELVIS participation.

• The name of the authorized service provider for connectivity to CBP, a copy of a signed agreement executed between the government and the provider appointed by them, or an indication that the government is in the process of selecting a service provider.

• Alternatively, the government may provide proof of having the technical capability to connect directly to a network that is pre-certified by CBP.

• The name and contact information for the person(s) responsible for oversight of the ELVIS program.

After Approval
Once approval for participation in ELVIS is received, the CBP Software Development Division (SDD) and Infrastructure Services Division (ISD) will commence technical discussions with the country and electronic testing of the country's message format. This begins the certification process.

Once a country has secured an acceptable in-country authorized service provider and an official global service provider linking to CBP, the country will engage in a certification process. This is a two phased approach. Phase I involves the successful completion of a communications test. Personnel from the CBP Data Center will provide assistance. Phase II validates the UN/EDIFACT syntax in the test message and confirms the data for compliance with ELVIS business rules, which consist of several required data elements.

All efforts to complete the certification process and the migration to ELVIS production must be coordinated with CBP ELVIS support team (SDD/ISD). The ELVIS test environment is available - with few exceptions - seven days a week, 24 hour a day. CBP makes every effort to complete testing as quickly as possible by providing as much technical assistance as necessary.

Notification and Compliance
After a country is technically ready to join ELVIS, SDD/ISD will notify that country. Once ELVIS testing is completed successfully, the country must submit a written request to the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) in order to begin the process of amending the country's existing visa arrangement. Address the request to Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue., N.W., Room H3100, Washington D.C. 20230.

After all the above mentioned criteria are met, the foreign government will be officially authorized to participate in ELVIS. During the first 30 days after certification, CBP will assess the foreign government's compliance with the data report requirements and its ability to respond to error messages.

CBP or the foreign country may request a meeting at any time to address operational policies and procedures. Prior to meeting with a foreign country, Customs may request that the country furnish CBP with an advance list of questions and concerns about ELVIS.

Transition to Paperless
ELVIS paperless is identical to the ELVIS program, but eliminates the requirement of a foreign country to physically stamp a visa on the commercial invoice or issue a separate paper export license in addition to electronically transmitting the visa information. If a country has been participating in ELVIS for at least 6 months and wants to transition to the paperless environment, they must submit a written request to CBP.

Once CBP has approved the country's request to become a paperless participant, CITA will publish a notice in the Federal Register soliciting comments from the public for a 60-day period regarding the country's request. If no comments are received that preclude the country from becoming a paperless participant, CITA will commence amending that country's visa arrangement.

Contacts
For further information on the ELVIS program, you may contact the following offices.