Trip Support Services

Global regulatory services

Buried under regulatory concerns?

Getting the right permits, waivers, and exemptions for international trips is a necessity. But dealing with regulations can be time-consuming, overwhelming, or even costly – especially when your passengers are delayed or you get hit with penalties or fines due to these common issues:

  • Data entry errors in regulatory submissions
  • Duplicate data entry in regulatory resubmissions due to trip changes
  • Out-of-date information that can impact your trip and incur fines
  • Unsecured transmission of your confidential passenger, itinerary, and other trip data

With Global Regulatory Services from Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., you save time and mitigate regulatory concerns with:

Regulatory compliance guided by a specialized team

  • 50 years of experience with international trips and more than two million trip legs facilitated since inception
  • Team members have an average of 10 years of experience
  • Established points of contact with regulatory agencies
  • Thousands of permits, waivers, APIS submissions, and more processed each month
  • Up-to-date information on permits, waivers, and visa requirements for countries worldwide

Regulatory data management with built-in quality control processes

  • Supported by dedicated Data Management team, following data standards that comply with established regulations

Secure data transmission with Universal's proprietary APIS Transmission System

  • Data entry fields validated for accuracy
  • APIS transmitted directly to Department of Homeland Security

Get more information or let us answer your questions today.

Customs and immigration

Save time when you fly internationally by having Universal® arrange your customs and immigration services. Let our specialists confirm your customs clearance, minimizing the time and effort you spend meeting these requirements on arrival or departure.

Arrange customs and immigration services now.

Border Overflight Exemptions

Streamline your customs experience

Flying into the United States from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, or South America can be expensive and time-consuming. With a U.S. Border Overflight Exemption (BOE) arranged through Universal, operators can fly directly to a staffed Customs airport inland. You save time, fuel, and unnecessary costs.

Universal helps you through the process

By applying through Universal®, BOEs are arranged quickly and conveniently. Our experienced professionals get all the required information from you and handle the process directly with the U.S. government on your behalf; all charges are billed on your regular Universal invoice.

A Border Overflight Exemption can eliminate the need to land at a designated border airport, allowing you to proceed to your U.S. destination or home base to clear Customs (restrictions may apply).

Border overflight exemption eligibility

All U.S. and non-U.S. registered private or charter aircraft flying across the U.S. border from below the 30th North Parallel in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and from below the 33rd North Parallel in the Pacific, are eligible for Border Overflight Exemptions. For a single-flight BOE, all crew and passengers must be listed on the approval form. To utilize a term BOE, at least one approved passenger must be on board the aircraft; all crew members must be approved as well.

Exemptions are offered for single flights, a one-year term, or a two-year term. Applications for a single BOE must be received at least 15 days in advance of the intended date of arrival; for term exemptions, at least 30 days in advance.

Arrange a Border Overflight Exemption now.

International Travel Forms

Minimize the time and effort you spend meeting routine customs requirements. Universal provides International Travel Forms prior to your scheduled departure date, anywhere the U.S. Postal Service (or another overnight service) will deliver – expediting entry into most countries, particularly where security is strict and customs procedures are time-consuming.

Expedite your customs arrangements. Order arrival/departure/declaration cards now.

Visa Waiver Program

Accelerate your trip arrangements with a Visa Waiver facilitated by Universal.

Ensuring proper paperwork doesn't have to be a time-consuming chore. At Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., our Trip Support Services teams can assist you with a company contract to qualify your staff for visa-free travel to the United States.

Visa Waiver Program qualifications

Administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens from 35 participating countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa. Persons participating in the VWP, either independently or as a representative of a company, must be a citizen of the participating country and have a valid passport (some restrictions may apply). Regardless of a trip's purpose, qualifying individuals may stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.

ESTA: Electronic System for Travel Authorization

Prior to operating to the U.S., VWP travelers are required to obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ESTA is a Web-based system that determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to travel under the VWP prior to boarding a signatory carrier to the U.S.

How Universal can help

Our knowledgeable specialists have the information and contacts your operation needs to file for a Visa Waiver Program contract. We provide the required paperwork and walk you through the application process; when your contract is approved, we provide I-94W (arrival/departure) forms for your travelers, and help you comply with ESTA requirements. The application process takes approximately 30 days; once a contract is approved, it does not expire.

Order Visa Waivers from Universal today.

TSA Waivers

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Waiver granting an exemption for entry into the United States may be required for your flight operations. Avoid paperwork by having Universal submit TSA Waivers on your behalf.

Circumstances requiring a waiver include, but are not limited to:

  • Certain international-registered aircraft operating to/from or within the United States
  • U.S.-registered aircraft weighing more than 100,309 pounds, entering the U.S. but not from an approved "portal" country

APIS Transmission Services

How can you save time and avoid costly penalties and delays under the expanded APIS submission rules?

Trust Universal® to provide an efficient Part 91 APIS transmission, either as part of your trip or whenever you need assistance.

Dedicated, specialized regulatory services team with 24/7 accessibility

  • 50 years of international trip planning experience and more than two million trip legs facilitated since inception
  • Team members have an average of 10 years of experience
  • Team processes thousands of permits, waivers, APIS submissions, and more each month

Secure proprietary data transmission system

  • Validates data entry fields for accuracy
  • Compliant solution transmits APIS directly to U.S. Department of Homeland Security, eliminating hand-offs to a third party
  • Stores your crew/passenger data for repeat use, resulting in fewer data transfers and redundancy, and fewer errors

Transmit your APIS manifests securely with Universal.

Planning your trip with your Universal Trip Support Team?

  • Trust your Team to collect and file your APIS transmission data along with the rest of your trip details
  • Start-to-finish seamless APIS support

Managing your own trip?

  • Universal can still prepare an APIS-only submission on your behalf
  • Secure filing is made based on your trip schedule and preferences

Need a convenient pay-per-use service?

With the Universal Online MCL / APIS Submission Service, you can build, save, and store crew and passenger lists, as well as submit APIS manifests. This Web-based tool is certified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for filing manifests as required by regulations and UN/EDIFACT standards for data interchange.

Save time and get the Mexico permits you need,
when you need them.

Trips to Mexico require Mexican government landing permits for all charter, cargo, ambulance and large aircraft operations into the country. Universal® provides dedicated bilingual specialists to obtain these permits on your behalf.

Through our experienced team members, we work directly with Mexico's Departamento General de Aeronautica Civil to obtain annual and one-time landing permits for most operators.

  • Single-trip permits, available within 24 hours or less – an advantage for one-time, infrequent or emergency travel to the country
  • Annual permits, required for frequent trips (i.e. more than three per year), also available within 24 hours
  • Charter blanket permits, available for passenger, cargo and air ambulance services, including single aircraft and fleets. (Contact a specialist for processing times.) Let us guide you through the paperwork, then serve as a point of contact for the Mexican government throughout the filing process.

Complete Mexico trip support

Our Mexico Permit Coordinators work seamlessly with your Trip Support Services team to ensure all your Mexico travel needs are met. In addition to obtaining landing permits, Universal's Trip Support Services teams can arrange for ground services such as catering, transportation, security, arrival/departure cards, fuel and mobile phone rental throughout Mexico. And as always, your team is available 24/7.

Export licenses

Save time filing and obtaining an export license when traveling to a country against which the U.S. government has implemented a trade embargo. Universal's team of experienced Trip Support Specialists can obtain the export license for you, saving you the time of following up on every step.

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N. America (800) 231-5600 ext. 3300 · Worldwide (713) 944-1622 ext. 3300