from the American Horse Council

Washington, DC — On November 19, 2007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin using the Veterinary Services Process Streamlining (VSPS) Web-based system to take online reservations for the USDA Animal Import Center in Miami, Florida. This change applies only to the Miami import center, though it is expected that the import center in Rock Tavern, New York will begin to use the VSPS system for online reservations in early 2008.

The required documentation and procedures for making online reservations will remain the same, but will now be accessed through VSPS. Prior to making a reservation, importers must register with USDA’s eAuthentication program for a Level 2 Access Account, which is used with anyone that wishes to conduct business electronically with USDA. It can take up to two weeks to complete the eAuthentication process, so importers are encouraged to register well before November 19. Instructions on how to register can be found at the Web site: www.eauth.egov.usda.gov.

If importers are unable to use an electronic system for making reservations, written requests will continue to be accepted. Additionally, there is no change to the import permit application process.