Airport queues for returning Bermudians are to be cut with a new Fast Pass.

From the second week of January holders will be able to wait in a fast-tracked new line, separate from returning expats, to speed re-entry.

Announcing the move Labour and Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess said: ?Bermudians and visitors frequently complain about the length of time it takes them to be processed upon arrival at Bermuda international airport.

?Their complaints are often justified.?

He said a number of measures were being taken to address this.

?By way of example, as of January 8, all Bermudians with the Bermudian status stamp in their passports will no longer be required to be in the residents? line. Instead they will be in a dedicated line for Bermudians, provided that their passports contain the Bermudian status stamp.?

He said part of the reason for the delay was Bermudians had to stand in the same line as worker permit holders and other residents who underwent more scrutiny. Mr. Burgess said it was not always easy to identify a Bermudian unless he has a stamp in his passport stating that the holder is a registered Bermudian.

?But that still means the officer must go through the passport to find the stamp, an occurrence that serves to lengthen the processing time. One may ask why this is necessary when the passport is a Bermuda passport.?

But he explained to the House on Friday that the ?Bermuda? passport was a version of the British passport, held by non-Bermudians who are British and British Overseas Territory citizens.

He said there had been cases of people arriving and purporting to be Bermudian but who do not have Bermudian status ? only a British or Bermuda passport stating they were born in Bermuda.

?These persons try to gain unrestricted access to live and work in Bermuda when in fact some are illegal.

?As a result of this anomaly, Bermuda passports alone cannot be used to confirm that a person possesses Bermudian status.?

So from December 12 the Bermuda Fast Pass card will be made available.

Bermudians who currently hold a valid passport will be able to apply for the card at the department of Immigration as soon as it becomes available. Bermudians who do not have a valid passport can make an application for that and the Fast Pass at the same time.

Mr. Burgess said the Fast Pass line was likely to be opened in January 2007. Holders will not have to produce a passport on entering the arrivals hall. ?It is anticipated that the implementation of the Fast Card process will reduce waiting time significantly.?