Filing an Importer Security Filing (ISF) is a crucial step in ensuring compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations for ocean shipments. The ISF must be filed at least 24 hours before cargo is loaded onto a vessel bound for the United States. Failure to file on time or providing inaccurate information can result in CBP penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.

pCustoms simplifies this process by allowing users to submit ISF filings online in real time and receive immediate feedback from CBP. Let's dive right into this step-by-step guide on how to efficiently file an ISF using pCustoms, ensuring smooth cargo clearance, avoiding costly penalties, and maintaining compliance with CBP regulations.

You need to click on the "Importer Security Filing" at the left navigation bar:

You need to click the "New ISF" button at the top right to open the form:

Now, it's time to fill out the details needed to create a new ISF entity. You need to enter the following information:

The client reference is your unique reference specifically for this filing. It can be your purchase order number, any reference you have, or the ID number for this entry in your system. The reference should be less than 20 characters:

The shipment number is the reference to your shipment from the shipments module in pCustoms. You need to enter the shipment reference, master, or house bill number (minimum two characters) to search and then choose the shipment:

If you want to add a new shipment, you can read the article here that goes into detail on how to create a shipment entity in pCustoms.

The importer is the entity liable for payment of all duties and responsible for meeting all statutory and regulatory requirements incurred with CBP or other applicable government agencies as a result of importation. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new importer, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new importer entity in pCustoms.

Choose the transportation mode from the options below:

The carrier is the entity that undertakes to transport your goods and merchandise. It is usually the house bill issuer - your freight forwarder in origin. You can input carrier name or carrier code to search and then choose from the carriers you have in the carriers module:

If you need to add a new carrier, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to create carrier entities in pCustoms.

Choose the action reason from the options below:

CT - Compliant Transaction: All data is present and is based upon the best information available at the time of the filing; no special flexibility rules apply. If 'CT' is used, the ISF can be updated if necessary, but CBP does not necessarily expect to see updates for these filings. 'CT' is also used to finalize an 'FR,' 'FT,' or 'FX' filing.

FR - Flexible Range: A range of data for the Manufacturer, and/or Ship To Party, and/or Country of Origin, and/or Commodity HTS number has been provided. In these cases, the ISF must be updated as soon as better information becomes available, but in any event no later than 24 hours before arrival. If 'FR' is used, CBP will be expecting to receive a timely update.

FT - Flexible Timing: The CS (Consolidator name/address) and/or the LG (Stuffing location) have not been provided. The ISF must be updated as soon as better information becomes available, but in any event no later than 24 hours prior to arrival. If 'FT' is used, CBP will be expecting to receive a timely update.

FX - Flexible Range and Flexible Timing: A range of data as described in 'FR' has been provided, and the CS (Consolidator name/address) and/or LG (Stuffing location) has not been provided. The ISF must be updated as soon as better information becomes available, but in any event no later than 24 hours prior to arrival. If 'FX' is used, CBP will be expecting to receive a timely update.

Choose the submission type from the options below:

ISF-10 filing is for shipments that are destined for the US as a non-temporary import and will be imported into US commerce.

ISF-5 filing is used for shipments that transit through US ports but are not destined for the US or are for temporary import.

Choose the shipment type that applies to your case from the options below:

Choose the bond type from the options below for your ISF filing:

The bondholder is the entity that possesses or is purchasing the customs bond, which is typically the importer. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a bondholder, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new importer entity in pCustoms.

Choose the bond activity code from the options below:

The commodities are the commodity entities that are specific to your filing. You can input the HTS code, manufacturer name, or county of origin ISO code (minimum two characters) to search from entities you have in the commodity entities module:

If you need to add a new commodity, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new commodity entity in pCustoms.

Once you fill out all the details mentioned above, just click on the "Checkout and Save" button at the bottom:

Enter your payment method details:

Then, click "Pay" to proceed:

Once you submit your payment information and pay, then you will be redirected to the Payment History page to see your payment status for the filing. Go back to the Importer Security Filing module, and there you can see in a table like the one below all the ISF entries you submitted:

You can filter through entities by column by clicking the filter button in the respective column name:

Or sort in an ascending or descending order by clicking the respective column name:

Click on the client reference of the ISF we created to review the entity profile:

You should see the entity profile in the below format:

Click on the "Latest Query History" button to ensure you have the latest data fetched from CBP:

Then, click on the latest "Event ID" to see the status message:

You will see the message from CBP in the below format:

Usually, CBP confirms your ISF filing with a "BILL ON FILE" message. If your data is rejected from CBP, adjust the entity profile according to the error message, and then re-submit your updated ISF.

To edit the entity, just click the "Edit" button at the bottom to make the form fields editable:

If you want to make changes to the shipment entity, such as to amend carrier bill information or shipment parties, go to the shipments module and make the necessary changes to the shipment there. For compliance reasons, shipment number, importer, bond type, bondholder, and bond activity code fields are not editable after the initial submission in the ISF module.

Once you are ready and have made the necessary changes, click on "Save":

Then, to resubmit the updated ISF form to CBP, click on "Update 10+2" at the bottom:

You can then review "Latest Query History" like before to review the status message from CBP. If you keep receiving errors from CBP, please contact us via chat so we can assist.

Click the chat button at the bottom right:

Then, click on "Contact support":

To print the ISF report sheet for your records, click the "Print Report Sheet" button at the bottom:

The report like the one below will be downloaded to your device:

Filing an ISF (Importer Security Filing) in pCustoms ensures seamless compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations. By accurately entering shipment details, selecting the appropriate bond type, and submitting the form, users can receive real-time feedback from CBP. The system also provides options to review, edit, and resubmit filings if needed. Since ISF must be submitted at least 24 hours before cargo is loaded onto a vessel to avoid penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, pCustoms streamlines the process, helping importers stay compliant and avoid costly delays.