Global Entry program expands

March 6, 2012 | By klittle

Frequent international travelers rejoice!  The government’s Global Entry program is expanding to four new airports, making the new total 24 airports!  Not familiar with this program?

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Though intended for frequent international travelers, there is no minimum number of trips necessary to qualify for the program. Participants may enter the United States by using automated kiosks located at select airports.

The four newest airports include: Minneapolis (March 5), Charlotte (March 12), Denver (March 19) and Phoenix (March 26).  In a March 5th article on TravelAgentCentral, George Dooley states:

This expansion will make expedited clearance through the Global Entry program available at airports serving 97 percent of international travelers arriving in the United States.

Global Entry is  now available at 24 U.S. international airports, allowing pre-approved members a streamlined, automated alternative to regular passport processing lines.

The program currently reduces average wait times by more than 70 percent, with more than 75 percent of travelers using Global Entry processed in less than five minutes.

At Global Entry kiosks, members insert their machine readable passport or lawful permanent resident card into a document reader, provide digital fingerprints for comparison with fingerprints on file, answer customs declaration questions on the kiosk’s touch-screen, and then present a transaction receipt to CBP officers before leaving the inspection area. Over the last three years, we have enrolled more than 270,000 members in Global Entry who have used the kiosks more than 1.9 million times.

Applications for enrollment in the Global Entry program are available through the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES). An applicant must complete and submit an online application through GOES and pay a non-refundable $100 application fee. CBP says it will review the applicant’s information, conduct a background investigation, and interview the applicant at a CBP enrollment center.

The program is available to U.S. citizens and U.S lawful permanent residents as well as pre-approved Mexican nationals. Citizens of the Netherlands may also apply under a special reciprocal arrangement that links Global Entry with the Dutch Privium program in Amsterdam. Canadian citizens and residents may participate in Global Entry through membership in the NEXUS program.

For more information on this or other CBP Trusted Traveler programs, or for an application to enroll in the Global Entry program, www.cbp.gov/travel or www.globalentry.gov.