The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Aug. 24 will expand to 13 additional U.S. airports its Global Entry program, which expedites the entry process for approved Europe-based travelers whose countries have a reciprocal arrangement with the United States. The United States this year launched the program with the Netherlands, and expects Germany and the United Kingdom to join the fold, pending final agreements and implementation
(EuroBTN, April 29).
The automated entry process already is available at major U.S. entry points, including airports in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, D.C. The U.S. customs agency this week said enrollment centers and kiosks will open at 13 additional airports, including those in Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Honolulu, Las Vegas, Newark, N.J., Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that operates the program, said Global Entry is available to travelers who undergo a background check to demonstrate clean criminal, customs and immigration records.
When arriving in the United States, Global Entry members are able to bypass lines for customs agents and scan their passport through an automated kiosk, where a photo is taken, declaration questions are fielded and the traveler is asked to submit fingerprints to be matched against those on file. CBP said the kiosk then prints a receipt, which the traveler must present to a CBP officer upon leaving the customs area.
CBP this week said about 16,000 people have enrolled in the program, which has reduced average wait times by 70 percent "with more than 75 percent of travelers using Global Entry processed in under five minutes."