• Text Size
• Print
• Email

  From:
  

  To:
  

  Hey! Check out this news page: https://www.thebackgroundinvestigator.com/Articles/What-is-Global-Entry/922/index.php.

  SendCancel

International News

What is Global Entry?

November 01, 2012 posted by Steve Brownstein

The program allows international travelers to proceed to a kiosk after deplaning. They insert a passport or U.S. permanent resident card into a reader, place their fingertips on a scanner to verify their identification, and make a Customs declaration. 

The kiosk then spits out a transaction receipt, allowing the traveler to head toward the baggage claim and the exit, bypassing long lines in the federal inspection area. The process, on average, takes about a minute, Customs officials say.

How do I apply?

Go to globalentry.gov and apply online. Customs and Border Protection then conducts a rigorous background check. Among other things, you will be required to provide your address, employment status, driver's license, passport and travel history.

If your application is conditionally approved, the next step is an interview with a Customs and Border Protection officer and having your picture and fingerprints taken.

The program is available at the Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports, but not Palm Beach International. About 500,000 passengers have been approved.

Do you have to be a U.S. citizen to be a member?

Not necessarily. Global Entry is available to U.S. citizens and permanent U.S. residents as well as Mexican nationals. Canadian citizens are granted the same expedited privileges under NEXUS. Travelers under the Netherlands' Dutch Privium program or South Korea's Smart Entry Service also can apply for Global Entry. 

If you have a criminal record, are you eligible?

Possibly, but not likely. As with PreCheck, "eligibility for Global Entry is based on past compliance with all U.S. laws, rules and regulations. A criminal record may disqualify an applicant," Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Stephanie Malin said.