24 November 2009 - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection agency through 19 January 2010 will gather public comments on its proposal to make permanent and expand a voluntary international trusted traveler program.
Launched as a pilot in June 2008 and expanded in August 2009 to cover 20 U.S. airports, Global Entry "would allow CBP to expedite clearance of preapproved, prescreened, low-risk air travelers into the United States."
DHS in a notice of proposed rulemaking published 19 November in the
Federal Register described the pilot as "successful" and wrote that it expects Global Entry to "eventually operate at most major international airport locations."
"Making Global Entry permanent will improve customer service at airports across the country and enable law enforcement to focus on higher-risk travelers," according to a statement by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Unlike the domestic U.S. registered traveler program, which had been operated by private entities before
shuttering this summer, Global Entry is run entirely by the U.S. government.
DHS Eyes Time Savings For 250,000 International Travelers
There are currently 27,000 Global Entry members, according to DHS information, and CBP is approving applications "more quickly than was expected," with average approval time of "less than one week." Automated kiosks that handle participants' customs declarations and check their fingerprints and machine-readable passports "are working smoothly with no current major technical issues or problems." DHS estimated that the average customs processing wait time for participants upon their arrival on international flights is seven minutes, a 70 percent reduction compared with nonmembers--though it varies by airport, airline, time of day and flight origin. "Less than 1 percent of Global Entry passengers are waiting longer than 20 minutes," DHS continued, compared with "approximately 10 percent of all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents waiting longer than 20 minutes."
Looking ahead, CBP estimated that during a five-year period, "250,000 enrollees will be processed." The most likely participants, according to the agency, "are those who plan to make multiple trips over five years, typically experience long waits at the airports they use or are averse to the perceived hassle or inconvenience of standing in line for entry processing." CBP calculated that "an average traveler would need to make approximately 11 trips annually through participating airports to consider enrollment in the Global Entry program worth the cost and estimated burden." The cost is a nonrefundable $100 fee to cover processing. The burden includes a background check and an interview by CBP at an enrollment center.
After passing the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the U.S. Congress required the DHS secretary to create an international trusted traveler program and ensure that it "includes as many participants as practicable by establishing a reasonable cost of enrollment, making program enrollment convenient and easily accessible, and providing applicants with clear and consistent eligibility guidelines." According to DHS, "Global Entry allows U.S. border agencies to concentrate their efforts on potentially higher-risk travelers and goods, which helps to ensure the security and integrity of our borders."
Next Steps
In April, Global Entry expanded eligibility beyond U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to include members of Privium, a similar program in the Netherlands. CBP now "is working with other countries that operate comparable international trusted traveler programs to enter into reciprocal arrangements," according to DHS. The U.S. Travel Association, which welcomed the proposal to make Global Entry permanent, called on DHS to "work with nations, such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Mexico, to establish bilateral registered traveler program agreements," according to a USTA statement.
Other groups, including the Business Travel Coalition and National Business Travel Association, have encouraged expansion of Global Entry and integration with a domestic U.S. registered traveler program.
In the United States, DHS intends to add airports to the program by targeting those that "typically" receive the largest numbers of incoming foreign travelers. CBP also will consider use of other biometric technologies in addition to fingerprint scans, according to DHS.
Interested parties can comment on Global Entry through 19 January by visiting
www.regulations.gov and referencing docket number USCBP-2008-0097. Additional information is available on the
Global Entry Web site.
Airports Participating In Existing Global Entry Pilot:
• Boston Logan International Airport
• Chicago O'Hare International Airport
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
• Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• Honolulu International Airport
• Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
• Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Miami International Airport
• Newark Liberty International Airport
• New York JFK International Airport
• Orlando International Airport
• Orlando International Airport
• Philadelphia International Airport
• San Francisco International Airport
• San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport
• Sanford-Orlando International Airport
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Washington Dulles International Airport
