WASHINGTON — As summer approaches and families prepare for their international trips, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminds the traveling public to use the agency’s official mobile applications to secure and streamline their travel and expedite their reentry into the United States.
Throughout 2023, CBP expanded use of its technology, processing over 394 million travelers at ports of entry in fiscal year 2023, a 24-percent increase over last year, and has already reached almost 100 million travelers in the first quarter of FY2024, totaling more than 527 million travelers to date using biometric facial comparison technology at entry, exit and Preclearance locations, with a match rate of more than 98 percent.
Additionally, memberships in CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs in FY2024 has reached 14 million. For those looking to complete an interview before their summer travel, CBP currently has more than 158,000 interview appointments available within the next 90 days. Enrollment on Arrival (EoA) remains the best option to complete a GE interview. Applicants can complete their interview without an appointment and with just the entry documents they would normally carry when arriving from international locations.
CBP has also introduced a complement of mobile applications with technological enhancements to help speed up the travel process when entering the U.S. via air, land, or sea. Global Entry, for example, launched a new mobile app in September 2023 that allows members to complete their entry processing on their phones before even leaving the plane. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App store and Google Play, and is currently available for use at 47 airports, with more locations coming soon. To date around 348,000 Global Entry users have processed their arrival using the app.
International travelers who are not Global Entry members can take advantage of the Mobile Passport Control app, which allows travelers to submit their passport and travel information in advance with a mobile device, resulting in less congestion and more efficient processing. MPC is available at 51 ports of entry, including 14 Preclearance locations and four seaports. It can be used by all U.S. citizens, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, B1/B2 Canadian Citizens, and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers. The app was used by 4.1 million travelers in FY2023, and has already had over 4.2 million uses in FY2024.
Non-U.S. citizens planning travel into the U.S. also have the option of using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization mobile app or the CBP One mobile app. The ESTA Mobile app was implemented June 1, 2023, and has been used almost 422,000 times to submit an ESTA application for authorization to travel to the U.S. In the first quarter of FY2024, the app has been used almost 338,000 times to apply. The CBP One™ app may also be used by visitors to the U.S. to apply and pay for the I-94 online. In FY2023, visitors used the CBP One app more than 458,000 times to complete a provisional I-94 application and almost 195,000 times in the first quarter of FY2024.
Additionally, U.S. citizens who are required to declare agriculture and biological products upon arrival into the United States may also use CBP One to provide advanced notification that they will need an agriculture inspection. Categories for declaration include:
- Biological materials that may require permits issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Pets, specifically birds and dogs, accompanying travelers in various capacities that carry the potential of introducing foreign animal diseases to the U.S. or other public health concerns
- Cleaning and disinfection of shoes
- Hunting trophies
All CBP applications can be downloaded free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. For more information about CBP’s suite of mobile apps, visit Mobile Apps Directory | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)
For more information on preparing to travel abroad, visit the Know Before You Go page on the CBP website.