WASHINGTON—U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the integration of facial biometrics into Global Entry as the program celebrates 10 years of expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers arriving in the United States. CBP launched a pilot program today at Orlando International Airport integrating facial recognition into Global Entry kiosks.
“CBP is moving towards Global Entry 2.0—making Trusted Travelers entry into the United States even faster and more secure by utilizing facial recognition technology,” said CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. “On an average day, 10 percent of international air travelers use Global Entry kiosks to streamline their arrivals process, reducing wait times and increasing efficiency.”
Since 2008, Global Entry membership has grown to more than 5.4 million members directly enrolled in the program and another 2 million trusted travelers, enrolled in NEXUS or SENTRI, eligible to use Global Entry kiosks. The program has expanded eligibility to foreign nationals from more than a dozen participating countries and Global Entry kiosks are available at 74 airports worldwide.
Global Entry has grown substantially since launching as a pilot program on June 6, 2008 with a few hundred members at three international airports. In the last three years, enrollment has grown more than 100 percent and Global Entry kiosks are now available at 61 U.S. international airports and 13 Preclearance airports in Aruba, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, and United Arab Emirates.
In July 2017, CBP launched Enrollment on Arrival allowing conditionally-approved Global Entry applicants to complete their interview, the final step of the Global Entry enrollment process, while clearing CBP processing. The program has shortened enrollment wait times for travelers at some of the busiest enrollment areas and is available at 41 airports. More than 37,000 members have completed their Global Entry enrollment process using Enrollment on Arrival.
U.S. citizens, U.S nationals and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents may apply for Global Entry as well as passport holders from Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Canadian citizens and residents enrolled in NEXUS may also use the Global Entry kiosks.
Global Entry members bypass traditional CBP inspection lines and use an automated kiosk to complete their admission to the United States. As an added benefit, Global Entry members are also eligible to participate in the TSA Pre✓™ expedited screening program.
Interested travelers apply through the Trusted Traveler Programs website. The non-refundable application fee for a five-year Global Entry membership is $100 and applications must be submitted online. Once the applicant successfully passes a background check, a CBP officer will conduct an interview with the applicant at one of the more than 100 Global Entry Enrollment Centers located throughout the U.S., Canada, and Qatar, or at an Enrollment on Arrival location and then make a final eligibility determination.
While the goal of Global Entry is to speed travelers through the process, members may be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and may result in the revocation of the traveler’s membership privileges.
Visit CBP’s Global Entry website for more information on the program.