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Australian Citizens for US Global Entry Agreement Signed

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pab2025

pab2025

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pab2025

Member since 25 Jun 2012

Total posts 127

Hi Guys,

I have just seen an article from Oct 3 that states that an agreement has been signed for Australian Citizens to be included in the US global entry program. Has anyone else seen/heard anything about this? Does anyone know when it will be finalized? Talks specifically about Hawaii, but assuming HI wouldn't be able to be added without the rest of the mainland?

kimshep

kimshep

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kimshep

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 11 Oct 2014

Total posts 412

The article is great news but is currently not in 'legal' effect. However, having just returned from a long trip to the USA, I would note my own experience of entry into DFW in early November.

DFW has had 'automated passport entry' for quite some time (>18 months) for Australians with a machine readable passports and an in place ESTA. These machines are available to Australians throughout the Immigration arrival area - but are separate to the 'Global Entry' lines. My QF 7 flight was some 50 minutes early on arrival into DFW and coincided with the arrival of a couple of other flights. Due to the large queue, Customs and Immigration officials began directing passengers from our flight automatically to the separate Global Entry line. I happily complied and noticed that the actual process was exactly the same, in process and steps, as the great 'unwashed' lines.

I can't add any comment on when this 'pilot program for Global Entry' for Australians will be formally approved but right now, even through the standard lanes, it was a less than 10 minute exercise to clear Immigration in DFW. The only true benefit would now seem to be being able to access the TSA Trusted Traveller priority lanes for subsequent domestic flights - which on this trip for me, applied to 6 domestic flights anyway. Granted that I have membership of DL, UA, AA and a few other US FF programs, I regularly get this option on most domestic flights - however, this is the first time in years that I have received TSA Priority on all flights, rather than ~ 75%.

I've just done a comprehensive search on the US Govt CBP site and there is no mention of the 'pilot' program at all - and checking the current eligibility for Global Entry membership shows the following (see attached .jpg, current as per today .. and dated accordingly for the last update in December 2015. Approval for Australians can't come fast enough !.



Last editedby kimshep at Dec 04, 2018, 09:57 AM.
mspcooper

mspcooper

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mspcooper

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 09 May 2013

Total posts 442

So global entry is faster than ESTA processing machines that currently we use? I have found ESTA machines clear you in 2-3 mins. You are also saying that if you are cleared via Global Entry, you get access to TSA pre check line? How does this work when you have to get a boarding pass separately at DFW or LAX?

Himeno

Himeno

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Himeno

Member since 12 Dec 2012

Total posts 295

So global entry is faster than ESTA processing machines that currently we use? I have found ESTA machines clear you in 2-3 mins. You are also saying that if you are cleared via Global Entry, you get access to TSA pre check line? How does this work when you have to get a boarding pass separately at DFW or LAX?
Currently with the ESTA and the ABP kiosks, you still have to see an officer for an interview before entering the US. The kiosks just took the parts of the process that could be automated away from having a CBP officer do them, thus allowing throughput to increase. The total process is still the same as it used to be before the kiosks were rolled out, and can still take hours to clear at times.

With Global Entry, you go to the Global Entry kiosks, make the same customs declaration that you do on the ABP kiosks, then, depending on the answers, may be directed right to the baggage hall, bypassing the interview part of the entry process. I believe there is also a special line which allows expedited customs clearance.

Once you have Global Entry, you get a known traveler number, which you can enter into your booking. The known traveler number then gives TSA Precheck.

Once Australians are allowed to apply for GE, the biggest issue would be the US$100 fee to apply and then getting to an interview at a US port of entry (should the applicant clear the pre approval). GE is valid for 5 years.

The most annoying thing about the current lack of Australian access to Global Entry is that it was meant to be part of the agreement when the US was added to the Australian entry Smart Gate system.

My last US arrival was on AA135 in late Oct. Flight was delayed the the point that the LAX T4 FIS was closed, so we had to walk through the tunnels from T4 to the TBIT FIS. I was the first from the flight into the FIS (and was asked which flight it was so they could activate it in the system). There were 11 flights and 2717 people arriving at TBIT during that hour. Around 20% of those arrivals took over 90 minutes to clear CBP.
With GE, it would have taken about 20 minutes from aircraft exit to street (with waiting for bags the longest hold up) instead of the 96 minutes it did take.
ttiger

ttiger

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ttiger

QFF

Member since 15 Sep 2016

Total posts 7

The article is great news but is currently not in 'legal' effect. However, having just returned from a long trip to the USA, I would note my own experience of entry into DFW in early November.

DFW has had 'automated passport entry' for quite some time (>18 months) for Australians with a machine readable passports and an in place ESTA. These machines are available to Australians throughout the Immigration arrival area - but are separate to the 'Global Entry' lines. My QF 7 flight was some 50 minutes early on arrival into DFW and coincided with the arrival of a couple of other flights. Due to the large queue, Customs and Immigration officials began directing passengers from our flight automatically to the separate Global Entry line. I happily complied and noticed that the actual process was exactly the same, in process and steps, as the great 'unwashed' lines.

I can't add any comment on when this 'pilot program for Global Entry' for Australians will be formally approved but right now, even through the standard lanes, it was a less than 10 minute exercise to clear Immigration in DFW. The only true benefit would now seem to be being able to access the TSA Trusted Traveller priority lanes for subsequent domestic flights - which on this trip for me, applied to 6 domestic flights anyway. Granted that I have membership of DL, UA, AA and a few other US FF programs, I regularly get this option on most domestic flights - however, this is the first time in years that I have received TSA Priority on all flights, rather than ~ 75%.

I've just done a comprehensive search on the US Govt CBP site and there is no mention of the 'pilot' program at all - and checking the current eligibility for Global Entry membership shows the following (see attached .jpg, current as per today .. and dated accordingly for the last update in December 2015. Approval for Australians can't come fast enough !.



Last edited by kimshep at Dec 04, 2018, 09.57 AM.

Frequent Flyer based TSA Precheck will end in 2019. So your memberships won't be useful for that any more.

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