US Global Entry program resumes after shutdown
Global Entry is back, but long lines remain at TSA security checkpoints.
By Staff Writers, March 12 2026
More than two weeks into a US government shutdown, the Global Entry program for ‘trusted travellers’ entering the USA is back online.
That’s good news for the many Australians who have enrolled for Global Entry, which streamlines the arrival process at international airports including hubs like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
On 22 February, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would suspend both the Global Entry and TSA PreCheck programs.
TSA PreCheck provides access to fast-track security lines for domestic flights within the US.
While the Trump administration quickly reversed course on the TSA PreCheck closure, which stood to inconvenience millions of Americans, Global Entry remained on pause – leading to a waiting time of three hours or more for many travellers entering the US.
That has now changed, with Global Entry being reactivated yesterday, March 11, following lobbying from airlines and travel groups.
“DHS has reactivated Global Entry on March 11th at 5:00 AM ET,” a spokesperson for the department has confirmed.
However, an estimated 50,000 TSA airport security officers are still working without pay during the prolonged shutdown, which has led many to take unscheduled time off work, leading to long lines and delays at airports across the country.
With fewer screening lanes open at checkpoints, some airports are now advising passengers to arrive four to five hours before their flights.
“Today, travellers are facing TSA lines of up to nearly 3 hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel,” the TSA said in a media statement.
“These frontline heroes received only partial paychecks earlier this month and now face their first full missed paycheck, leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages.”
