US Customs and Border Protection announces additional benefits for “Trusted Travelers”

WASHINGTON, DC – US Customs and Border Protection announced today that NEXUS and SENTRI members may now use Global Entry kiosks.

WASHINGTON, DC – US Customs and Border Protection announced today that NEXUS and SENTRI members may now use Global Entry kiosks.

Current NEXUS and SENTRI members, who are US citizens or US lawful permanent residents, may enroll in the Global Entry pilot by logging onto or creating an account in the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES). The member must submit a Global Entry application form, which will be pre-filled based upon his/her existing GOES record from the NEXUS or SENTRI program. Once approved, members may be asked to schedule an appointment to have their fingerprints and photo taken if not previously submitted.

Applicants may utilize the Global Entry kiosk for the duration of their NEXUS or SENTRI membership. Their ability to use the Global Entry kiosk will expire on the same date as their NEXUS or SENTRI expiration date.

Trusted traveler programs provide expedited CBP processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.

Travelers interested in Global Entry can apply by submitting their application online using the GOES system found at www.cbp.gov/travel . Applicants must voluntarily undergo a biographical background check against criminal, law enforcement, customs, immigration, and terrorist indices; a 10-fingerprint law enforcement check; and a personal interview with a CBP officer at a program enrollment center. Program fees apply and must be paid at the time of application. There is no fee for existing NEXUS or SENTRI members.

CBP also announced that more than a half million travelers have registered in the agency’s trusted traveler programs. Currently there are 545,000 trusted traveler members in NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST, and the recently-launched Global Entry Program.

“We continue to see approximately 800 new applications per day,” said John Wagner, CBP’s director of trusted traveler programs. “We encourage frequent travelers to apply to the program that best suits their travel activities as it will facilitate and expedite their entry process upon return home from their international trips.”

CBP also announced that NEXUS program has surpassed 250,000 members.

“Reaching the milestone of a quarter of a million members demonstrates that NEXUS is an efficient and popular way for frequent, low-risk passengers to travel between the US and Canada,” said Wagner.

NEXUS is a joint CBP-Canada Border Services Agency program that both the American and Canadian governments implemented to enhance border security while simplifying the entry process for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. It was established in 2002 and more than 265,000 members participate in the program.

The SENTRI program was first implemented at Otay Mesa, California in 1995, and has grown to include 16 lanes at the nine largest ports of entry along the US-Mexico border including San Ysidro, California; Calexico, California; Nogales, Arizona; two crossings in El Paso, Texas; and the Texas ports of Laredo, Hidalgo, and Brownsville. More than 183,000 travelers from both sides of the border are currently registered in the SENTRI program.

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program is available to drivers crossing the southern border between the US and Mexico. Currently, the program has more than 92,000 members.

Global Entry is available for US citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents who are frequent international travelers. Biometric fingerprint technology is used to verify the passenger’s identity and confirm his or her status as a Global Entry participant. CBP launched Global Entry in June and has more than 4,400 members.

WHTI, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the joint Department of State and Department of Homeland Security plan that implements a 9/11 Commission recommendation to establish document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the US, Canada, and Bermuda. FAST, SENTRI, and NEXUS are WHTI compliant documents. On June 1, 2009, travelers will need to present a valid, acceptable document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the US by land or sea. Most travelers will be able to select from one of six different documentation options, based upon their individual travel activities. Many US and Canadian travelers already have a passport or another WHTI-compliant document. WHTI was implemented for air travelers in January 2007.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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