US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has extended its
Global Entry system to UK citizens, allowing them to bypass queues at
immigration.
The Global Entry programme will allow pre-approved, low-risk
travelers to bypass airport immigration queues on arrival at US airports,
instead of using automatic kiosks. UK citizens can register for Global Entry from
3 December this year.
To register for Global Entry, UK citizens will apply through the
UK Home Office website, paying a £42 processing fee. If they pass the UK vetting
they receive an access code for the US Global Entry online system. The
application fee for a five-year Global Entry membership is $100 (£65), and once
the application is approved, a CBP officer will interview the applicant before
making a final decision on their eligibility.
The Global Entry automated kiosks are available at 46 US
airports and the programme has been running since 2008, with 2.5m members
currently.
However, the scheme is likely to be used by frequent
business travelers, rather than those attending one-off events. Hollie
Parsons, account director at The Black Tomato Agency, said: "Some of the
VIPs we work with organise Global Entry for themselves, but I don't think
US immigration is not as bad as it used to be anyway. In previous years people
queued for up to an hour to get through, but more recently the system has been
a lot faster, with automated machines available."
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