Australians will be eligible for easier passage through US airports by joining the US Global Entry program starting early next year.
The program allows pre-approved low-risk travelers from selected countries to use automated kiosks to speed up processing time upon arrival in the United States.
You will also be able to pass security checks on domestic flights more quickly.
American citizens already have access to self-service “smart gates” at Australian airports, but plans to open the country to Australians from around the world have stalled since initial reports in 2018.
“This is good for Australian businesses and it’s good for our friendship,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in an announcement in Washington DC.
“This program and our participation are an expression of our closeness and trust.”
2 step process
Australia’s participation in the Global Entry program will take place in two stages, with 1,000 frequent travelers able to apply from January 2025.
You must have traveled to the United States at least five times in the past 12 months.
However, once phase two begins, that requirement will be lifted and the number of Australians who can register will be unlimited.
The second expansion phase, which requires legislation to be passed through the Australian Parliament, is expected to begin in the “late half” of 2025.
The Global Entry program allows low-risk travelers to skip some airport screening. (Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Australians approved for Global Entry will skip the general queue when arriving at American airports and proceed to an automated kiosk instead.
Passengers will also be able to take advantage of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) PreCheck program, which speeds up security screening on U.S. domestic flights.
Who is eligible?
The program is open to Australian citizens who meet a set of requirements on both the Australian and US sides.
Applicants are subject to a nationally coordinated criminal background check by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Current or former members of the Australian Defense Force will be checked for military convictions.
The Home Office will make a preliminary assessment of whether someone should be approved, but the final decision will be left to U.S. authorities.
Applicants may be denied for reasons such as convictions or pending criminal charges, violations of local customs laws, or providing false information on the application.
The United States charges a non-refundable fee of US$100 ($154) for each Global Entry application. If approved, it will be valid for 5 years.
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Australia also plans to charge applicants a fee to process a background check.
However, these fees have not yet been set and will be waived for the 1,000 people eligible in the first phase.
What’s behind the delay?
The Global Entry program is already open to nationals of more than a dozen countries, including the UK, Germany, Singapore, Bahrain and Brazil.
Australia and the US agreed to begin work on a deal in 2018, but the deal was delayed due to the pandemic.
Asked for details on the holdup, Senator Wong said, “I asked the same question.”
“I understand this issue was raised years ago, but it didn’t happen,” she said.
“It’s about the previous government, so you’ll have to ask them, but I’m glad we managed to land it.”
Senator Wong is in the US for the annual AUSMIN talks between Australian and US foreign and defense ministers.
