Trusted travelersU.S., Canada, Mexico create North American Trusted Traveler network
DHS said it has joined Public Safety Canada and the Secretariat of Governance of Mexico in outlining the first steps toward the creation of a North American Trusted Traveler network. The new agreement, signed on 10 July 2015, will make it easier for eligible travelers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada to apply for expedited screening programs. Eligible travelers will be able to apply for each program beginning in 2016.
Passengers being searched prior to boarding // Source: commons.wikimedia.com
DHS said it has joined Public Safety Canada and the Secretariat of Governance of Mexico in outlining the first steps toward the creation of a North American Trusted Traveler network. The new agreement, signed by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and his Canadian and Mexican counterparts on 10 July 2015, will make it easier for eligible travelers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada to apply for expedited screening programs.
As part of the agreement, Mexican nationals who are members of Mexico’s Viajero Confiable program will be able to apply for the U.S.-Canada NEXUS trusted traveler program, making them eligible for expedited screening benefits upon arrival at international airports in the United States and Canada. The arrangement will also allow Canadian citizens who are members of NEXUS to apply for Viajero Confiable, making them eligible for expedited screening benefits upon arrival at select international airports in Mexico. U.S. citizens are currently eligible to apply for the NEXUS and Viajero Confiable trusted traveler programs through existing partnerships between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Public Safety Canada, and Mexico’s National Institute of Migration. Eligible travelers will be able to apply for each program beginning in 2016.
“Trusted Traveler programs are a vital tool to facilitate international travel and trade,” said Johnson. “I am pleased to work together with Canada and Mexico to lay the groundwork for expedited arrival screening for pre-approved travelers from all three countries. We are committed to enhancing the travel experience through our risk-based approach to aviation security, and this expanded partnership will benefit travelers all across North America.”
At the 2014 North American Leaders Summit in Toluca, Mexico, the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico committed to the development of a trilateral trusted traveler network to facilitate air travel in North America. DHS notes that facilitating secure air travel within North America is also a goal of the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border initiative, the U.S.-Mexico 21st Century Border Management Initiative, and the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue. “With this arrangement, the three nations confirm their commitment to cooperate in immigration matters and further promote secure and expedited travel within North America,” DHS said.
