Global Entry to become permanent

Published 20 November 2009

DHS secretary Janet Napolitano has decided to make the Global Global Entry system — a quicker way through customs and border control — permanent; U.K. and U.S. authorities are also working on an iris recognition scheme, similar to the Dutch Privium project, to fast-track entry to the United Kingdom

DHS secretary Janet Napolitano is making the Global Entry system — a quicker way through customs and border control — permanent. John Oates writes that the voluntary scheme, for U.S. residents, is currently being piloted at twenty airports. It allows preregistered passengers to swerve long security lines and enter a booth, stick their passport in a slot, have their fingerprints checked against a digital record, and answer customs questions via a touchscreen. Assuming all this works, the booth prints a receipt which can be shown to Customs officers on your way out.

About 27,000 people have registered and, between them, entered the country 100,000 times.

DHS is accepting comments on the proposed change until 22 January 2010.
Global Entry members can also take part in Privium — which uses iris recognition to fast-track passengers through Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, although there is an extra €159 annual charge.
U.K. and U.S. authorities are working on a similar scheme to fast-track entry to the United Kingdom.