Aussie travellers finally gaining faster entry at US airports

For many Australians, gaining entry into the United States will soon become easier, and getting someone to stamp their passports will be harder.

Australia has finally joined the US Global Entry program, which fast-tracks pre-approved travellers, who are considered low-risk, through American airports.

While it was agreed between Canberra and Washington in 2018 that Australians could join the program, the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to stall its progress.

More than a dozen countries have managed to join the program in the past few years, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Brazil, and Bahrain, and American citizens have long been able to use self-service SmartGates at Australian airports.

For Australians, the program will kick-start in January of next year, with an initial 1000 frequent visitors to the US eligible for fast-tracking.

The US Global Entry program provides automated kiosks at US international airports to enable quick processing of entry details and the bypassing of general queues at incoming terminals.

While travelling within America, eligible participants can also access faster security screening for domestic flights, facilitated by the US Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program.

The first thousand Aussie globetrotters able to apply from January will have to have travelled to the US at least five times this year.

A second phase of the program will open it up to an unlimited number of approved Australian travellers, but no firm start date has been given for them.

That second stage will require legislation to be passed by the Australian Parliament, which is expected to be introduced sometime in 2025.

Announcing the development while attending AUSMIN talks in Washington DC, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was good for Australian business and good for the Australian-US friendship.

“This program and our participation in it is a sign of our closeness and our trust,” Senator Wong said.

“Joining the Global Entry program is a mark of the closeness and the strength of the relationship between our two countries.

“The foundation of the friendship between Australia and the United States is the friendship between our people.

“This program will deepen these links and make it easier to foster greater commercial ties.”

Australian citizens will need to meet specific requirements set by Australia and the US to be eligible for the program.

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission will be conducted for each applicant.

The Department of Home Affairs will first make recommendations on applications, with final approvals made by US authorities.

There will also be charges from both nations for participation in the program.

From the US, a non-refundable application fee of $US100 will be applied and will last five years for approved applicants.

Australia’s charges are yet to be set but will be used to process background checks.

The first 1000 applicants will not have to pay the Australian fees as that figure will not be set in time.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said signing the agreement was an “important step” for the thousands of travellers who visit the United States frequently.

“We’re working hard to ensure that from January 2025, the first group of eligible Australians will experience expedited immigration and customs clearance channels when they arrive in the US,” he said.

Applicants can be denied fast-tracking approval over criminal convictions, pending criminal charges, violations of customs laws anywhere in the world, or for deliberately providing false information when applying.

Current and former members of the Australian Defence Force will also be checked for military convictions.