Traveling internationally is perceived as glamorous or adventurous. Coming home, not so much. Fatigue and over exposure to confined spaces can leave the best of us looking like our passport photo. After a long trip, the long lines one encounters in the Customs department can sap the glamour out of traveling. Recently, however, the US has introduced a new program to expedite this process. Known as the Global Entry Program, the system was created for frequent travelers but can be used by anyone who is pre-approved.
The way the system works is that the pre-approved travelers arrive at customs, “proceed to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit.”
For more information on the global entry program go to http://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/about
Do you know of another country that has a similar program? Let us know!