On July 26, 2011, United States Customs & Border Protection (“USCBP”) announced that Global Entry kiosks are now available at USCBP preclearance at Vancouver International Airport and Ottawa’s MacDonald-Cartier Airport, and will be available at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport and Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport by September. The placement of Global Entry kiosks at Canadian preclearance locations is part of the integration of the Global Entry and NEXUS Trusted Traveler programs.

The integration of the Global Entry and NEXUS programs began in December 2010, when USCBP published a Federal Register Notice announcing that NEXUS members could participate in Global Entry. With the deployment of Global Entry kiosks to Canadian preclearance, Global Entry members will be able to take advantage of the program when returning home from Canada.

NEXUS members, who have Global Entry benefits, have the option of using either the Global Entry or NEXUS kiosks in preclearance. “Having Global Entry kiosks at USCBP preclearance sites in Canada is another step we are taking to facilitate Global Entry and NEXUS members traveling into the U.S.,” said Office of Field Operations Assistant Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski. “Trusted traveler members will now be able to enjoy this benefit as USCBP officers concentrate on those travelers who we know less about and who may pose a risk to our homeland.”

As I previously mentioned, Global Entry is a voluntary pilot program that streamlines the international arrivals process for pre-approved travelers through use of self service kiosks located at 20 major U.S. airports. The pilot program is an alternative to regular passport processing procedures, allowing members to bypass the regular line, and currently reduces average wait times by 70 percent. To date, Global Entry members have used the kiosks more than one million times.

Global Entry is available to U.S. citizens and U.S lawful permanent residents, as well as Mexican nationals. Citizens of the Netherlands may also apply under a special reciprocal arrangement that links Global Entry with the Dutch Privium program in Amsterdam. Canadian citizens and residents may participate in Global Entry through membership in the NEXUS program.

On May 5, 2011, United States Customs & Border Protection (“USCBP”) announced that its Trusted Traveler Programs have reached one million members. Trusted Traveler Programs include: (a) Global Entry, (b) NEXUS, (b) SENTRI and (d) FAST. Each of these programs is briefly described below.

Global Entry is a voluntary pilot program that streamlines the international arrival process for pre-approved travelers through use of self-service kiosks located at 20 major U.S. airports. The pilot program is an alternative to regular passport processing lines and currently reduces average wait times by 70 percent.

Applications to Global Entry must be submitted online at www.globalentry.gov. A fee of $100 is collected via the website for a five-year membership. Applicants must then complete an interview and fingerprint data collection in person at any of the 20 airport sites.

Once enrolled in the pilot program, Global Entry members may proceed directly to the kiosks in the international arrivals area upon arrival in the U.S. At the kiosk, members insert their passport or lawful permanent resident card into a document reader, provide digital fingerprints for comparison with fingerprints on file, answer customs declaration questions on the kiosk’s touchscreen, and then present a transaction receipt to CBP officers before leaving the inspection area.

NEXUS is a joint USCBP-Canada Border Services Agency program that both implemented to enhance border security while simplifying the entry process for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. NEXUS was established in 2002 and currently has more than half-million members. NEXUS applicants must go through background checks in both Canada and the United States. The application fee for NEXUS is $50 and enrollment is for five years. In December 2010, USCBP added Global Entry benefits to NEXUS and SENTRI members.

Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (“SENTRI”) provides expedited USCBP processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers entering the U.S. at land ports of entry from Mexico. The SENTRI program was first implemented at Otay Mesa, Calif., in 1995, and has grown to include 16 lanes at the nine largest ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border including San Ysidro, Calif., Calexico, Calif., Nogales, Ariz., two crossings in El Paso, Texas, and the Texas ports of Laredo, Hidalgo and Brownsville.

The Free and Secure Trade (“FAST”) program offers dedicated lanes and expedited border clearance for importers, carriers and drivers who have passed rigorous risk assessments that include fingerprinting. The program is available on both the northern and southern borders. There are about 80,000 members enrolled. FAST members report saving an average 27 minutes when transporting goods into the U.S., and an average of 18 minutes when entering Canada.

All Trusted Traveler Program applicants must voluntarily undergo a background check against criminal, law enforcement, customs, immigration, and terrorist indices; a 10-fingerprint law enforcement check; and a personal interview with a USCBP officer.

On March 27, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) began testing its Application Form for a Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257B Pilot Project] and its accompanying Schedule 1 at select overseas missions. However, this application form could not be saved electronically and the information on the form could not be scanned into existing CIC systems.

As CIC’s Global Case Management System (“GCMS”) is deploying this year to extend case processing capabilities overseas, a new Temporary Resident Visa (“TRV”) application form is being implemented. Bar codes have been created on the TRV application form to facilitate data entry into GCMS.

This new TRV application form is the first electronic application form for overseas applicants which can now be saved electronically by the applicant. Once the new TRV application form has been successfully implemented, the student and worker application forms will be next, followed by other lines of business.

The implementation of this new TRV application form mirrors similar efforts by the U.S. Department of State, which initially implemented a bar-coded Form DS-156 for visa applications. It later implemented a web-based online Form DS-160 to replace Form DS-156, although Form DS-160 continues to suffer from bugs and is frustrating to complete.

Effective October 14, 2010, a new Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form, the corresponding Instruction Guide [IMM 5256], Family Information [IMM 5645] form, Schedule 1 [IMM 5257-Schedule 1] and Document Checklist [IMM 5484] will be made available to all clients. Each individual applicant must complete and sign the new Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form. This means that Principal Applicants can no longer complete an application form on behalf of all accompanying family members. Consequently, each applicant aged 18 and over must complete and sign their respective application form (i.e., a family of three will submit three individual forms). Those applicants under the age of 18 must have a parent or a guardian sign on their behalf. All family members must be indicated on the new Family Information [IMM 5645] application form. This form must be completed by all applicants aged 18 and over who are travelling to Canada and who require a TRV.

The new TRV application form must be accessed electronically and applicants can save a partially completed application form. To assist applicants to accurately complete the new IMM 5257, they will be prompted electronically as they complete the new TRV application form.

The new TRV application form facilitates data entry into GCMS by incorporating barcodes which will be generated when applicants complete their form electronically. The barcodes will only appear on the IMM 5257 application form once all required information has been correctly completed and the validate button (located at the top and bottom of the application form) has been pressed. The barcodes, which will print on the last page of the form, will contain all of the data entered by the applicant, and may be scanned for direct upload into GCMS.

On November 19, 2009, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the publication of new proposed rule that would establish Global Entry, a United States Customs and Border Protection (“USCBP”) voluntary initiative that streamlines the international arrivals and admission process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric identification, as a permanent program. The proposed rule would end the current pilot program and make Global Entry permanent, allowing USCBP to expand the program to additional U.S. international airports.

Currently, Global Entry is operating as a pilot program at selected airports. It allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States. Although this program is intended for “frequent travelers” who make several international trips per year, there is no minimum number of trips an applicant must make in order to qualify.

Participants may currently enter the United States by utilizing automated kiosks located, at the following airports:

1. Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS)
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
3. Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW)
4. Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
5. Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
6. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (IAH)
7. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
8. Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
9. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
10. McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas (LAS)
11. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
12. Miami International Airport (MIA)
13. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
14. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
15. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
16. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
17. San Juan-Luis Múñoz Marin International Airport (SJU)
18. Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB)
19. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport-SeaTac (SEA)
20. Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)

The process requires participants to present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent resident card, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, and make a customs declaration at the kiosk’s touch-screen. Upon successful completion of the Global Entry process at the kiosk, the traveler is issued a transaction receipt and directed to baggage claim and the exit, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral.

Travelers must be pre-approved before they can participate in the pilot program. All applicants will undergo a rigorous background check and be interviewed by a USCBP officer before they are enrolled. Automated enforcement checks will occur each time the member uses the kiosk to enter the United States. Although pre-approved for the program and determined to be low risk, members of Global Entry may be examined at any time when entering the United States.

The current pilot program is generally limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. lawful permanent residents. However, on April 23, 2009, USCBP published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that it had expanded eligibility for participation in the Global Entry pilot to include citizens of the Netherlands who participate in Privium, an expedited travel program in the Netherlands, provided they otherwise satisfy the requirements for participation in the Global Entry pilot program.

The most significant change that would result from a permanent Global Entry program is its expansion to include nonimmigrant aliens from other countries via joint arrangements between USCBP and its respective counterparts in foreign governments. USCBP is working with other countries that operate comparable international trusted traveler programs to enter into reciprocal arrangements for the purposes of expanding eligibility for Global Entry.

Canadian and United States citizens who are already participating in NEXUS, a trusted traveler program operated jointly by USCBP and the Canadian Border Services Agency, will find the Global Entry program to be very familiar. However, unlike the NEXUS program, the permanent Global Entry program would be available to citizens of countries other than Canada and the United States. It is expected that participants in the existing NEXUS program will be among the first group included in the permanent Global Entry program, once it has been implemented.

Further information regarding Global Entry appears here.