UK travellers may now apply for accelerated US entry process
- Brand USA amplifies news of Global Entry Program to UK travel trade
U.S. Ambassador to the UK Matthew Barzun and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowski have announced that travellers from the United Kingdom are eligible, as of Nov. 3, to apply for pre-approved, expedited entry into the U.S. through the expanded Global Entry Program.
Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveller Program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in the United States.
“Making it easier to get through the entry process has significant logistical appeal for travellers coming to the U.S.,” said Christopher L. Thompson, Brand USA’s president and CEO. “It places
our country among the most visitor-friendly nations in the world.”
Thompson also said that visitors from the top-three source markets for inbound travel to the U.S. – Canada, Mexico, and now the U.K. – are eligible to apply to CBP Trusted Traveller Programs. And, with travellers from South Korea and Germany already eligible to apply, five of the top 10 source markets are represented in these programs.
To help make the U.K. travel industry aware of the U.S. Global Entry Program, Brand USA has added relevant information to its online-training platform for U.K. travel agents, a customized version of its USA Discovery Program. (International travel agents who participate in USA Discovery training can become recognized specialists in a variety of aspects tied to U.S. travel.) Brand USA officials say they will use additional messaging options to further promote the expedient global-entry process.
Travellers must be pre-approved for the Global Entry program. All applicants undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment. To enroll in Global Entry, passengers may visit the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) to complete an application. Every individual who would like to apply for membership must create a separate account withinGOES, submit a separate application, and schedule a separate interview appointment upon conditional approval. This includes children and multiple applicants in one household.
At airports, Global Entry members proceed to dedicated kiosks, present their machine-readable passport, scan their fingerprints, and complete a customs declaration form. The kiosk will then issue a transaction recipe to the traveller, directing the traveller to baggage claim and the exit. Some members may still be selected for further examination. Members of the Global Entry program may use Global Entry kiosks at any participating airport for a duration of five (5) years.
Established as a public-private enterprise through the provisions of the 2010 U.S. Travel Promotion Act, Brand USA has a dual mission: promote the U.S. as a premier destination in the global marketplace, and convey entry and exit guidelines to international travellers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is one of the world’s largest law-enforcement agencies. It is charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S., while managing legitimate international travel and trade. On a typical day, according to its website, CBP welcomes nearly a million visitors into the U.S.
For further press information on Brand USA, contact:
- Sarah Barnett – sbarnett@thebrandusa.co.uk / 020 7845 6378
- Allie Williams – awilliams@thebrandusa.co.uk / 020 7845 6384
- Polly Beech – pbeech@thebrandusa.co.uk / 020 7845 6359
- Bridgett Krider – bkrider@thebrandusa.com / 001 202 888 0069
- Anne Madison – amadison@thebrandusa.com / 001 301 385 8296
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About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.