Get the Global Entry app.
Global Entry is a program that saves eligible travelers time when entering the United States. Participating in Global Entry requires completing an application (including paying a fee), going through a background check, and sitting for an interview.
When arriving in the United States, Global Entry members can stop at a Global Entry kiosk, where biometric data is taken (via looking at a screen) and a receipt is generated. The receipt is given to an immigration officer, and the GE member typically waved through.
Now Customs and Border Patrol has launched Global Entry Mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It’s intended to shave even more time off the arrivals experience for Global Entry’s 12+ million members.
The app is initially available for use at the following seven airports, with plans to add more airports in the future:
Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Global Entry Mobile is similar in concept to Mobile Passport, except it’s for Global Entry members only. The app essentially turns a smartphone into a Global Entry kiosk. At some airports, there are often more Global Entry members than kiosks, so being able to use a smartphone to handle the Global Entry process should definitely save time.
Here’s how it works:
When you land at your destination, open the app and enter the airport and terminal at which you’ve arrived.
You’ll then be asked to take a selfie (remove any hat, sunglasses, and/or mask).
The photo will be compared to your biometric data on file; if it matches, an on-screen receipt is generated, which you show to the CBP officer stationed at the Global Entry exit (thus saving you a stop at the Global Entry kiosk).
Twist’s Take: The Global Entry Mobile app allows Global Entry members to use a cell phone in lieu of a kiosk when entering the United States at select airports.
