Washington DC: Global Entry is getting a slight tweak as the program replaces its mobile app with a new Trusted Traveler App.
The Global Entry app will stop working on Sept. 15. Travelers who use the mobile service will need to download the new Trusted Traveler App for their next trip.
For travelers who typically use a blue Global Entry kiosk after arriving in the US from an international flight, nothing changes. The mobile option will continue to allow eligible travelers to enter their arrival information on a smartphone before heading to the customs line.
According to the federal government, the new app will offer the same functions as the current Global Entry mobile app. Global Entry memberships will remain active, travelers will not need to reapply, and their existing login information will continue to work.
The app will also allow users to start applications and renewal processes for Global Entry and manage other trusted travel programs, including NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the free app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. It brings together application and membership management for Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, while also allowing travelers to update membership information, schedule enrollment interviews and renew memberships.
For Global Entry members, the app includes the arrival confirmation feature previously offered through the Global Entry Mobile App. Eligible travelers can use the feature to confirm their international arrival with CBP when entering the United States through a participating airport.
CBP said the new Trusted Traveler App is currently supported at 85 airports as well as multiple CBP Preclearance locations.
Travelers who previously used either of CBP’s two former apps can download the new application and sign in with their existing credentials. Their profile and membership information will transfer to the new app, according to the agency. The previous Global Entry Mobile App and Trusted Traveler Programs App have been discontinued.
“The new Trusted Traveler mobile app brings application and membership management features together with our popular Global Entry arrival confirmation feature,” said Diane J. Sabatino, Executive Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of Field Operations. “Having one official app to support all of our services makes every step of the journey less complicated for travelers.”
The Bigger Global Entry Change Happening
The bigger change Global Entry members have seen in recent months is a new-look process at several of the nation’s biggest airports.
DHS has been trialing new camera-capture technology at six major hubs. During that process, members’ photos are taken and verified as they enter the customs hall. Instead of visiting a kiosk, they head right to an officer.
That new technology is currently live at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Global Entry costs $120 for a five-year membership. However, a handful of popular travel credit cards will reimburse the application fee.
Global Entry is one of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Traveler Programs and provides expedited clearance for pre-screened, low-risk travelers arriving in the United States. Applicants undergo background checks and an in-person interview before enrollment.
The launch means travelers enrolled in or applying for several major U.S. trusted traveler programs can now handle key membership tasks through one official CBP app rather than switching between separate applications.
