DHS Adds Nine Airports to Global Entry Program

On October 4, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the addition of nine airports to the Global Entry Program (GEP). The GEP allows the prescreened participants to go through expedited security screening at certain airports through the use of self-service kiosks. More details on the program are available in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, Global Entry Program Made Permanent (24.Feb.2012).

Kiosks to be Added by April 3, 2017

GEP kiosks, which are expected to become operational by April 3, 2017, are being added to the following airports:

• Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska (FAI)
• Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California (OAK)
• Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, California (SMF)
• Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose, California (SJC)
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans, Louisiana (MSY)
• Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri (MCI)
• Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, St. Louis, Missouri (STL)
• William P. Hobby International Airport, Houston, Texas (HOU)
• Burlington International Airport, Burlington, Vermont (BTV)

The addition of these nine airports will bring the total number of U.S. airports with GEP kiosks to forty-eight. The designated airports are located in twenty-eight states and Puerto Rico. A full list of GEP airports is available on the GEP WebSite.

Only Nationals of Certain Countries Eligible to Enroll in GEP

There are currently nine countries participating in the GEP, including the United States. Presently, only the following classes of individuals are eligible to apply for enrollment in the program:

• Citizens and lawful permanent residents (commonly, “green card” holders) of the United States
• Citizens of Colombia
• Citizens of the United Kingdom
• Citizens of Germany
• Citizens of the Netherlands
• Citizens of Panama
• Citizens of Singapore
• Citizens of South Korea
• Mexican nationals

As discussed in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, Global Entry for India: Memorandum of Understanding Signed (23.Jun.2016), it is expected that India will be added to the program. However, no clear timeframe has been provided to indicate when this may occur.

Conclusion

This expansion of the GEP is emblematic of the success of the program as a whole. The program simplifies and reduces some of the stress associated with entering the United States, while simultaneously freeing up resources to focus on more likely security threats.

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