You may have heard some talk in the news over the last few days about a new DHS program called Global Entry. We wanted to give you some details, in case it might apply to you. Global Entry is designed to speed trusted travelers through the customs and immigration inspection process when re-entering the United States. And among travelers already enrolled in the program, 75 percent are processed in five minutes or less.

The way it works: U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents apply for the program, pay a $100 fee, and are interviewed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Following a successful background investigation, they are accepted into the program. Once accepted into the program, membership is good for five years and can be used at any participating airport in the country.

There are currently twenty international airports in the program. These include airports in or near the following major cities:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Detroit
• Fort Lauderdale
• Honolulu
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York
• Newark
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Sanford
• San Francisco
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Seattle
• Washington, D.C. (Dulles)

Here is the process for using the Global Entry system:

Walk up to the computer station.

Place passport or lawful permanent resident card into the machine reader.
Press fingers down on the pad Answer customs declaration inspections questions.
Take receipt Show it to CBP officers.
Travelers should be aware that CBP officers retain the right to question all entrants to the country, even Global Entry participants.

Further information:

The application form is located at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/global_entry/.

Individuals with questions about the program may visit CBP’s Customer Service page at https://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/home.php?p_sid=VsMWsEbj.

Check out the video below from Smart Planet on the new system: