Australia will join the United States’ Global Entry program from 2025, making travel easier for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who visit the US every year.
Eligible Australians who sign up to the Global Entry program will benefit from streamlined and expediated immigration and customs clearance channels on arrival into the United States.
The program will initially be available from January 2025 to a limited number of Australians that travel most frequently to the US, with work underway to open up the program to all eligible Australians who wish to apply later in 2025.
They will automatically be eligible to participate in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check program, allowing for expedited screening processes for US domestic flights.
By signing a new information sharing arrangement today, Australia is taking a significant step towards implementation of the Global Entry program.
“Joining the Global Entry program is a mark of the closeness and the strength of the relationship between our two countries.
“The foundation of the friendship between Australia and United States is the friendship between our people. This program will deepen these links and make it easier to foster greater commercial ties,” Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong said.
“The Albanese Government is delivering on Australia’s participation in the Global Entry program for the thousands of travellers who visit the United States frequently,” said Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke MP.
“Today’s signing is an important step and we’re working hard to ensure that from January 2025, the first group of eligible Australians will experience expedited immigration and customs clearance channels when they arrive in the US.”
Melissa Elf, Flight Centre Travel Group Global Corporate COO said the announcement was fantastic news for corporate travellers that Australians.
“The airbridge between Australia and the United States is critical for business travel, imports, and exports – with the countries conducting in US$77 billion worth of two-way trade, with the investment relationship valued at US$1.6 trillion, making the United States Australia’s largest economic partner.
“Over 12,000 Australian companies export to the United States and our Flight Centre Corporate data shows us travel for the education sector has grown 93 per cent year on year for the January to June half – taking out the top spot for industry travelled.
“Services remained in second place, with Government and Not For Profit moving up to third place from fourth, and Mining Oil and Gas, and Finance and Insurance rounding out the top five industries travelled between the countries.
“Interestingly, despite Los Angeles staying as the number one destination for business travellers for our flagship FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller businesses, New York has stormed up the list into second place, followed by Las Vegas, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley of Boston.
“Australian business travellers have been buoyed by the number of new, direct routes that have now opened up between our two countries, but we are still behind the curve when it comes to capacity versus 2019 – more choice and competition going forward will see travel grow even more, Elf said.”
