Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are two programs that have made the travel experience so much more pleasant for frequent travelers over the past couple of years. Through Global Entry you can simply use a kiosk when arriving back in the US instead of talking to an immigration officer, and don't have to fill out…
Continue reading: US Global Entry members now eligible to use SmartGate in Australia
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I happen to be en route to Australia (in LX F lounge now). Great timing for this!
I can confirm this is not working at MEL as of this morning. Swiped my GE-registered passport and got a please see agent. Agent had heard of it but didn't think it was working in MEL yet.
SmartGate only seems to work about half the time for me (as an Australian passport holder). However, when it doesn't work the queue for the it-didn't-work-line is only about half as long as the regular line for Australians and New Zealanders.
@Mark - it is certainly activated for the US but if the name on your passport does not 100% match the name and details entered when you got your ETA (middle names and all), you will get to talk to an agent.
Sweet - as an American expat in Aus, dating a New Zealander, way too many trips through immigration. This will make it much easier. Thanks for the news! (Of course, I'm now wondering if I need to get my passport redone... I just renewed it, and somehow they stretched the picture 10-20% vertically. Given Smart Gate uses facial recognition, that COULD be a problem... LOL)
You must have one of the newer epassports with the embedded RFID chip for this to work.
I went through at MEL yesterday with my wife. She got through no problem, I got a message to go see an agent. Either way, it got me to the front of the line (or I guess I should say queue) so it was still a quick process.
It's ridiculous, it's meant to be reciprocal but I don't see the Americans letting us use Global Entry!
@Vincent - the statement made by Janet Napolitano and Jason Clare on 7 May indicates that the US is looking to expand Global Entry to Australians. I would expect it will operate on a similar model to that used by the Germans.
@David - I'm not surprised the Americans got to use SmartGate before we get to use Global Entry though. Hopefully we'll get it sooner than later...
Hi Lucky - came to this article via your one about the German/US expedited entry scheme. Any idea if those of us who are registered for GE but don't have a US passport can use this system in Oz? 🙂
Haha actually don't worry, have just read the SmartGate website now and UK passports are already eligible 😛
@ Alam -- I could be mistaken, but I believe you must have a US passport with Global Entry to be eligible for that.