What: Trusted Traveler Programs Are Having a Record Year
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Trusted Traveler Programs exceeded 10 million total members during the month of March. The programs expect to receive 3.5 million applications for this fiscal year, the most ever received in one year. Trusted Traveler Programs include TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus, Fast and Sentri.
Why It Matters: Trusted Traveler Programs Can Lessen Stress During Travel
These days, most view the prospect of air travel as an acutely stressful endeavor, making it unsurprising that Trusted Traveler Programs are having a record year.
Rusty travelers and seasoned pros alike are looking for ways to alleviate the stress of airport travel by enjoying the benefits of shorter lines at security and immigration — two of the perks offered through Global Entry, which is by far the most popular of the programs (with 8 million members). But be sure to tell clients to apply far ahead of their next travels, as CBP is working through a pandemic-driven backlog of applications.
Fast Facts: Global Entry Is Backlogged, But Still Available
- Global Entry is available at 61 U.S. airports and 15 international Preclearance locations. The program includes 13 partner countries and four that are currently piloting the program.
- Global Entry’s backlog of applications is a result of a five-month closure of CBP beginning in March 2020.
- CBP is offering in-person interviews at Trusted Travel Programs (TTP) enrollment centers in the U.S.
- Conditionally approved first-time Global Entry applicants may continue to schedule in-person interviews at enrollment centers through their TTP dashboard, or take advantage of the Enrollment on Arrival option, which is offered to arriving international passengers at 65 airports.
- Some renewing members may be able to schedule remote interviews through their TTP dashboard.
What They Are Saying: CBP Is Implementing Solutions to Address the TTP Backlog
"We have had a large demand for TTP enrollment, especially over the past several months, and we’ve identified different solutions to try to address this,” said Michael Millich, director of CBP Trusted Traveler Programs.
