Australian travellers to the US will soon be able to speed through security screenings and bypass border checks as Australia joins the Global Entry program.
The scheme will open in two phases for Australians, first to travellers who frequent the US, and then to all Australians who wish to fast-track their airport experience.
A $A154 fee and a background check with an interview is all it will take for travellers to dodge a number of inconvenient security processes after landing on international flights to the US.
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But those within the program also become eligible for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck program, which similarly fast-tracks domestic flights in the US, and removes requirements such as the removal of shoes during security scans.
The program is aimed at Australians who do business in the US, or who frequently visit.
As such, under the first phase of availability within the Global Entry program, 1000 spots reserved for Australians who have travelled to the US at least five times in the past year will open up in January.
Then, later next year, when Australian legislation is set to be modified to align with US rules, the program will open up to all eligible Australians.
During that second phase of availability, the Australian government will also charge applicants for the cost of its background checks on applicants, in addition to the $A154 ($US100) fee imposed by the US.
Those local fees are yet to be determined and will be waived during the first round of eligibility in January.
Eligibility will be determined by factors such as age and criminal history — and once accepted into the program, membership lasts for five years.
“Australians are friends, we visit each other regularly,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said during the announcement of the program from the US on Tuesday.
“Eligible Australians who sign up for this program will benefit from streamlined and expedited clearance processes on arrival in the United States.”
Citizens of 15 countries are already eligible for the US program.
When asked by reporters in the US why the deal had taken so long to get across the line, Wong said: “I had actually asked the same question.
“I understand this was flagged many, many years ago … (under) the previous government, so you’d have to ask them.”