Reviewed Monday, August 27, 2018

Global Entry is the government�s expedited immigration program for frequent travelers.

I had heard about the program and how much time person can save, but I never gave it much thought before. I�ve not been lucky to fly business/first class internationally, so whenever I have to go through immigration, I am not the one of those first people there. That is why I always got caught in a min 40 minutes line � and nothing is worse after an 8 hour flight in coach. So, I decided to get Global Entry and skip the headache.

After I applied, received an email letting me know I was conditionally approved shortly and had to make an appointment. When I entered exactly at my appointment time the agent showed me how to use the kiosk (scan your fingers, take a picture and take your piece of paper to get through customs).

I came from Cali, Colombia to Newark, NJ back in July 26. Once I entered the immigration hall, I asked an agent working the room where is the Global entry. He showed me kiosks� When I arrived at the Global Entry kiosk, no one was there and it took 15 seconds to get processed. You simply let the camera take a picture of your face, put 4 fingers on the pad so it can scan your prints and then it automatically pulls up your flight information and you just verify that you don�t have anything you need to declare. Once you are cleared, it prints a piece of paper that you give to the customs official and you are on your way. After I took my suitcase there was even a separate line for Global Entry for customs. I have to say, my friends (who know how tuff and painful to pass true immigration process) were extremely jealous that I was nearly home in my apartment by the time they got through customs and immigration!

Overall, the actual application and implementation of Global Entry was a huge success for me and I highly recommend it if you are a frequent traveler.

PS: Global Entry costs $100 for 5 years, but if you own American Express Platinum Card, they will reimburse the $100 fee if you pay for it with your Amex Platinum Card. ...More