Global Entry, the U.S. program that allows enrolled members to skip customs and immigration lines on arrival from overseas, is replacing passport and fingerprint scans with an on-the-spot photo that it compares to its database.
If you resemble your passport photo well enough, it should be a lot faster than the current system that notoriously has trouble with fingerprints if you don’t hold your fingers just so. The new system has been reported installed and running at a number of airports by The Points Guy website, including some terminals at Miami, Houston and JFK.
Global Entry, which costs $100 for five years, requires enrollment forms, an interview with government officials and a background check. In addition to speeding up re-entry from abroad, it includes TSA Pre-Check privileges. A number of high-end credit cards include a credit to pay for it.
Personal note: the author has been in Global Entry for six years, and has never succeeded at the kiosk; Mobile Passport has been a much more effective tool. It’s free and doesn’t require enrollment. But you’ll still want Pre-Check!
