Airport Kiosk to Reduce Customs Wait Times

Some international travelers flying into John Wayne Airport will be clearing customs much faster than normal, an airport official reported.

JWA officials and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the Global Entry kiosk program on Tuesday. The new kiosk allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.

"Right now it takes an average passenger 30-45 minutes to get through Customs at John Wayne Airport," Jenny Wedge, spokeswoman for JWA, told Patch. "The system takes less than five minutes to process through Customs."

Travelers arriving at JWA's Global Entry kiosk who are pre-approved will be asked to swipe their ID or passport, place their fingerprints on a scanner and then they are cleared. According to Wedge, Global Entry members can also participate in the Travel Security Administration's pre-check screening program at JWA's Terminal A to expedite the security screening process.

Global Entry is now in use at 34 airports across the country. U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and U.S. lawful permanent residents may apply for the program, as well as citizens of countries with which CBP has reciprocal agreements, including Mexico, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea, according to airport officials. Canadian citizens and residents enrolled in Nexus may also use Global Entry. 

"This valuable program expedites CBP processing, reduces wait times, and benefits the traveling public and the local business community," Todd C. Owen, CBP director of field operations, said in a released statement.

Interested travelers can apply at the Global Online Enrollment System. Each person is required to pay a non-refundable $100 application fee, which is good for five years. The application process includes a background check and CBP review.

Wedge said Global Entry participants are still subject to inspections at any time in the CBP process.

Get more details on the Global Entry program at globalentry.gov.

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