Global Entry available for Australians
Global Entry is now available to Australians, albeit in a limited phase.
As this is a new process in Australia, I thought providing this information would be helpful for anyone considering applying in the future.
The initial step is to apply via the Trusted Traveller Program, which is now available for Australians. A fee of $120USD (~$190AUD) is required for a 5-year membership. This is the straightforward part.
Following your application for Global Entry on the US CBP website, you will receive an email from the Department of Home Affairs providing details for conducting a background check.
Upon logging in, you will have an option to initiate a new application and commence the Global Entry Program background check.
The background check process comprises several phases, each of which is relatively straightforward to complete.
During the initial phase, applicants are required to have visited the United States at least five times within the past year. Additionally, they must provide evidence to the Department of Home Affairs of their I-94 travel history from the United States Customs and Border Protection website. This requirement will no longer be necessary after completing phase one.
There is a step requiring your residential history for the past 10 years - this step should be easy for most!
One of the last steps of the background check is selecting the check type, in this case US Global Entry Program.
Currently, there is no fee associated with the background check. However, it is likely that this will change in the future. The final step is to acknowledge the terms and conditions when applying for the background check.
Unfortunately this is where the process encounters an error and cannot be completed.
Given that the cost of the background check for the Global Entry application is $0, it appears that the system is unable to process an empty invoice (based on the error message). I have already sent an email to the relevant department to inform them of this issue.
However, since I initiated this process on a weekend, I am not optimistic about receiving a resolution until next week, or at the very least, an acknowledgment of the error.
As I continue the Global Entry application process, I will provide further updates.