The Belgian family of four was on their fourth trip to the USA. As they entered the country, they were worried about the long queue at passport control, but heard about a new app that could make their journey easier and decided to give it a try. Within minutes, they had bypassed the long line at Washington Dulles International Airport and were waiting for their luggage.
“It was always a long line,” said Piet De Staercke about the queue at passport control. He, his wife and two sons visited Washington and Chicago. “We were a little bit scared. But now with the app it’s amazing.”
While the travel continues US Customs and Border Protection is booming after the pandemic-related slumps Expanding the use of technology Like the Mobile Passport Control app, the De Staercke family used it to handle the ever-increasing number of passengers traveling internationally. And with events like one rare solar eclipseThe Olympia in Paris and the summer holidays still dominate international travel, and these numbers are unlikely to fall in the foreseeable future.
Customs and Border Protection officials gave The Associated Press a behind-the-scenes look at some of the technologies they use and what to expect in the coming months and years.
The numbers
In fiscal year 2023, the agency processed over 394 million travelers at ports of entry. This is an increase of 24% compared to the previous year. If you look at the top 20 in the country Airports Based on passenger volume, officers processed 31% more travelers, while average wait times increased by 11%. And at some of the busiest airports, wait times have increased negligibly or even decreased. At New York’s JFK Airport, for example, wait times decreased – by an average of 0.4 seconds – while CBP officers processed 33% more travelers.
More and more people are traveling abroad with their families instead of going abroad alone on business.
More apps
Officials are increasingly turning to app-based technologies Speed of movement of passengers through the airport. An example of this is the “Mobile Passport Control” app that the Belgian family uses. It is available to U.S. citizens, but also to legal permanent residents, certain Canadians and travelers from countries that are part of the United States Visas Waiver program who have already been to the USA at least once.
Passengers upload their photos and information to the app. When they enter the control area, they are directed to a separate line. The officer then only has to take a photo of one family member and then pulls up the photos of the entire group and their information.
CBP launched the app in 2021, but is now trying to get more people to use it, including by working with airlines to allow in-flight downloads of the app and by posting signs Airports to alert travelers. Last year, a record 4.1 million people entered the country via the app.
“Every second we can save through the process saves time because it adds up in the end,” said Marc Calixte, the top CBP official at Dulles.
Last September, the agency also created an app specifically for passengers using Global Entry. This is one of CBP’s Trusted Traveler programs, which allows certain low-risk passengers to schedule an interview and undergo a background check to clear customs more quickly upon arrival in the United States – and passport control
Global entry improvements
Last year, a record 3.2 million people applied for the Global Entry program, and this year the agency is on track to accept about 4 million applications, said Brendan Blackmer, CBP branch manager for the Trusted Traveler Programs. However, passengers have complained about how long applications can take to process and that they are having difficulty getting appointments. On its website, CBP says it takes an average of four to six months to process applications. In February, 17 members of Congress wrote to CBP requesting information and saying they were processing voter complaints about wait times.
Blackmer said the agency has pushed to improve the process, including by allowing nearly 100% of people who renew their status to do so without having to go to a registration center. This frees up appointments for first-time applicants. And it’s pushing for more people to be able to complete the process while they’re at the airport, either departing or returning from a trip.
There are also more appointments available, Blackmer said, although in some cities like San Francisco demand is still so high that it can take more than 90 days to get appointments.
“We have done a lot of work over the last year and a half and the agency is now in a better position and able to meet the demand for the program. And we will continue to work,” Blackmer said.
Fee increases
Starting October 1st, users of some of the Trusted Traveler programs will pay higher fees. The cost of NEXUS, a U.S.-Canadian program designed to make it easier for pre-approved travelers to travel between the two countries, will rise from $50 to $120. Global admission will increase from $100 to $120. SENTRI for pre-approved travelers at the southern border with Mexico will be reduced from $122.50 to $120.
But the fees now apply to all children under 18, regardless of which program you participate in.
What remains unchanged is that the approval of the programs is valid for another five years.
What’s next?
Calixte said the airport may open so-called e-gates by the end of the summer, where passengers using Global Entry can use the app, bypass an officer at a cabin and instead go to a gate where their photo will be taken and your passport is compared with this, and if no warning signals appear, the gates open and you leave the customs and passport control area and set off.
Further on the horizon, Blackmer said the agency is exploring a concept called “smart queuing,” in which the app assigns passengers to specific lines depending on information entered into the app, such as whether they need to declare goods.