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Oct. 16--International travelers now can speed through immigration and customs at Detroit Metro Airport thanks to Global Entry, a program allowing arriving travelers to use a kiosk instead of waiting in line.
"It's designed for business travelers, but any frequent traveler can apply," said Don Vaughn, supervisor of Customs and Border Protection at Detroit Metro.
Global Entry was tested at three airports last year and then rolled out to 20 last month, including Detroit. As of this week, 80 people have applied in Detroit. Nationally, 31,393 have applied and 23,145 enrolled, said Ron Smith, spokesman for the CBP in Detroit.
Kiosk use so far at Metro has been light as the program gets off the ground, Vaughn said.
To get Global Entry, travelers must apply online at www.globalentry.gov. The fee is $100, but the clearance is good for five years. You must be at least 14 and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Once tentatively approved online, applicants must appear at the Global Entry office at Detroit Metro's North Terminal. There, fingerprints and passport data are entered into the system. Anyone with a NEXIS card for driving across the U.S.-Canada border can apply for Global Entry at no charge, said Vaughn.
Global Entry travelers arriving on international flights will notice a difference right away, he said.
Instead of waiting at immigration, they stop at a kiosk, swipe their passport, place fingers on the fingerprint reader and answer immigration questions on a screen instead of on the usual paper form.
The machine spits out a clearance card. Passengers then enter a special line to present the card to a customs officer and quickly exit.
In 2008, Metro handled 1.7 million passengers arriving on international flights. Currently, During the first eight months of this year, 1.7 million international travelers passed through Detroit Metro Airport, coming million of them making Detroit their final destination. there are 206 arriving international flights per week at Metro.
Contact ELLEN CREAGER: 313-222-6498 or [email protected]
