NEW SCHEME MEANS YOU CAN SKIP THE QUEUES AT US IMMIGRATION

PASSING THROUGH immigration when visiting the States has, for years, been a thorn in the side for British visitors who have had to brave notoriously long queues.

The good news is that from December 3, British visitors to the US will be able to join the Global Entry scheme, which means they can go straight to baggage reclaim rather than queue up.

The bad news is that applying to join the scheme is a palaver that will cost more than £100.

This may deter occasional visitors from joining, but for the 125,000 British citizens who visit the US at least four times a year, the process may be well worth it.

The first stage is to register via the Home Office website and pay a nonrefundable £42 fee, after which a vetting process takes place.

If the application is successful, an access code will be issued to enter when applying for Global Entry through the Global Online Enrolment System.

On approval, there will be an interview. If eligibility is approved, there will be a five-year membership fee of $100 to pay.

Once approved, there will be an interview with an officer to assess eligibility. The fee for a five-year membership is $100.

Applications can be made from December 3 from the Home Office, visit: https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/main/ goes Visitors face long queues while passing through US immigration