Hate waiting in line? DHS wants to help
Government website compares expedited screening programs
Gerald Steele, a consultant from Grovetown, Ga., joined the Nexus expedited border crossing program to minimize wait times when he was working in western Canada.
“Tremendously long wait time can be experienced during the summer when entering Calgary and Vancouver from the U.S.,” said Steele, a member of USA TODAY’s frequent-traveler panel called Road Warriors.
After the creation of Global Entry, Steele joined that program to clear customs and immigration briskly when returning from abroad. Global Entry includes Precheck for screening at domestic airports, which “eliminates the need to take off clothes and remove laptops and liquids from bags,” he said.
For less frequent travelers, the menu of choices among the alphabet soup of government programs can create a little heartburn.
But the Department of Homeland Security unveiled a Web page Friday to remove some of the guesswork and uncertainty. The site describes the advantages each program provides and how much it costs.
A questionnaire on the lefthand side asks about the person’s travel patterns, to help sort out which might be the best match.
For example, the questions ask about foreign vs. domestic travel, to distinguish between Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry and the Transportation Security Administration’s Precheck.
Frequent visits to Canada or Mexico might point to Nexus or Sentri. Truckers have FAST.
The page also offers a grid to see how the different programs stack up against one another.
The site was developed at a time when the department is trying to recruit more travelers into the expedited programs, both to enhance security and speed lines at the airport.
“Trusted traveler programs have successfully improved the international arrivals process — reducing wait times at airports across the country while maintaining our primary mission of security,” Kevin McAleenan, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told USA TODAY. “Using this new tool, prospective trusted travelers will be better able to decide which program best suits their travel needs, so they can apply and, if approved, begin enjoying the benefits of expedited clearance that nearly 6.2 million people currently do” within his agency. The programs are:
TSA’s Precheck, with nearly 5 million members, costs $85 for five years. In exchange for biographical data and fingerprints for a background check, the program allows travelers to keep on their shoes and belts and leave laptops and small bottles of liquids in their carry-on bags for screening before flights.
CBP’s Global Entry, with nearly 4.1 million members, costs $100 for five years. In exchange for biographical data, fingerprints and travel history, the program allows a traveler returning from abroad to swipe a passport at a kiosk for questions about customs and immigration and avoid the line with hundreds of passengers from an international flight. The program includes Precheck.
CBP’s Nexus, with 1.5 million members, costs $50 for five years. The program for frequent travel to Canada has expedited processing for vehicle and air crossings into either country.
CBP’s Sentri, with 488,347 members, costs $122.50 for five years. The program is for vehicle and pedestrian border crossings from Mexico.
CBP’s Fast, with 76,186 members, costs $50 for five years. The program is for truckers who ship low-risk cargo into either Canada or Mexico.
Privacy advocates have cautioned about voluntarily providing more personal information to the government. But many travelers find the scrutiny of biographical data and travel history less worrisome than the physical inspections and interviews at the airport.
“As a person with a disability, TSA Precheck speeds up the security screening process and saves me from the hassles of removing my laptop and taking off my coat or sweater,” said John Morris, of Gainesville, Fla., a Road Warrior and blogger at WheelchairTravel.org.
Participants rave about the benefits.
Jim Zipursky, a Road Warrior and investment banker in Omaha, said he is “absolutely” satisfied with Global Entry for four to six international trips per year and finds it “100% worth the price.”
His children got Precheck because they don’t travel overseas as much.
“The time saved from not waiting in lines is invaluable,” Zipursky said.
“Our daughter said using Precheck one time in Atlanta, saving her more than one hour in the TSA line, paid for the entire fiveyear cost of Precheck.”