Brazil, US take steps towards expedited entry of travelers

Brazil and the US took the first step towards the Brazilian participation in the Global Entry program for trustworthy travelers maintained by the US Department of Homeland Security, the Brazilian ministries of Economy and Foreign Relations and the office of the president’s chief of staff reported Monday (Nov. 25).

The initiative aims to allow previously registered citizens to enter the US in an expedited, automatic manner.

According to the ministries, the two governments signed a joint declaration outlining the program’s parameters and agreed to conduct a test on up to 20 participants of the High Executive Forum. The experimental phase is expected start soon and should make it possible to identify technical and operational needs for the launch of a pilot plan and later the full and expanded execution.

Global Entry does not include a visa waiver, but it does expedite passport control procedures for travelers entering the US. Applicants may skip lines and resort to kiosks for procedures with no red tape and immigration agents.

Brazil’s participation in the program is an old demand by the private sector in both Brazil and the US. In 2019, a joint declaration was negotiated, which led to the announcement of the first concrete step towards the implementation of the program at the 10th meeting of the Brazil–US High Executive Forum, the CEO Forum.

After becoming fully operational, Global Entry will make things easier for Brazilians attempting to enter the US. The move is seen as key to making business trips easier.