The Mobile Passport App is created by the United States Customs and Border Protection. This mobile application enables the passengers to fill immigration forms on their mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, and also permit them to spend less time on the queue when they reach the United States. This Mobile Passport app can be easily accessed on your smartphone.
It is available exclusively for the citizens of the United States and residents of Canada visiting the United States.
According to research, the Mobile Passport App can be used at twenty-five airports and three cruise ports as soon as you arrive in the United States. There is no cost attached to having your Mobile Passport as it is FREE. However, due to a recent update, the app users are required to pay a fee of $14.99 per annum. This fee is meant for storing the passport and personal information safe and enabling the app users to make use of the same information on multiple trips.
MODE OF USE OF THE MOBILE PASSPORT
Download the mobile app to your mobile device; this could be your tablet or smartphone. Fill your details on the application, including a recent passport photograph. If you have members of your family traveling with you, you can create profiles for them. It is essential to complete this step before you go as your information on the app is encrypted and shared with the United States Customs and Border Protection.
As soon as you reach your destination, you are required to provide answers to the standard entry questions in the app. There is a need to have a data connection on your smartphone or connect to the Wi-Fi at the airport; this will enable you to submit your information to the US Customs and Border Protection. It is important to give accurate answers before final submission. Once you submit your details, you will be given a receipt with a barcode valid for four hours within a short time.
Visit the designated mobile passport line in the immigration section. Show your passport to the customs officer on duty, and scan the barcode.
GLOBAL ENTRY PROGRAM
Global Entry Program is also managed by the United States Customs and Border Protection for expedited clearance for pre-approved and low-risk travelers through designated kiosks as soon as they reach the United States.
The Global Entry Program can be accessed through an application procedure. It entails answering an online questionnaire and an interview session at one of the airports that are involved in the program. For instance, United States citizens, United States permanent residents, and citizens from some countries are eligible to apply for the program. These countries are Switzerland, South Korea, Panama, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, India, Argentina, Taiwan, Mexico, and Colombia. On the other hand, the NEXUS program enables the residents and citizens of Canada to apply for the Global Entry program as Canada is a participant in the NEXUS program. However, persons who have not attained the age of eighteen years require their parent’s permission before participating in the program.
The application procedure has two crucial steps, and this is the online questionnaire and the in-person interview session. The first step, the online survey, is simple and do not take a longer time to be completed. You are required to state your employment history and the names of countries you have visited in the last five years.
The Global Entry interview requires time to be scheduled, and you need to attend in person at an airport. It is critical to take your resident card or passport with you as well as the printout of your approval email with a government-issued ID card. Your photo and fingerprints will be taken during the session.
The Global Entry Program is available in more than seventy airports. Kindly note that there are a few airports across the globe that enable you to use the Global Entry.
COST OF GLOBAL ENTRY PROGRAM
The membership of the Global Entry Program costs $100 and renewable every five years. You are required to pay when applying for the program; the fee is non-refundable even when your application is not granted. This cost covers TSA Precheck membership, which goes for $85 when you are buying it separately. TSA Precheck prevents you from staying on a long queue at the airport as you are required to go through a designated security line at special locations. It is imperative to note that all airlines do not participate in TSA Precheck. Users of the TSA Precheck line do not need to take off their shoes and electronics during the screening exercise.
However, you can be a beneficiary of the Global Entry Program at a lesser fee. Citizens of the United States and permanent residents, Canadian citizens, and legitimate permanent residents as well as the citizens of Mexico who are part of Viajero Confiable, the most trusted traveller program in Mexico can apply for the Nexus Program and also get same results as the Global Entry beneficiaries.
One disadvantage of this program is that there are few enrollment centers and located along the Canadian border. Once you fill your details in the application form, visit the enrollment center for your interview. The fee for the Nexus application form is non-refundable in case your application is denied. It is also renewable every five years, as the Global Entry Program.
Global Entry allows you to have a seamless transition at the airport. You are not required to fill out your details in the customs form when you reach the United States. You need to search for the Global Entry kiosks in the immigration section of the airport as soon as you get to the airport. You will be asked a few immigration questions at the booth, and your picture and fingerprints will be taken as well. You will be issued a receipt by the machine, and this will be taken to the immigration officer alongside your passport.
These two programs will ensure your time is saved. However, another difference between these programs is the fee as the Mobile Passport is FREE but securing personal information on the app comes at a fee of $14.99, and the Global Entry Program has an application fee of a hundred dollars. However, individuals looking for a cheaper means can choose the mobile passport option. Global Entry Program is the best option for international travellers who travel often.
The Global Entry Program comes with the TSA Precheck option which ensures you do not stay longer on a queue at airports. You are allowed to pass through the security ports without stress, and it can be bought as a separate package for $85. It is crucial to consider some factors before selecting your preferred program, and this should entail searching for the list of airports where these programs are available.
Another factor you should consider is your travel schedule. If you realize that your main airport is on the Global Entry list, and not listed on the Mobile Passport List, you can go for the option of Global Entry. The factor of eligibility for these programs is also important. However, citizens of United States are eligible for these programs, but as a resident of the United States or a citizen of a country without the Mobile Passport option, your best alternative is the Global Entry program.
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