US Global Entry Program for Australian citizens [from 2025]

[sqrt()]

Went to JFK for my interview today and was told in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t be able to use GE with my AU passport and visa after signing up with my UK passport. Signed up regardless (after having to apply for an ESTA on the spot). Hopefully pre check works at least.

 

[AbsolutelyAnything]

Went to JFK for my interview today and was told in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t be able to use GE with my AU passport and visa after signing up with my UK passport. Signed up regardless (after having to apply for an ESTA on the spot). Hopefully pre check works at least.

That's interesting because since completing mine I haven't once arrived on my UK passport and have always gone through, generally it asks me to speak to an agent but that just takes a few seconds each time.

 

[sqrt()]

That's interesting because since completing mine I haven't once arrived on my UK passport and have always gone through, generally it asks me to speak to an agent but that just takes a few seconds each time.

Do you have an AU visa and/or UK esta?

 

[AbsolutelyAnything]

Do you have an AU visa and/or UK esta?

I always applied for the ESTA against my AU passport

 

[heycam]

Planning next work trip. Just called the phone number listed on Enrollment on Arrival for the SFO Global Entry office to confirm when they're open. I got a recorded message giving their "tentative" opening hours as 7:30am – 10:30pm every day, and that they are not taking any walkins at the moment. No open appointment slots at all either. So I guess I'll just keep waiting until they open up for walkins again or I need to enter at a different airport.

 

[Viridis]

As another Australia/UK dual passport holder, I'm looking forward to trying this trick out once my work travel resumes in a couple of months. (Looking at my email, I got a UK Access Code for the Global Entry application 2½ years ago and I've been waiting to use it ever since.)

One question: when you go to the interview, does it matter which passport you entered the US on that time? If I can avoid applying for an ESTA on both passports (first entry on UK, all subsequent on Australian) then I will.

Okay. Me too. This isn't necessarily directed at you but for for everyone who is using a UK Passport - presumably a valid one - to access the GE Programme but then enters the US on an Aussie passport

So what am i missing?

If you are a Dual Passport holder and the UK one gets you access to the GEP why not just enter and depart the USA on your UK passport?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Okay. Me too. This isn't necessarily directed at you but for for everyone who is using a UK Passport - presumably a valid one - to access the GE Programme but then enters the US on an Aussie passport

So what am i missing?

If you are a Dual Passport holder and the UK one gets you access to the GEP why not just enter and depart the USA on your UK passport?

I always enter on my UK passport and leave on whichever one is needed for the destination.
Sometimes UK, sometimes AU.

 

[heycam]

SFO definitely aren’t doing Enrollment on Arrival interviews? SFO is listed on the website still.

Not according to their answering machine message. But who knows...

I did mine at LAX in July, no appointments for Enrollment Arrival were required - just arrive and pass through CBP process as normal but then had to loop through and queue up back on the other side again at the CBP lane that was doing the interviews. It was a slow process, each one was taking a good 10-20 mins so took a while waiting.

Good to know! I ended up booking trip next month via LAX, with ample layover time. This is on the Sunday after thanksgiving so hopefully they haven't taken the whole long weekend off.

Post automatically merged: Oct 28, 2022

If you are a Dual Passport holder and the UK one gets you access to the GEP why not just enter and depart the USA on your UK passport?

For me it's just going to be the convenience of not bringing two passports with me.

 

[Reddevil]

Went to JFK for my interview today and was told in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t be able to use GE with my AU passport and visa after signing up with my UK passport. Signed up regardless (after having to apply for an ESTA on the spot). Hopefully pre check works at least.

TSA Precheck seems to works for me on my AU passport. Have used it 4 or so times domestically since getting GE and never a question raised by the TSA agents scanning ID in the TSA Pre queue so if the details for the KTN are actually checked against my AU passport, it all seems to work OK with the TTP system.

I haven’t tried my AU passport in the Global Entry kiosk since I got it, most recent entry to the US was with the SO and she has to queue to go through CBP so I queued with her.

When I did my interview, I supplied both passports and always include both passports on my ESTA. CBP agent queried why I was presenting my AU passport (along with UK) during the interview and I explained because dual national living in Australia and the process required me to declare all nationalities which he seemed satisfied with. He checked both passports and then asked which one I wanted to use for Trusted Traveller and I said Australian since I’m typically entering US from Australia and he didn’t have any issues with that or say I couldn’t use the AU passport for GE.

I have both listed in my Trusted Traveller profile and put both on my ESTA each time but will confirm if the AU passport works in the GE kiosk next time I enter the US.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I think its crazy that AUS passports don't qualify for GE when some other countries that, lets say, may not be as aligned in security terms as Australia is..are.

 

[sqrt()]

TSA Precheck seems to works for me on my AU passport. Have used it 4 or so times domestically since getting GE and never a question raised by the TSA agents scanning ID in the TSA Pre queue so if the details for the KTN are actually checked against my AU passport, it all seems to work OK with the TTP system.

Yes, I just checked in some some domestic AA flights and got the tick. I don't think it's linked to your passport, however, but to your TTP profile. Passport is just the only form of TSA-accepted ID that most non-residents would have in the US. I use my state ID at TSA.

Okay. Me too. This isn't necessarily directed at you but for for everyone who is using a UK Passport - presumably a valid one - to access the GE Programme but then enters the US on an Aussie passport

So what am i missing?

If you are a Dual Passport holder and the UK one gets you access to the GEP why not just enter and depart the USA on your UK passport?

My visa is in my Australian passport. That is the document I have to enter on for work. I can't enter on a UK PP+ESTA because it's not a working visa. Still trying to figure if I can enter on UK PP+AU Visa.

 

[AbsolutelyAnything]

…
If you are a Dual Passport holder and the UK one gets you access to the GEP why not just enter and depart the USA on your UK passport?

My understanding (though I haven’t tried it) is that you cannot checkin for a flight to Australia with a British passport if you are dual citizen as you have no ‘visa’ attached to your British passport so they they can’t validate your entitlement to travel to/return to Australia?

 

[Reddevil]

My understanding (though I haven’t tried it) is that you cannot checkin for a flight to Australia with a British passport if you are dual citizen as you have no ‘visa’ attached to your British passport so they they can’t validate your entitlement to travel to/return to Australia?

Correct. You’d have to carry both passports as you can’t have an Australian visa in a UK passport if you’re a dual citizen that has been issued an AU passport (or until the Visa expires). You’ll be expected to enter/exit Australia on the AU passport.

You’d also have to carry both if you were forced to enter the US using the UK passport for GE if your AU passport wouldn’t work as you need to depart Australia on the AU. Not always convenient to travel with two passports.

 

[Viridis]

My understanding (though I haven’t tried it) is that you cannot checkin for a flight to Australia with a British passport if you are dual citizen as you have no ‘visa’ attached to your British passport so they they can’t validate your entitlement to travel to/return to Australia?

My UK passport is the one attached to my profiles with both BA & SQ. I check-in on flights to Australia with my UK passport. The staff will often, but not always ask to see my Aussie passport for a ‘visa’ check. I arrive in Australia on my Australian passport (obviously)

You’ll be expected to enter/exit Australia on the AU passport.

Not quite. For the reasons stated above, I always leave Australia using my UK passport at the automated gates. In fact if I try to use the Aussie one the barrier doors won’t open and an immigration dude comes over and his first question will be “do you have two passports?”. You must use the one that you used in the booking profile with the airline. As a dual national, the passports should be ‘linked’ in the immigration system

Not always convenient to travel with two passports.

Always travel with both, never been inconvenient. In my line of work ‘redundancy’ is the norm. Carrying both gives you options …. should an ‘option’ ever become necessary

 

[QF029]

I believe the 2 passports have to be manually linked in the immigration system. I accidentally used my UK at the exit gates a few mo ths ago and then spoke to one of the immigration team. They undid it and said it would have been an issue inbound. I went through again but he said they had now linked the passports and I got the impression it wouldn't be an issue in future.

 

[kyanar]

I believe the 2 passports have to be manually linked in the immigration system. I accidentally used my UK at the exit gates a few mo ths ago and then spoke to one of the immigration team. They undid it and said it would have been an issue inbound. I went through again but he said they had now linked the passports and I got the impression it wouldn't be an issue in future.

Yeah, that's right. The airline agent has to call Border Operations Centre to have them linked (source: Border Force APP manual)

 

[heycam]

Finally managed to complete the Enrolment on Arrival this morning (Sunday), just over three years after registering with UK Border Force! I landed at LAX at around 6am and proceeded to immigration. The border official noted to me that I had conditional approval and said I could complete the enrolment downstairs in the baggage claim area at the Global Entry desk. The queue wasn't long, but took a long time to get through. After about 90 minutes of waiting, I got to the front of the queue and handed over my Australian and UK passports. I answered a few basic questions (known names, current address, how I had a UK passport) and it was done in a few minutes.

I was warned that I shouldn't swap and change which passport I use to enter the US, otherwise it would be seen as suspicious. Which is fine by me as I basically never use the UK passport unless there's some particular reason to.

 

[kyanar]

So, has anyone reached out recently and gotten a response as to where this is at? It's super annoying that it's been five years since a trial was supposed to start, and in the meantime both Brazil and the Dominican Republic (which I think we can safely say do not exactly have the strongest security standards...) have been admitted.

And on that note, how do we even reach out? The forms on the ABF and DHA websites say you won't get a formal response, do you just email the ministers for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs?

 

[Wilson Wei]

We should start an e-petition on the parliament website e-petitions, can someone please take this on

 

[kyanar]

Not directly related to GE, but I noticed that the Preclearance program is open to foreign governments and airports to enrol in as well. Being cleared before even leaving Australia would be even better than GE, since you deplane directly into the sterile area and can collect and depart the airport without dealing with entry immigration and security controls on arrival at all!