PSA: Flying across the border

We’re getting ready to go traveling, so I thought I would give some flying tips as a Public Service Announcement. Travel back to the States is a staple of expat life: even Canadians often have to through-transit the US on the way home, although I know some who go to great lengths to never experience US airports again. Let’s see if we can make those experiences a little less challenging, shall we?

I’ll assume the basics: you have a Passport. I know there are special circumstances where a passport is not needed, but they are truly exceptional, so we’ll ignore them here. At the first place you land in the States, you’ll need to pass through two screens: immigration and customs. The first is to establish your right to enter the country. The second is to determine whether what you are bringing in with you is permissible. These two things are unrelated, by the way.

As a US citizen with a valid passport, you have the right to return to the United States. So the normal process at immigration is to get in line with all the other “US persons” (citizens, resident aliens and the like), wait your turn, hand over your passport, answer (sometimes) a perfunctory question like “how long were you gone?”, get your passport stamped and move along.

There are several ways to go faster. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the US government agency responsible for border crossing. One program they have is called Automated Passport Control (all the titles are hyperlinks for additional information). It is essentially a kiosk in the secure arrivals part of the airport where you scan your passport, answer questions on a touchscreen, take a photo, get a printout and go to the CBP officer to have it all checked. People with the same home address in the States can process together. This program is free but only available in the 50 largest airports. You still get in line, but your data will be correct and easily reviewed.

Another CBP program is called Mobile Passport. Mobile Passport is a free app that automates the forms and questions you encounter entering the States. You download it and enter your personal data, and when your plane lands, you send the arrival data securely to CBP, who returns a receipt to you. You get to use different lanes at the arrival area in the airport, so the lines are shorter (big plus). There is a $15 annual upgrade called Mobile Passport Plus, which also stores your passport data and automates the data entry. Mobile Passport is available at 26 major airports and three cruise ports.

The gold standard of CBP programs is Global Entry. It is, in effect, an honors program for re-entering the US. Global Entry costs $100 for five years, but note this: the $100 is an application fee, so if you are denied, you are out the money. Global Entry requires a background check AND an interview,which can be scheduled at CBP offices or in airports. There is a questionnaire (used to start the background check, and of course you’ll face more questions in the interview. With Global Entry, you access a different sets of kiosks (available at 75 US airports and 16 international ones), which again automate the answering of those same CBP questions. You scan your passport and get a receipt, then go to a separate CBP officer who checks your receipt and moves you along. One additional benefit to Global Entry is a separate line for the post baggage-pickup customs check.

The what? Everything I mentioned above is part of immigration, and happens before you get your checked bags. Customs can do a final check after that, but there is no set rule: sometimes they have an inspection, oftentimes they don’t. If they are inspecting, long lines can form, and Global Entry lets you (literally) walk to the front of the line and go first. It is one of those benefits you may never need, but when you do, it is a real game-changer.

The main reason NOT to apply for Global Entry is if you are fairly certain you’ll be denied (remember, you lose the application fee). Reasons for denial include a history of felonies, drug convictions, or anything related to smuggling or illegal border crossing. Otherwise, you should be approved.

What about Pre✓® and Clear? Pre-Check is a TSA program. The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) is just responsible for the safety of the traveler at ports (air and sea). TSA Pre-Check cost $85 for five years, and it requires an online application, a background check, and a short interview. Pre-Check allows you to access less rigorous screening at 200 airports, but it has nothing to do with immigration or customs. Global Entry member ship gives you complimentary TSA Pre-Check membership. So the extra $15 dollars for Global Entry is a bargain over Pre-Check, if you travel more than once outside the US every five years. However, many credit cards and travel groups will reimburse your TSA Pre-check fee (not so for Global Entry).

Clear is a private. bio-metric program done in conjunction with airline security. It is available in over 20 airports (and some stadiums) and costs $179 annually. Once you give Clear your fingerprints and retinal scan, they store it. At the airport, the first TSA check you face is for your ID and boarding pass. With Clear, you go straight to the Clear station, which lets you skip the long lines that form for the boarding pass/ID check, although you still go through the TSA physical inspection. Given the cost, Clear is mainly for seasoned road warriors who also use either Pre-Check or Global Entry.

There are a host of other CBP Trusted Traveler Programs which cover driving or walking across the border. I won’t cover them here, but just say that if you routinely drive across the US border with Mexico or Canada, one or more of these programs will get you out of the long lines and into a secure, fast transit: check them out! Sometimes they cross-apply, as Global Entry does with TSA Pre✓®.

What about our Canadian, Mexican, and other foreign friends? Each of the programs above have different criteria for eligibility of non-US citizens. However, Global Entry benefits are available to Canadians who have NEXUS (another program) and Mexicans are eligible for Global Entry, along with Indian, UK, German, Dutch, Korean, Swiss, Panamanian, Singaporean, Colombian and Argentine nationals. Expats in Mexico should also know that Mexico has a Global Entry equivalent program called Viajero Confiable. I can’t tell if there is a cost associated with application, and the kiosks are only available at Cancun, Mexico City, and Los Cabos (Guadalajara has had a “coming soon” banner for two years, so mañana!).

Finally (yes there is an end here somewhere), whatever program you choose, remember that crossing the border at an airport may seem routine to you, but it is a deadly serious affair. All kinds of people try to use international air travel for all the wrong reasons (terror, drug-trafficking, human trafficking, illegal immigration). So treat the exercise with an adult, business-like demeanor. Security lines are not an appropriate place for humor. Long before 9/11, I tried to make a joke about a security sign saying it was illegal to bring marijuana into the US, and I barely avoided a body-cavity search!

Smile but don’t initiate small talk. Answer questions with yes or no or the minimum number of facts: no “in the beginning” type stories. This may seem obvious, but never lie or dissemble. You may have a right to enter the US, but under current law, the CBP officers have the authority to detain you for questioning (sorry about that connecting flight) and to search everything you bring, including your media devices, even your beloved iphone (yes, they can ask you for your password; if you refuse they can retain your device for “processing” for several days)!

The most common problems for travelers are bringing in prohibited goods, or goods beyond the customs limits (hence taxable). Duty-free shops at the airport just mean nontaxable at the source: Absinthe may be legal in the US, but only certain types may be brought in legally. That fruit they give you on the airplane is considered from a foreign source; don’t forget to consume it before leaving the plane. And you can bring in Cuban cigars for personal use (defined as 50 or less). Forget about ivory souvenirs, animal skins, and almost any form of meat. There is an up-to-date CBP website to help you determine what you can bring in legally.

Which is not to say you don’t know someone (not not you, a friend, of course) who has brought in a turtle, or cannabis brownies, or whatever prohibited item. Most of the customs work is aimed at detecting smugglers, not the otherwise law-abiding travelers who happen to bring in something. Such people rarely get caught. But they do incur a risk: the closest thing to a permanent record anyone has is the file kept by the various Department of Homeland Security agencies (TSA, ICE, CBP, USCG, USSS, CIS and CISA). Get on the list and it may take years to get back off (if you know anyone whose name appeared on the No-fly list, ask them how long the nightmare lasted, even if they were quite obviously not a threat). Much of airport and customs security is random (which is why the old lady in the wheelchair gets searched…her number came up). You never know who’s next. So even though you won’t get caught, just don’t (do it).

Lastly, a processional from Jimi. Why Jimi? “goin’ way down south…way down to Mexico!”