Australia extends SmartGate to US Global Entry members

On November 1, 2012, CBP and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBP) announced  that US Global Entry members will be able to use Australia’s automated border processing system, SmartGate, on a trial basis.  SmartGate performs the customs and immigration checks usually conducted by an ACBP officer. It uses state-of-the-art biometric face recognition and ePassport technology to securely and efficiently process passengers. Using SmartGate to self-process may be faster than waiting for an ACBP US citizens that are a members of CBP’s Global Entry are eligible to use SmartGate upon arrival in Australia if they travel on a valid US ePassport and are 16 years of age or older. Travelers must meet both criteria to be eligible to use SmartGate. Additionally, US travelers receiving Global Entry benefits through their NEXUS or SENTRI membership may also participate in this pilot provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

There is no additional enrollment process to participate in SmartGate. CBP has partnered with the Australian Government on this initiative to facilitate the entry of US citizens into Australia. By using SmartGate, eligible travelers are able to bypass Australia’s manual passport control processing queues and self-process using their ePassport.  The announcement points out that at no point is this program an entitlement. Passengers are always subject to screening measures.
particularly during busy travel periods.