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Post by livinginmedellin on Jul 26, 2016 22:09:49 GMT -5
Colombians will soon be able to avoid the long, tedious security lines most foreigners encounter when entering the United States. Beginning tomorrow, any Colombian citizen can apply for the country’s Global Entry program that allows pre-approved visitors to quickly clear customs by using automated kiosks in most U.S. airports rather than slogging through checkpoints maintained by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Colombia is joining a select group of countries with access to Global Entry, which was previously only open to applicants from Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Canadians get benefits with a similar arrangement given an extensive border with the U.S. and can use the self-service kiosks within U.S immigration areas to scan their passports. “This is very good news,” said María Ángela Holguín, Colombia’s foreign affairs minister. She has been pushing to ease travel restrictions imposed by the United States throughout her term in office and, according to the government, kickstarted the process for Colombia joining Global Entry during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in February 2014. Now, with this hurdle cleared, officials can turn their attention to encouraging Washington to remove the need for Colombians to apply for a visa before traveling to the United States. Last December, most countries in Europe waived visa requirements for Colombians, and Kerry has previously offered his support for the United States doing the same. “We would very much like to be able to grant a visa waiver [to Colombians],” said Kerry in 2014. “It’s not a question of a lack of will, it’s that we have a law passed by the Congress of the United States, which we have to follow, which sets up certain criteria that have to be met in order to implement a visa waiver program.” While the Global Entry program is open to any valid visa holders without a criminal record, pending charges, or customs violations, it is designed for frequent travelers to the United States. The application, which can be filled out through the U.S. Customs website and may take up to 30 days to process, includes a nonrefundable $100 fee and requires an in-person interview in a U.S. airport. Though the approval lasts for five years, those who rarely visit the United States may find that time saved waiting in lines is not worth the burden or cost of the application process. In addition to 44 entry points within the 50 U.S. states, Global Entry kiosks are available in airports in Abu Dhabi, Aruba, Bahamas, Canada (in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg), Guam, Ireland (Dublin and Shannon), Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. See: thecitypaperbogota.com/news/colombia-global-entry-airport-security/13870
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Post by suba on Jul 26, 2016 22:48:31 GMT -5
What could possibly go wrong? Colombians are amongst the most law abiding, the most honest citizens in the world.......nurse...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 23:16:14 GMT -5
I wish I could be eligible, but as a French citizen, I am not. In Europe, only UK and Germany citizens are eligible to Global Entry. I had so many bad experiences with huge lines at Migration in US airports. Included a missed connection because of a 1:45hr long queue @ Washington Dulles. JFK is not bad either when it comes to everlasting lines.
I am getting a new job here in Colombia that will require quite frequent flights to the US. I guess I will just have to be patient...
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Post by suba on Jul 26, 2016 23:24:22 GMT -5
Germans will soon be waiting in longer queues than anyone.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 0:27:55 GMT -5
Germans will soon be waiting in longer queues than anyone. If D. Trumps gets to be elected, maybe.
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Post by wildstubby on Jul 27, 2016 5:32:50 GMT -5
@steverusso said: Don't I know that! My last trip was standing in a 6-lane line about a quarter mile long waiting to re-enter the US at Dulles! I looked into the Global Entry program when I saw everyone breezing by the line I was in. I think it is $100 non refundable, (that I do remember!). Then you schedule an appointment at one of the airports that have it for a screening interview. One of the benefits is you get TSA pre-check, which is the original metal detector scanner and X-ray, (plus shorter lines). The permit is only good for 5 years then you have to reapply. Now, I'm not sure if you have to re-interview or pay the $100 for another 5-year permit. I'm going to do it next month. I'll let you know how it goes.
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Post by mudd on Jul 27, 2016 8:33:12 GMT -5
i have it, works well, but sometimes the kiosks dont work properly,
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Post by jafo19d on Jul 27, 2016 11:53:55 GMT -5
Has anyone living in Colombia signed up? I've thought about it but wonder if scheduling the interview is a pain from abroad.
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Post by caliconnection on Jul 27, 2016 12:36:45 GMT -5
I'm a member of the Global Entry program and Nexus. Used it extensively when I used to travel a lot via the US to Colombia and back again. Saved me a lot of time - especially when coming through Miami.
With this announcement, I'm betting it won't be long before Colombians are allowed to enter the US without a visa.
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Post by saltador on Jul 31, 2016 20:56:24 GMT -5
Just remember it won't help you much in my experience if you have checked bags, you might breeze past everyone only to be the first one waiting for your bags.
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Post by wildstubby on Aug 1, 2016 5:53:48 GMT -5
saltador said: First, welcome saltador! Secondly, I got my checked luggage and stood in the multiple-¼ mile line and watched others pick up their checked baggage and walk right up and out via Global Entry. Now the only measuring stick I have is Dulles Airport. But I'm sure it is similar at other international airports that use it also. I thought arriving on a Saturday would be a lack of travelers. As John Pinnette would say, "Nay, nay!!!" The place was flooded with people!
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Post by jabberwocky on Aug 1, 2016 7:05:11 GMT -5
That's the issue flying into FT Lauderdale from Medellin The wait for bags is terrible, if you just have a carryon Then you avoid the issue but if you have a checked bag you are with the rest - waiting and once you have your bag standing in a god awful long line to get out.
I have found that a good strategy is to try and sit as far front in the plane as possible, getting ahead of everyone helps. If you have just a carry on the theory works well, especially at MDE, and sometimes at FLL, just depends how many other flights have recently landed.
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Post by saltador on Aug 1, 2016 7:30:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome wildstubby. I'm only familiar with arriving from Colombia to the Ft. Lauderdale airport, so admittedly my experience might not be like others. But at FTL, it might take anywhere from 30-60 minutes to go through the customs lines before you get the chance to pick up your luggage. And I've never made it through those lines and then found my luggage waiting for me, instead I've always had to wait along with everyone else for my bags to be put on the carousel. Now, after picking up your bags, there is usually another long line of 30-60 minutes to exit the area with your bags. I'm not sure if Global Entry can help you skip this line or not, I don't think so, but I'll check it out on my next trip. If it does, I'll probably join the program.
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Post by saltador on Aug 1, 2016 7:37:34 GMT -5
That's the issue flying into FT Lauderdale from Medellin The wait for bags is terrible, if you just have a carryon Then you avoid the issue but if you have a checked bag you are with the rest - waiting and once you have your bag standing in a god awful long line to get out. I have found that a good strategy is to try and sit as far front in the plane as possible, getting ahead of everyone helps. If you have just a carry on the theory works well, especially at MDE, and sometimes at FLL, just depends how many other flights have recently landed. I use that strategy when arriving at CTG from the USA. I'll pay 18 dollars extra to get a seat close to the front so I don't get stuck in that long line that might take an hour. The problem at CTG is the plane will be 50/50 Colombians and extranjeros, but their arrival system may have 6 employees checking in the Colombians and only 1-2 for extranjeros.
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Post by jabberwocky on Aug 1, 2016 7:59:51 GMT -5
At MDE they have on line for everyone. Flew JetBlue down last week, sat in row 7, was through immigration and had bags in 15 minutes, but the plane was an hour and a gal late - got in at 1am. Returning to Florida on Sunday - JB's flight leaves at 1am from MDE, hopefully we will the first plane into FLL that morning
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 11:30:55 GMT -5
Yes, the good strategy for the last leg of a trip is to get an aisle front seat. Get out as fast as you can to try and be first in line for migration. That's usually the major bottleneck. I don't know FLL airport, maybe they're particularly inefficient for the luggage. But in large airports like JFK IAD or ATL, they are so big luggage actually travel faster than you do. I hate the luggage carousel too. I lived lost luggage situations a few times, and I always get stressed out when my suitcase takes some time to get to the carousel.
Btw I LOVE Bogota migration. It's so fast!! Never had to wait more than 15 minutes, and last time I got through, it was less than 5 minutes. Total time to get out of the airport (from plane stop to taxi line): 25 minutes.
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Post by gallito on Aug 1, 2016 12:05:34 GMT -5
BOG sucks! One migra - line for a planeload from YYZ;then the final insult the 160K entrance tax!
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Post by búfalo on Aug 1, 2016 14:30:46 GMT -5
NYC-FL-ARMENIA
Coming back is a nightmare as SpiritAir only gives 40 minutes connection time.
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Post by jafo19d on Aug 1, 2016 16:04:10 GMT -5
BOG sucks! One migra - line for a planeload from YYZ;then the final insult the 160K entrance tax! Guess it depends on how many flights come in with your's. I fly a lot and most of the times I wait less than 5 minutes. I have however waited about 20 min twice at the most. It doesn't matter though because Avianca takes a long time to get baggage onto the carrousel
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Post by gallito on Aug 1, 2016 16:12:00 GMT -5
Actually it's a whole lot better than the old diggs;just venting my frustration with the head tax otherwise it's OK.
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Post by tubes on Aug 1, 2016 16:51:42 GMT -5
BOG sucks! One migra - line for a planeload from YYZ;then the final insult the 160K entrance tax! Guess it depends on how many flights come in with your's. I fly a lot and most of the times I wait less than 5 minutes. I have however waited about 20 min twice at the most. It doesn't matter though because Avianca takes a long time to get baggage onto the carrousel I don't think that Avianca (or any other airline) can be held responsible for baggage handling. It is the airport authorities who do the movement from the plane to the carousel.
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Post by jafo19d on Aug 1, 2016 18:35:33 GMT -5
Guess it depends on how many flights come in with your's. I fly a lot and most of the times I wait less than 5 minutes. I have however waited about 20 min twice at the most. It doesn't matter though because Avianca takes a long time to get baggage onto the carrousel I don't think that Avianca (or any other airline) can be held responsible for baggage handling. It is the airport authorities who do the movement from the plane to the carousel. You're probably right but it seems like other airlines do it faster.
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