Traveling abroad is exciting, but it can also be tiring. After a long flight coping with time zone changes, experiencing long lines upon entry can be extremely taxing. In these scenarios, the best experience a user can have is a seamless and unobtrusive one. This frictionless experience describes the future state vision for Global Entry.
Global Entry is one of the Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Traveler Programs (TTPs), upholding U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) mission of national security while offering over 14 million travelers expedited clearance upon arrival to the United States after an international flight. Global Entry applicants undergo comprehensive background checks, must complete an interview and if deemed eligible, become members. These trusted travelers are then able to bypass the general primary processing line and experience a more streamlined processing using enhanced technology. Travelers have the option of using the GE mobile app or a portal in the arrival areas. A member interviewed in late 2023 said “I feel like a VIP knowing I have Global Entry. I don’t have to wait in those crazy lines.”
CPBX's Approach
In fiscal year 2024, CBP Experience (CBPX) focused on reimagining Global Entry to offer a more optimized, user-centric, and seamless experience to travelers and the officers who facilitate the program. CBPX's human-centered approach included engaging with Global Entry members, CBP Officers, and Global Entry stakeholders from start to finish, including:
- Interviewing 9 travelers and 13 CBP officers and stakeholders to understand their experiences, pains, needs, and wants for Global Entry.
- Co-creating a current state service blueprint of the Global Entry program with CBP stakeholders.
- Holding an in-person workshop with CBP leadership, officers, and various stakeholders that generated 119 opportunities, focusing on the following future state improvement areas:
- Reduce Administrative Burden
- Return Time to Mission
- Avoid Costs
- Increase National Security & Integrity
- Increase Communications & Transparency
- Modernize Technology
Humanizing the Traveling Experience
By applying human-centered design principles, CBPX identified that travelers are relieved to have an expedited processing experience when they use their benefits after an international flight. However, there are various opportunities to further improve the experience for travelers and officers across the program’s core processes of enrollment, re-entry, and renewal.
Increased visibility into application status and steps to reduce the interview and vetting queue can lessen stakeholder anxiety and leave them feeling confident throughout the enrollment process. Efforts to align the pace of human interaction with the time it takes travelers to be cleared using the Global Entry portals and mobile app can reduce burden on officers and keep time savings consistent throughout the re-entry process. Optimizing the Global Entry mobile app with the inclusion of multi-functional features (e.g., port navigation, smart queuing, etc.) and real-time, relevant information during re-entry would increase its value and enable a method to continue to discover traveler needs.
These current state insights informed an in-depth understanding of stakeholder needs, guiding the co-creation and design of the future state for the Global Entry program.
Global Entry’s Future State
Using the current state research, CBPX created a visual journey map of travelers’ and CBP officers’ end-to-end experience as they interact with products and services in Global Entry’s core processes. The Global Entry user journey map captures the experiences of users, helping to pinpoint opportunities for improvement and measuring the program's impact. The creation of a journey map provides valuable insights by illuminating the user experience, fostering empathy, and informing the creation of user-centered solutions that align with stakeholder goals.
Innovations and Improvements
Global Entry’s future state leverages modern technology, process standardization, and increased communication to strengthen CBP’s mission and reduce the administrative and time burden placed on stakeholders. The program improvement goals listed below promote program expansion, encourage continuous innovation, and streamline the program’s core processes for stakeholders.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: Process automation and optimization decreases the administrative and cognitive burden on CBP personnel and travelers.
- Returned Time to Mission: Fewer administrative tasks free up CBP officers to focus on high-risk travelers and lessens time requirements of travelers.
- Cost Avoidance: Reduced and streamlined administrative work enables CBP to reprioritize funds that would be spent on resolving inquiries and processing applications.
- Increased National Security & Integrity: Enabling the expansion of the Global Entry program captures data from more applicants – both high and low risk.
- Increased Communication & Transparency: Targeted improvements to communicating the process, expectations, and progress to trusted travelers demonstrates CBP’s commitment to facilitating a supportive and trustworthy program.
- Modernized Technology: A simplified, streamlined process with enhanced technology makes compliance easier for participants in the process and reduces administrative burden.
Looking Ahead
To realize the future state vision for the Global Entry program, CBPX will continue collaborating with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive roadmap and implementation plan that outlines the steps necessary to achieve the innovations and improvements defined in the future state journey map.
For more information about Global Entry, visit https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry or, head over to https://ttp.dhs.gov/ to start your Global Entry application and join over 13 million members in enjoying a more streamlined and frictionless experience.