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GLOBAL ENTRY WHAT IT IS: Run by DHS’s Customs and Border Protection (CPB) agency, the Global Entry program allows approved American travelers faster clearance through customs when they

re-enter the U.S. by air or land.  Members pay $100 for five years, but that includes enrollment in TSA PreCheck, which alone will cost you $85. If you're a Global Entry member arriving

back in the U.S. after international travel, you present your passport and scan your fingerprints at a kiosk. That's it: Head to baggage claim. You may sometimes be selected to go

through a more thorough screening. You can take advantage of your Global Entry status at all major U.S. airports, and at 13 "preclearance airports" abroad, which means that you can

get screened before you depart from those airports, instead of when you arrive in the U.S. There's no minimum age to join, but anyone under the age of 18 needs to have a parent or

guardian's approval; the parent/guardian doesn't need to be a member.  Note that DHS also has two other Trusted Traveler programs that may be useful if you often visit our

neighbors to the north and south: NEXUS expedites the screening process for members crossing by land or air between the U.S. and Canada ($50 for five years), and SENTRI speeds the process

for members traveling between the U.S. and Mexico ($122.50 for five years). HOW TO ENROLL: Go to the CPB website and create an account, then fill out a Trusted Traveler application and pay

the $100 fee. Your status will be “pending review.” If you’re lucky you’ll receive an email notifying you of “conditional approval” in a few weeks — but a CPB spokesperson says “it could

take two weeks or it could potentially take longer,” so it’s smart to apply well before you plan to travel. Once approved you can go back online to schedule an interview at one of the more

than 100 enrollment centers around the country (you need to do so within 120 days of receiving conditional approval). Most people are told immediately after the half-hour or shorter

interview that they’ve been approved, and given a Trusted Traveler Number.  You’ll later receive a Trusted Traveler card in the mail, though you won’t need to show it at Global Entry airport

kiosks. BOTTOM LINE: Because it includes PreCheck, Global Entry is an obvious option for anyone who takes even just a few international trips within the five years of membership. Getting

Global Entry with CLEAR will make the screening process as fast as it can be on both ends of your trip — passing through security before your flight to another country and through customs

when you return.  Beware of Fake Trusted Traveler Programs