As summer travel surges, summer holiday weekends loom, and major international events like the FIFA Club World Cup draw millions to US shores, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) just announced a high-tech upgrade to keep airport entry lines moving. But you’ll need to have Global Entry to benefit. For those who do, the expansion of “Seamless Border Entry” at a few major airports around the country will make the process of returning to the States after international travel faster than ever.
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These Are the 7 Airports Where Global Entry Is Now the Fastest
What is Seamless Border Entry?
For those with Global Entry, gone are the days of waiting in a long line, stopping at a kiosk, placing your hand on a scanner, and waiting for an officer to tell you to proceed. In fact, you don’t even have to stay at a blue terminal to take a photo and grab a slip of paper. Seamless Border Entry uses “On the Move” technology, meaning Global Entry members can breeze through inspection without even slowing down. Cameras and sensors embedded in the walkway scan passengers’ faces and biometric data as they walk, verifying their identities and usually clearing them for entry without any type of CBP officer interaction. According to CBP, the approach not only speeds up the process, but allows “officers to focus on higher-risk travelers, which aligns with CBP’s national security mission.”
Before this new program, the fastest option for Global Entry travelers was “Simplified Arrival:” the blue kiosks at which they’d have to stop for inspection photos. That system was introduced en masse in 2023.
Seamless Entry Airports
If you’re hoping to make a tight connection or return to the US in a hurry, these are the seven airports you’ll want to consider using:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) (Houston)
- You can also use Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) (Preclearance)
- Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is currently in the process of updating
What airports are coming next?
CBP hasn’t announced the next cities, but there are a few hints on what cities may be the most useful. CBP has already begun introducing programs like “Enhanced Passenger Processing” and biometric upgrades at airports like Orlando International (MCO), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Denver International (DEN), Charlotte Douglas (CLT), and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA). And since the Seamless Border Entry announcement included a mention of 2025 FIFA Club World Cup being a motivating factor, it’s possible the organization may prioritize cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, like Boston, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
However, the most basic way to guess what airports may come next just comes down to numbers. Airports with high international volume and large crowds, including Denver, Atlanta, and Houston, are logical next picks for SBE expansion. 