The US Department of Homeland Security reinstated the Global Entry programme at five o’clock Eastern Time on 11 March 2026 after a suspension that started on 22 February during the partial federal government shutdown.
Travellers with membership experienced longer immigration waits at airports such as New York-JFK, Miami, Los Angeles, and Atlanta during the pause, with some queues exceeding three hours.
More than eighteen million travellers used Global Entry in 2025, which saved over three hundred thousand officer hours at seventy-nine US ports of entry.
The programme allows pre-approved travellers to use automated kiosks or biometric verification for faster passport control. The reinstatement applies to participating airports nationwide while the shutdown continues to affect other operations.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed reinstatement of Global Entry on 11 March 2026.
Suspension began on 22 February 2026 to preserve funds and personnel causing travellers extended immigration queues at major US gateways. The programme usage reached over eighteen million in 2025. Kiosks and biometric lanes now operate at participating ports of entry. Geoff Freeman shared “We welcome the decision to resume Global Entry”
