The Eye on Taiwan NEWS Staff – Taiwan will officially join the US Global Entry program beginning November 1, officials said Thursday.

The move will allow Taiwanese visitors to enjoy speedy entry to the United States, skipping the traditional US Customs and Border Protection inspection lines through the use of an automated kiosk to complete their admission to the United States instead, they noted.

According to the American Institute in Taiwan – which represents the US interests in the absence of formal ties, Taiwan and the United States will sign an agreement to formally allow holders of Taiwanese passports to have faster access during their entry to the United States.

At a ceremony on Thursday at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport, senior representatives from the United States and Taiwan, jointly announced the November 1 eligibility expansion of U.S. and Taiwan trusted traveler programs – the U.S. Global Entry program and the Taiwan e‑Gate program.

Taiwan passport holders will be eligible to join Global Entry, and U.S. citizens enrolled in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler Program will be eligible to join e-Gate, administered by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency, the AIT said in a press statement.

Global Entry and e-Gate allow expedited immigration and customs processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.

On November 1, the 5th anniversary of the Visa Waiver Program in Taiwan, Taiwan will join a select group, becoming the 12th partner worldwide and 3rd in East Asia, whose passport holders are eligible to enroll in Global Entry, AIT said.

At the same time, U.S. citizens enrolled in a CBP Trusted Traveler Program will become the first non-residents to be eligible for Taiwan’s e-Gate, it added.

The United States and Taiwan share a strong foundation of people-to-people ties.  Since the announcement of Taiwan’s participation in the Visa Waiver Program in 2012, overall travel from Taiwan to the United States has increased by almost 60 percent.

More Americans are traveling to Taiwan as well; the United States now ranks as the 5th highest source of tourists to Taiwan, the only country in the top ten outside of Asia.

Over the years, AIT and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, which represents Taiwanese interests, have cooperated to encourage more travel and interaction between the United States and Taiwan, and today’s announcement is the latest reflection of these efforts.

AIT Director Kin Moy said in Thursday’s ceremony that the number of travelers to the United States from Taiwan has increased by almost 60% since Visa Waiver was introduced.

Travelers from Taiwan have proven over these past five years that, in addition to significantly contributing to the various local economies in the United States through travel and trade, they continue to be among the most trustworthy visitors as well, he noted.

“With the introduction of Global Entry, we look forward to welcoming more Taiwan friends to the United States.  The United States is honored to be the first country to benefit from full membership in the e-Gate Program.  I am happy and proud to be here for this historic display of reciprocal trust.  These partnerships are further indications of the strength of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship,”   he stressed.

Currently available at 54 U.S. airports and 15 Preclearance locations around the world, Global Entry streamlines the international arrivals process at airports for trusted travelers. More than 4.7 million Global Entry members bypass traditional CBP inspection lines and use an automated kiosk to complete their admission to the United States. As an added benefit, Global Entry members are also eligible to participate in the TSA Pre✓™ expedited screening program, AIT said.

E-Gate is an automated border control system available to registered travelers to expedite entry into Taiwan. U.S. citizens who are members of a CBP Trusted Traveler Program (Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI) are eligible to register for e-Gate.

To enroll, U.S. citizen Trusted Travelers are required to present a valid passport and have their photo and index fingerprints taken by the Taiwan National Immigration Agency at an enrollment counter in Taiwan. The application fee for e-Gate is NT$3,000 (approximately US$100), AIT said.

U.S. citizens, U.S nationals and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents may apply for Global Entry as well as passport holders from Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and now Taiwan. Canadian citizens and residents enrolled in NEXUS may also use the Global Entry kiosks, it said.

Interested travelers apply through the Trusted Traveler Programs website. The non-refundable application fee for a five-year Global Entry membership is US$100 and applications must be submitted online. Once the applicant successfully passes a background check, a CBP officer will conduct an interview with the applicant at one of the more than 100 Global Entry Enrollment Centers located throughout the U.S., Canada, and Qatar, or at an Enrollment on Arrival location and then make a final eligibility determination.

While the goal of Global Entry is to speed travelers through the process, members may be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and may result in the revocation of the traveler’s membership privileges, AIT noted.

Visit CBP’s Global Entry website for more information on the Global Entry Program and Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency website for more information on e-Gate.

美國和台灣的高層代表26日根據美國在台協會（AIT）與駐美國台北經濟文化代表處（TECRO）即將簽署的協定，在桃園國際機場舉行典禮，宣布自11月1日起擴大實施美台旅客信任計劃 ，雙邊旅客將可互惠使用美國全球入境計劃及台灣自動查驗通關系統。持用台灣護照的旅客將可申請加入美國的全球入境計劃，已加入美國海關及邊境保護局旅客信任計劃之美國公民亦可申請加入由台灣移民署管理的自動查驗通關系統。全球入境計劃及自動查驗通關系統讓預先通過申請及低風險的旅客能夠快速通關。11月1日為台灣加入美國免簽證計劃五周年，當天台灣也將成為全球第12個及東亞第三個美國全球入境計劃夥伴，只要是台灣護照持有人即符合申請加入全球入境計劃的資格。同時，已加入美國海關及邊境保護局旅客信任計劃之美國公民，將成為第一個適用台灣自動查驗通關的非台灣居民使用者。

美台雙邊擁有穩固的民間交流基礎。自2012年宣布台灣成為美國免簽證計劃成員以來，台灣旅客訪美人數增加了將近百分之六十，並且有更多的美國人造訪台灣。如今美國已是來台旅客人數排名第五高的國家，也是台灣前十大旅客來源中，唯一一個亞洲地區以外的國家。在過去幾年中，美國在台協會與駐美國台北經濟文化代表處共同合作，鼓勵美台之間更多的旅遊及互動，今日這項計劃的宣布是雙方努力成果的展現。

今天在桃園國際機場舉行的儀式中，美國在台協會處長梅健華表示：「過去五年來，台灣造訪美國的人數成長了將近百分之六十，台灣的旅客不僅透過旅遊和貿易，貢獻美國各地的經濟，更證明了他們是最值得信賴的旅客。現在開辦全球入境計劃，相信將鼓勵更多的台灣朋友造訪美國。美國公民現在也可以率先全面使用台灣的自動查驗通關系統入境，讓我們備感光榮。今天我們在這裡，見證美台雙方展現對彼此的信賴，特別令人高興和驕傲，這是美台關係紮實緊密的明證。」

目前在全美54個機場及全球15個預先審查的地點可使用全球入境計劃，此計劃可讓已事先申請審查的國際旅客抵達美國時的通關流程更為流暢。超過470萬的全球入境計劃會員可使用自動查驗機完成入境程序，無需排隊使用海關及邊境保護局的傳統人工查驗櫃檯。除了這個好處之外，全球入境計劃會員亦符合參加運輸安全管理局（TSA）快速預檢計劃的資格。

台灣的自動查驗通關是一個自動化的邊境控管系統，利於已申請的旅客加速入關。已註冊成為美國海關及邊境保護局旅客信任計劃會員之美國公民（例如：全球入境計劃、NEXUS或SENTRI）均符合申請使用自動查驗通關系統的資格。已加入旅客信任計劃之美國公民在申請自動查驗通關時必須出示有效護照，申請櫃檯的台灣移民署官員會當場拍照並採集食指指紋，申請費為新台幣3000元（約100美元）。

美國公民、美國國民以及美國合法永久居民均可申辦全球入境計劃。其他符合申辦資格的護照持有人包括：阿根廷、哥倫比亞、德國、印度、墨西哥、荷蘭、巴拿馬、南韓、新加坡、瑞士、英國，以及最新加入的台灣。加入NEXUS計劃的加拿大公民及居民亦可使用全球入境計畫的自動查驗機。

有興趣加入全球入境計劃的旅客可透過Trusted Traveler Programs website申請。申請費為100美元，不可退費，必須線上繳交，效期為五年。申請人一旦通過身份背景調查，海關及邊境保護局的官員將會與您面談，面談會在位於美國、加拿大及卡達的100個全球入境計劃申辦中心或落地申請處進行，面談時會做最後的資格審核。

全球入境計劃的目的是加速旅客通關流程，會員還是有可能在入境美國時被挑選出來做更進一步的查驗。任何違反計劃規定的行為會導致裁罰並取消會員享有的權利。

請上海關及邊境保護局網站Global Entry 網頁，了解更多有關全球入境計劃的詳情，以及台灣移民署的網站查詢自動查驗通關的相關訊息。