Indians will no longer have to stand in queues at US airports, know the new system

Indians are now going to get a big facility at American airports under which they will get relief from long queues. According to the report, a select category of pre-approved Indians like Digiyatra for domestic travelers will now be able to access international arrivals at US airports through automated kiosks. Will be able to bypass long queues and interviews at immigration counters.

The Global Entry Program as part of the US Customs and Border Protection initiative allows pre-approved ‘low-risk travelers’ from India to receive expedited clearance on arrival through automated kiosks at these international airports. Sources said that 24,000 applications initiated a few years ago have been processed. Many of these are family members of top bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen while many are regular visitors to the US.

However, this Digiyatra is also something different. In Digiyatra where you need Aadhaar verification to avoid personal check from CISF. A pre-approved applicant will need to obtain advance clearance from at least 11 Indian intelligence and enforcement agencies to pass through automated kiosks at US airports.

To get this facility, the applicant has to apply online on the official website of US Customs and Border Protection after paying a fee of $100 and the application will be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs in India. The External Affairs Ministry then forwards each application to the Home and Finance Ministries for clearance from at least a dozen intelligence and enforcement agencies.

Agencies that require approval include the Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, National Investigation Agency, Security and Exchange Board of India, Directorate General of GST Intelligence, Serious Fraud Investigation Office, Income Tax, CBI and Narcotics Control Bureau. Input is also sought from the Ministry of Home Affairs and its intelligence agencies.

According to the annual report of the Finance Ministry’s Department of Expenditure, at least 6,073 applications seeking approval for this arrangement were processed in 2022-23 alone. Several meetings have already been held with law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of External Affairs to reduce the pendency. To facilitate the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs participating in this process, the Ministry of External Affairs has created a platform where it uploads all applications received from US Customs for security clearance.