MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilians eligible to enter US through speedier process

Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Barack Obama took the first steps in that direction

Brazil's Foreign Ministry Monday announced citizens from that South American countries have become eligible to enter the United States through a speedier admissions program.

Only nationals of 11 countries are currently allowed to go through the GE (Global Entry) program to avoid long queues at selected US airports.

Travelers must be approved previously by the Customs and Border Protection Authority, after paying the application fee and completing the registration and pre-assessment process. Those greenlighted will be able to go through unmanned kiosks and avoid immigration lines, it was explained.

According to Brazil's Foreign Ministry, the initiative will foster business contacts, cooperative interaction, and tourism. Brazil's joining the GE was brokered by the Presidency of the Republic, with assistance from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Security, and Economy, in addition to the country's Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Police.

The new status for Brazilian passport holders is an old demand from companies and people on both sides of the border. In 2015, then-Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Barack Obama took the first steps in that direction. In November 2019, under President Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian Government announced it would finally start the testing phase and in March 2020, a decree was issued outlining the first rules for Brazil to join the program. Applicants to the GE need to pay the non-refundable US $ 100 fee. In no way does the new measure change the requirement or the rules for granting a visa.

US authorities will rely on the traveler's application statements to make an assessment on whether to grant the “Global Entry” speedy admission to a particular individual.