April 24, 2009

U.S. & Netherlands Launch Joint Air Travel Initiative

Applicants accepted into a new joint effort between the U.S. and the Netherlands to streamline the process of border entry will enjoy faster, more convenient processing, according to the Department of Homeland Security in its April 23rd press release.

The partnership is based on an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Netherlands Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Through this initiative, U.S. citizens who frequently travel to the Netherlands may be accepted into the country’s stream-lined travel program. The program, called Privium, aims to provide members smooth border passage at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol through submission to an iris scan. The U.S. program, called Global Entry, permits members to complete their border entry processing at special designated kiosks at international airports in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston. Applicants to both programs must pass rigorous background checks to gain membership.