The US Global Entry program just slammed shut and it could cause major issues for Australian travellers.
Global Entry is a US customs program that which offers some Australians a streamlined, expedited clearance through dedicated lanes at immigration.
It functions like a membership program that allows pre-approved, low-risk Aussie travellers to use special kiosks when entering the US to get through customs quickly.
Aussies can apply online, then undergo a background check and interview before being approved for a five-year Global Entry membership.
The non-refundable application fee is $US100.
Aussies travelling to the US still need to satisfy visa entry requirements, such as applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Global Entry members then get to skip processing lines and paperwork when entering the US and wait times at customs can be slashed from up to 90 minutes to just 10 minutes.
But the program, which only recently opened to Aussies, has just been closed.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Sunday (local time) that the Global Entry had been shutdown due to ongoing government chaos.
The US has been in the grips of a partial government shutdown since February 14.
It kicked off when Democrats rejected White House legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s divisive immigration campaigns.
The TSA, which is part of the DHS, said it would have to take “emergency measures to preserve limited funds”.
Now it has announced the Global Entry program will remain offline until the government shutdown ends.
“Shutdowns have serious real world consequences,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.
Airlines for America, a trade group which represents major US carriers, criticised the move which it said was “issued with extremely short notice to travellers, giving them little time to plan accordingly”.
The organisation said it is deeply concerned suspending the Global Entry program is a ploy to use the travelling public “as a political football” amid the government shutdown.
Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security also criticised the shutdown, accusing the Trump administration of “kneecapping the programs that make travel smoother and secure”.
It’s unclear how the Global Entry suspension will affect Australian travellers who have already paid for applications.