If you’re like most people, the thought of dealing with customs and immigration at the airport can be stressful—but it doesn’t have to be as dreadful as it’s often made out to be. The next time you travel abroad and need to fly back into the U.S., here’s how to get through immigration more seamlessly.
What to do before you book
Before you book your flight, consider schedules and loads. Being on an emptier flight and flying during less busy days of the week or times of the day can help save time at customs and immigration. A tool like ExpertFlyer (for $99.99 per year for an annual premium subscription, or $4.99 per month for a basic subscription) can help you look up schedules and flight loads (and it offers a bunch of other tools).
Check for fast-track programs
Some airports offer fast-track programs that you can either access based on status or the class of service you’re flying. There may be cases where you can pay an access fee for the fast-track service. The best way to find out if these services exist is to Google the airport name + fast-track immigration.
Sit near the front of the plane (and hustle)
If your flight is full and you’re landing at a busy time of day, plan to sit up front and hustle after you get off the plane. The more people you can get in front of on your way to immigration, the fewer you’ll have to wait in line behind. Save that trip to the bathroom for while you’re waiting for your bags at baggage claim or after clearing customs.
Sign up for Global Entry or NEXUS
These programs will allow you to speed through customs and immigration with little to no wait. Instead of waiting in line to talk to a border agent, you’ll be able to go to the Global Entry kiosk (even if you have NEXUS). You’ll confirm some information on the screen, you might get a print out (depending on the exact type of machine you’re using), and then you can breeze through customs and immigration. Quite a few credit cards will reimburse your $100 Global Entry application fee, and there are even a few that will reimburse the $50 NEXUS application fee.
Get the Mobile Passport app (on Android, iOS)
Even if you have Global Entry or NEXUS, you should still download the Mobile Passport app. This app will allow you to fill out your customs declaration form on your phone before you even get to the airport. If you don’t have Global Entry, it’s your best bet for getting through customs and immigration faster. But even with Global Entry, it gives you another option if Global Entry is backed up. However, keep in mind that after you’ve filled out Mobile Passport, you should use this method to enter the country.