Travel to the US will become easier from next year for hundreds of thousands of Aussies who visit the country regularly.

The Albanese government confirmed Australia would join the US’ Global Entry program from 2025, with eligible Australians to benefit from streamlined and expediated immigration and customs clearance channels on their arrival there.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, addressed how significant this change to ties between the two countries would mean going forward.

”Joining the Global Entry program is a mark of the closeness and the strength of the relationship between our two countries,” she said.

“This program will deepen these links and make it easier to foster greater commercial ties.”

The program will initially be available from January to a limited number of Aussies who travel most frequently to the US, with work underway to open up the program to all eligible Australians who wish to apply later in 2025.

Today’s news means they will automatically be eligible to participate in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check program, allowing for expedited screening processes for US domestic flights.

A new information sharing arrangement with the US will be signed today, with the Australian Federal Government calling it “a significant step towards implementation of the Global Entry program’.

“We’re working hard to ensure that from January 2025, the first group of eligible Australians will experience expedited immigration and customs clearance channels when they arrive in the US,” Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke said.