Australians are now able to travel to the US faster and easier

Australians will be able to travel to the United States faster and easier thanks to a new membership program available to eligible citizens.

Despite growing tariff and trade tensions with one of our closest allies, Australia has been accepted as one of 19 global entry partners with the US.

Australians can apply for the voluntary global entry membership, meaning that travellers are allowed expedited customs and immigration processing upon arrival.

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They are also eligible for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pre-checks.

"This means shorter queues for Australian business travellers so they can spend their time working and building business links rather than waiting in line," Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement today.

The program is available for applicants who have been pre-vetted and deemed low-risk by both Australian and US authorities.

Memberships last for five years subject to annual background checks.

A limited amount of Australians were able to apply for the global entry program from January under phase one, which is now closed.

New legislation passed by the federal government has expanded the program to all Australians with phase two to begin from July.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the expansion was a "testament to the closeness and friendship between our people" just weeks after the US refused to exempt Australia from harmful tariffs on steel and aluminium.

She attributed Australia's entry into the program to efforts by Australia's Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd.

"This will make travel easier for eligible Australians and will continue to grow the strong commercial ties between Australia and the United States," she said.

US Customs and Border Protection senior official Pete Flores welcomed the decision.

"With over one million travellers entering the United States each day, this agreement reflects our shared commitment to safe and efficient travel for both of our countries," he said.

Other Global Entry partner countries include Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Japan, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

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