When India's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh met with President Obama at the White House on Sept. 27, a little known agreement was included in the official joint statement between the two leaders: A commitment by each country to advance the trusted traveler program known as Global Entry.

Global Entry membership allows approved travelers to avoid long lines at Customs and Immigration by using a quick-pass kiosk at airports. Entry program participants scan their machine-readable passport on the kiosk, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification and make a customs declaration. The kiosk will then issue the traveler a transaction receipt and direct the traveler to baggage claim and exit. Kiosks are located at major U.S. airports and now some international airports.