As the U.S. government shutdown stretches into its sixth week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has suspended the operation of its Trusted Traveller accelerated-arrival lanes at major airports. The closure, confirmed on 28 February 2026, affects Global Entry, Mobile Passport and APC kiosks, forcing all foreign passengers—including the roughly 1 000 Brazilians who use the fast-track programmes daily—into regular immigration lines.
Brazil’s embassy in Washington reported that average clearance times for Brazilian passport holders at Miami, Orlando and Houston now exceed 90 minutes, up from the usual 20-30 minutes. Airlines have begun advising passengers to allow extra connection times, and corporate travel managers are revising duty-of-care guidance for itineraries that include same-day onward flights.
![Shutdown of U.S. Accelerated Entry System Creates Long Queues for Brazilian Travellers]()
For travellers needing to review visa status, renew documents or explore alternative entry strategies, VisaHQ can step in with streamlined online processing and expert guidance tailored to Brazilian citizens. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date entry requirement alerts and assistance securing U.S. and other international visas—support that can prove invaluable while Trusted Traveller services remain offline.
The shutdown-related suspension does not revoke Global Entry memberships, but enrolment centres are closed and renewal interviews postponed. CBP says it will automatically extend application deadlines once funding is restored, yet the backlog is expected to swell by at least 250 000 cases.
From a mobility-programme perspective, employers should alert travelling staff, budget additional layover time, and consider alternate ports of entry with lighter traffic (e.g., Dallas/Fort Worth or Chicago). Immigration counsel also recommend that Brazilians carrying ESTA-waiver passports of a second nationality keep both documents handy to avoid secondary inspection delays.
Brazil’s embassy in Washington reported that average clearance times for Brazilian passport holders at Miami, Orlando and Houston now exceed 90 minutes, up from the usual 20-30 minutes. Airlines have begun advising passengers to allow extra connection times, and corporate travel managers are revising duty-of-care guidance for itineraries that include same-day onward flights.
For travellers needing to review visa status, renew documents or explore alternative entry strategies, VisaHQ can step in with streamlined online processing and expert guidance tailored to Brazilian citizens. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date entry requirement alerts and assistance securing U.S. and other international visas—support that can prove invaluable while Trusted Traveller services remain offline.
The shutdown-related suspension does not revoke Global Entry memberships, but enrolment centres are closed and renewal interviews postponed. CBP says it will automatically extend application deadlines once funding is restored, yet the backlog is expected to swell by at least 250 000 cases.
From a mobility-programme perspective, employers should alert travelling staff, budget additional layover time, and consider alternate ports of entry with lighter traffic (e.g., Dallas/Fort Worth or Chicago). Immigration counsel also recommend that Brazilians carrying ESTA-waiver passports of a second nationality keep both documents handy to avoid secondary inspection delays.
