Travel to Australia

Travel to Australia
I love to travel and this blog is usually about Costa Rica travel, BUT, I have lived and worked in Australia before so I found this relevant to world travelers and I thought I'd share it with you.

Visiting Australia is now easier than ever for U.S. Trusted Travelers. Late last year, Australian Customs and Border Protection opened up access to its automated border processing system, SmartGate, to U.S. Trusted Travelers. Now when you arrive in Australia, you can bypass the passport processing queues and self-process using an ePassport¹.
How does it work?
SmartGate uses facial recognition technology and biometric data to perform the customs and immigration checks usually conducted by an Australian Customs and Border Protection officer. You can still choose to talk to an Australian Customs and Border Protection officer if you prefer, but as long as you have a U.S. ePassport¹, you have the option to use SmartGate.
Can I use SmartGate?
You can use SmartGate provided you are:
flying into Australia;
16 years or older; and
traveling on a valid U.S. ePassport¹.
There is no additional enrollment process to participate in SmartGate and it is open to all U.S. citizen Trusted Traveler members enrolled in the Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI programs.
Tips on using SmartGate in Australia
Australian Customs and Border Protection has produced a new fact sheet to help US Trusted Travelers use SmartGate with confidence.The fact sheet is available at: http://www.globalentry.gov/pdfs/FAQs_for_US_Trusted_Travelers.pdf.
Australian Customs and Border Protection would like to hear from you
Have you tried SmartGate in Australia? Australian Customs and Border Protection would like to hear about your experience. Please email your comments, suggestions or any questions about SmartGate toinformation@customs.gov.au.
For more information on using SmartGate in Australia, visit www.customs.gov.au/smartgate or www.globalentry.gov.
¹ For more information on ePassports, please visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_2498.html

1) The U.S. Electronic Passport (e-passport) is the same as a regular passport with the addition of a small contactless integrated circuit (computer chip) embedded in the back cover. The chip securely stores the same data visually displayed on the photo page of the passport, and additionally includes a digital photograph. The inclusion of the digital photograph enables biometric comparison, through the use of facial recognition technology, at international borders. The U.S. e-passport also has a new look, incorporating additional anti-fraud and security features.
Since August 2007, the U.S. has been issuing only e-passports.

Passports without chips will still be valid for the full extent of their validity period.
Electronic Passport Frequently Asked Questions
This page will be updated as more information becomes available.