Are non-US citizens elegible to sign up for TSA-Pre?

As of August 2017 there are a number of ways for foreign citizens of certain countries to access the TSA Pre? program. Unfortunately, the details are a bit muddy.

The TSA's website states the following:

Can foreign citizens participate in TSA Pre?®?

To be eligible to participate in TSA Pre?®, foreign citizens must meet specific citizenship/residency requirements. Before you apply, we recommend that you review the various DHS trusted traveler programs such as the TSA Pre?® Application Program, Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and determine the best program for you.

Global entry provides all the TSA Pre? benefits plus expedited processing in airports upon arrival in the U.S. from abroad. See this comparison table by the DHS.

The U.S. Customs and Border protection's website states the following about membership in the Global Entry program:

Can I join Global Entry if I am not a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident?

Global Entry is also available to citizens of the Netherlands who are enrolled in FLUX and Korean Smart Entry Service members. Citizens of Germany, Panama, and Mexico may also apply for Global Entry. Canadian NEXUS members have Global Entry benefits, but are not eligible to join.

Unhelpfully, a different page gives a different list of countries. And yet another page on the website gives a different list again. Based on what I can piece together the actual list is:

• Argentina
• Canada (through NEXUS)
• Colombia
• Germany
• India
• Mexico
• Netherlands (see below)
• Panama
• Republic of Korea (through Smart Entry Service)
• Singapore
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

Taiwan is also listed on the Wikipedia page, but I couldn't find any official sources that confirmed they are part of the Global Entry program. It seems like there are plans for them to join but, as of yet, there is no concrete implementation date.

The FLUX program for Dutch citizens was discontinued as of January 2017, being replaced by the Registered Traveller Program Nederland, which is scheduled to start offering Global Entry eligibility starting in October 2017. Travellers who had previously been admitted under the FLUX program retain their benefits, but in the transition period no new members are admitted.

The information on NEXUS and SENTRI regarding access to TSA Pre? is a little conflicting. The DHS's comparison table suggests it is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents (and Canadian citizens but not permanent residents for NEXUS), but the sections about these programs on the CBP's website suggest TSA Pre? is always included.

Note that there may also be restrictions based on the visa type foreign nationals are using (see the CBP's FAQ on Global Entry).

The DHS has also published an online tool to suggest a frequent traveller program based on your nationality and travel needs.

To your other questions: once approved to any of these programs your membership is valid for five years. And yes, the application process can be more complex for foreign nationals. Just like for TSA Pre?, an in-person interview is conducted, and a background check is done. For some countries, applicants first need to be approved by their own national authorities before applying to the US CBP. This may involve another application fee, background check, etc.

I am an Indian citizen with Canadian PR and today I got my nexus approved. Following was explained to me during the interview- 1) I get nexus card 2) I get global entry too and can use it just like American citizen. I have to use my USA visa (h1b) page through global entry kiosks to login. 3) I get TSA Pre too with no limitation.

To summarize, You should have either Canadian PR or citizenship to get nexus which will give you both global entry and TSA Pre. If not, then you have to apply for global entry program which supports some 10 to 20 countries, then you get TSA Pre as part of it.

Please vote this up guys as there seems to be lot of miscommunication about this one. Let me know if anyone has any questions.

Short answer: Yes, if you're a US permanent resident or a citizen of the Canada, Netherlands, South Korea or Mexico, and apparently it's valid for five years.

TSA:

Who is eligible for TSA Pre?™?

• Canadian citizens who are members of NEXUS.
• Foreign citizens who are members of Global Entry (see Global Entry eligibility) and not registered as a U.S. lawful permanent resident.

And while their link is broken, the trail of breadcrumbs leads to the CBP:

Global Entry is open to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, Dutch citizens, South Korean citizens and Mexican nationals.

From the FAQ of Global Entry: http://www.cbp.gov/faqs/can-i-join-global-entry-if-i-am-not-us-citizen-or-us-lawful-permanent-resident

Global Entry is also available to citizens of the Netherlands who are enrolled in FLUX and Korean Smart Entry Service members. Citizens of Germany, Panama, and Mexico may also apply for Global Entry. Canadian NEXUS members have Global Entry benefits, but are not eligible to join.