13 things you need to know about Global Entry

[marmar]

13 things you need to know about Global Entry

Caroline Tanner
March 28, 2023
•
14 min read


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Global Entry can help you clear customs in a matter of minutes — sometimes before even physically reentering the U.S., if you’re departing from pre-clearance locations in places like Canada.

The process of becoming a Global Entry member can be cumbersome due to the difficulty of securing an in-person appointment. However, enrolling in the program is still worthwhile. Although it launched over a decade ago, it’s since evolved, especially post-COVID-19.

Here’s what to know about applying for or renewing your Global Entry, including how to get application fees reimbursed, what to expect during the interview process, how to use it and how to deal with potential delays.

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Tips for getting a Global Entry interview appointment

Once you've applied and are conditionally approved for Global Entry, the next step is to set up your Global Entry interview appointment. Don't get too excited, though, as Global Entry interviews have been difficult for many to secure due to an ongoing application backlog.

For example, even though I was conditionally approved for Global Entry in August, I wasn't able to secure an interview at my home airport until December 2022.

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When your Global Entry interview day arrives, be sure to arrive on time and bring a valid passport(s) or permanent resident card, along with proof of residency, such as a driver’s license with your current address, a mortgage statement or a recent utility bill.

Once at the facility, you may have to wait a bit if the CBP officers are busy. If you're lucky, you may not wait at all, which was the case for me at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in December. ................(more)

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/things-to-know-global-entry/

[Major Nikon]

1. I wasn't able to even book a Global Entry interview in any city within 250 miles

The appointments are only scheduled two years out and every single appointment in 4 different cities were completely booked.

For whatever reason, locations along the US/Mexico border have pretty much every appointment available. Fortunately I have my own plane and flew 325 miles away to Del Rio, Texas. I made a day out of it and made a couple of stops along the way to places I wanted to see anyway, so it wasn't a wasted trip.

The entire process there took all of 15 minutes. They take your fingerprints, photograph you, look at your passport, and ask a few questions about your residence, place of employment, etc. I didn't need any other documents besides my drivers license and passport. My Global Entry card arrived about 3 weeks later.

The Global Entry card really only works at land border crossings. For airline travel and TSA precheck you MUST enter the preferred traveler number on your airline reservation. If you are enrolled in the airline's loyalty program you can enter this once and it's done for all subsequent reservations. After that it prints on the boarding pass and you don't need to physically have the card, although it does work as a physical ID when passing through security and checking in with the airlines.

[marmar]

2. When I got my conditional approval last summer, the soonest available interview appointment.....

..... at one of the nearby Detroit sites was January. But I lucked up and snagged an opening in Port Huron, about an hour drive away, a month after my conditional approval. Got my trusted traveler number literally 2 days before taking a trip.