Just a Heads Up for Those Interested in Global Entry

[ChuckL]

We did it within the last year. Went to office near ambassador bridge. Took very little time to do. Created online account. Applies online. Received approval and made my interview appt.

 

 

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How many weeks did the process in Detroit take you from start to receiving your Global Entry approval?

 

 

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[TFree]

There is a difference between being a walk-in and being at customs because you are returning from an international trip.

 

After getting our conditional approval letters, we got a subsequent email telling us that an interview appointment wasn't necessary IF we would be coming back into the states from an international flight. All we had to do was tell a passport control agent who then directed us to the final interview area....

 

What was your timing on application date to conditional approval date to receiving the email saying an appointment was not necessary? I am eligible to renew October 5, but then leave the country October 16, returning November 13. I am wondering if I am likely to get that email before November 13.

 

Tom & Judy

[JBSteelerfan]

My wife and I renewed our GE earlier this year. The renewal application is submitted on line and, in most cases, that's the end of it and your new card arrives in the mail. Very easy. However, I was called for an interview. I had no problem getting an appointment. What I learned from the agent who interviewed me is that some people renewing GE are randomly selected for an interview. That's what I suspected, since there was nothing that had changed about me since I'd received my initial GE approval that would have created a red flag, and my wife and I had traveled to the same countries in that time. At an rate, it was no big deal (the agent told me on the spot that my GE was being renewed), but definitely easier if you don't win the come-for-an-interview lottery! ;p

 

Yes, I had heard they do select randomly for interview. Thanks for the info!

[Wingman2010]

What was your timing on application date to conditional approval date to receiving the email saying an appointment was not necessary? I am eligible to renew October 5, but then leave the country October 16, returning November 13. I am wondering if I am likely to get that email before November 13.

 

Tom & Judy

 

I want to say it was approx. a month. We applied, got conditional approval in like 2 weeks and then the email showed up a week or two after that. We were ecstatic since we were frustrated with our attempts at making an appointment - and we happened to have an international trip coming up.

[TFree]

I want to say it was approx. a month. We applied, got conditional approval in like 2 weeks and then the email showed up a week or two after that. We were ecstatic since we were frustrated with our attempts at making an appointment - and we happened to have an international trip coming up.

 

In our case, the closest center is 3.5 hours away (LAX) so it would be a big plus if we could just get any necessary interview done when we return to LAX in 6 weeks from now. Keeping fingers crossed that we at least have conditional approval by then.

 

Tom & Judy

[southernbreezes]

We had our interview a week after our provisional approval...this was in South Florida.

 

 

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We live in the Palm Beach area and the Global entry office by us had a 3-month wait (Riveria Beach). So we ended up driving the hour and a half to Miami they have a large staff and only a 2-week wait. I meet 2 people from Atlanta and one person from Chicago who flew to Miami because they could not get an appointment where they lived. They told me their employer required them to get it for business travel so could not wait. We have had it for 2 years now and love it!

[Ereggae]

Best $100 I ever spent. They promote TSA Pre a lot more so most people don’t realize that for $15 more you they get Global entry, which includes TSA Pre.

 

 

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[funship freddy]

How many weeks did the process in Detroit take you from start to receiving your Global Entry approval?

 

 

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Ours went fast in DTW. A couple of weeks.

 

 

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[milkman55]

If anyone has a company where many people need GE, with a minimum number you can get Customs to come to your offices and enroll everyone who applies in advance. We enrolled over 150 people over a two day period and they flew 3 agents out to conduct all the interviews. Of course this was back when the program was just getting started and very few had GE. Now it may be difficult to assemble a large group that has not already enrolled. We use our GE several times a year and saved us many times on tight connections.

 

 

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[Luvcrusn]

Best $100 I ever spent. They promote TSA Pre a lot more so most people don’t realize that for $15 more you they get Global entry, which includes TSA Pre.

 

 

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That happened to us. After we got TSA Precheck we realized we should have gotten GE. There's no option to just pay the difference. One (precheck) is through TSA and GE is through CBP.

[MikeMary4449]

FYI - Living in NC (halfway between Raleigh and Richmond), this was our experience.

We applied online in late March of this year. It took until the beginning of June to receive conditional approval.

First available appointments were: Charlotte (5 hours away) in November, Richmond (2 hours away) in late October, and

Washington Dulles (minimum of 4 hours away) in January, 2019! We opted to do interview last week on our return from Rome

through JFK. What should have been a 5 minute process took nearly 2 hours! Only two agents were working and both had to

take a "lunch break". Only one replacement agent arrived to handle both desks, including stamping and initialing paperwork for

more than 50 crew members, while trying to conduct our interview. The computer kept crashing and the fingerprint machine

wasn't working properly. It was a very stressful appointment, but fortunately we did make our connection. We now have our

Known Traveler No. and are watching the mail for our Global Entry Cards.

Hope the process goes more smoothly for others.

[Luvcrusn]

FYI - Living in NC (halfway between Raleigh and Richmond), this was our experience.

We applied online in late March of this year. It took until the beginning of June to receive conditional approval.

First available appointments were: Charlotte (5 hours away) in November, Richmond (2 hours away) in late October, and

Washington Dulles (minimum of 4 hours away) in January, 2019! We opted to do interview last week on our return from Rome

through JFK. What should have been a 5 minute process took nearly 2 hours! Only two agents were working and both had to

take a "lunch break". Only one replacement agent arrived to handle both desks, including stamping and initialing paperwork for

more than 50 crew members, while trying to conduct our interview. The computer kept crashing and the fingerprint machine

wasn't working properly. It was a very stressful appointment, but fortunately we did make our connection. We now have our

Known Traveler No. and are watching the mail for our Global Entry Cards.

Hope the process goes more smoothly for others.

This sounds quite a bit like Murphy's Law in action! Is your last name Murphy perhaps?;p

[internetwhiz]

We live in Central Arkansas and our closest center is DFW, 5.5 hours away. They were booked up for months. We drive to Galveston to cruise, so we got off Liberty on Sunday, stayed the night, and had arranged an early morning appointment on Monday morning. No special trips that way.

[willb125]

Just an FYI, you need to bring the Global Entry Card, not just your passport, for cruises (at least as of last year).

[CruiserFromMaine]

Just an FYI, you need to bring the Global Entry Card, not just your passport, for cruises (at least as of last year).

 

Please elaborate. For what reason—using GE at disembarkation? I’ve never needed my GE card before.

[markeb]

Please elaborate. For what reason—using GE at disembarkation? I’ve never needed my GE card before.

 

You use the GE card where there are no kiosks and no other way to prove GE status. Cruise ports and expedited security in Canada. You’d do preclear at a kiosk in Canada, but that’s after you would have gone through security screening.

[willb125]

You use the GE card where there are no kiosks and no other way to prove GE status. Cruise ports and expedited security in Canada. You’d do preclear at a kiosk in Canada, but that’s after you would have gone through security screening.

 

Exactly. There are, or were as of 2017, no kiosks at Fort Lauderdale.

[JBSteelerfan]

Just an FYI, you need to bring the Global Entry Card, not just your passport, for cruises (at least as of last year).

 

Really depends on where you are cruising in/out of. Only a couple of ports currently offering GE for cruises......Port Everglades and Miami.