There is a certain date anyone trying to finish a Global Entry application needs to know.
If you are struggling to land an appointment, grab your cell phone and get ready to set a reminder!
While a Global Entry membership is key for international travelers to use to get through immigration and airport security quickly, getting approved for the perk can be a headache.
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Backlogs and long waits for interviews and fingerprinting appointments have many travelers giving up.
What is Global Entry?
First of all, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection program manages the Global Entry Program.
The membership gives pre-approved, low-risk travelers faster clearance into the U.S.
Travelers with Global Entry simply use a kiosk to scan a passport, their fingerprints, and complete a customs declaration after returning to a U.S. airport following an international trip. The kiosk prints a receipt and tells the traveler to head to baggage claim.
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Easy, right? That’s the idea.
The goal is to get travelers through the customs process safely and quickly.
How do I get Global Entry?
Global Entry is only available to travelers who apply.
Each applicant must have a Trusted Traveler Programs account, regardless of age.
Log into the TTP account and complete the application.
A $100 non-refundable fee is required for each person who applies.
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Interviews are scheduled at a Global Entry Enrollment center. After passing an extensive background check and getting your fingerprints scanned, you are good to go!
The problem is that the interview can seem almost impossible to schedule.
Each applicant needs an interview. Interviews are only offered at certain dates and at about 100 locations across the country.
Appointments are often scarce and are booked up as quickly as they are made.
Your best chance at getting an interview is to be on the site, refreshing, at 9 a.m. on the first Monday of each month. That is when the majority of new appointments are released.
PRO TIP: The agency that runs Global Entry releases interview appointment slots at 9 a.m., local time, on the first Monday of each month. Add a reminder in your phone now and be ready to grab an appointment if it becomes available.
Check back often because appointments may open at any time.
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If you travel a lot, check to see if there is an appointment and a day that works with a future trip you’ve scheduled. It could work out that you’d be at the airport anyway.
Enroll on Arrival
The easiest way to get through the interview process is to “Enroll upon Arrival.”
It’s a newer option offered.
Instead of scheduling an interview, just go through the enrollment process when you return from an international trip.
Look for a designated lane to finish your enrollment with a CPB officer, or ask as you go through customs.
Keep in mind that you need to determine if the option is offered at your arrival airport. You’ll also need to be aware of the program’s hours. I planned to use this option several years ago in Atlanta, but, my flight landed at 8:20 p.m. and the service wasn’t available after 8 p.m.