Global Entry

[jimbo1972]

So last summer when I flew back to the states from South Africa. The wait to get into Atlanta immigration was over 3 hours. Since I travel internationally for work from time to time and plan on doing more international travel I signed up for Global Entry. Five months later my conditional approval is still pending
I emailed CBP and asked how long it will take to get conditional approval. The response is 12-13 months average and maybe longer.
Pretty much makes getting Global Entry unrealistic for most travelers.

 

[slam8031]

that really stinks---I got my original GE in 7 weeks and on the flight to JNB my wife and I walked out the airport secure area for the interview and 10 min later used our new global entry to re entry the airport and fly to JNB.

 

[Russ16]

I don’t understand when I hear people with this experience. My girlfriend filled hers out in early June while we were in the Rome airport. She scheduled an interview for later that month and was approved later in the summer. Used it when we went to Austria in November.

 

[jimbo1972]

I don’t understand when I hear people with this experience. My girlfriend filled hers out in early June while we were in the Rome airport. She scheduled an interview for later that month and was approved later in the summer. Used it when we went to Austria in November.

Guess either she got lucky or a lot of people signed up between June and August

 

[sureshot375]

There is a fairly well documented trend of receiving conditional approval after leaving the country so you can do your interview upon returning.

It happened to me and a number of others on here.

 

[Mekaniks]

It took 9 months for mine to be approved for the interview. It took me a couple of months to schedule the interview at an approved CPB facility

 

[BryceM]

If you are provisionally approved and travel internationally, they will sometimes do the final approval "on the spot" as you re-enter. They can "count it" as your interview. This only works if you are legitimately returning from overseas - you can't just show up at customs and try to do it.

 

[jimbo1972]

If you are provisionally approved and travel internationally, they will sometimes do the final approval "on the spot" as you re-enter. They can "count it" as your interview. This only works if you are legitimately returning from overseas - you can't just show up at customs and try to do it.

Yes sir that is my understanding. I have a trip to Argentina this summer and just hope I get an approved by then.

 

[DLSJR]

If you are provisionally approved and travel internationally, they will sometimes do the final approval "on the spot" as you re-enter. They can "count it" as your interview. This only works if you are legitimately returning from overseas - you can't just show up at customs and try to do it.

I hope this is the case. I’ve had Global Entry for years, but my wife literally just applied a few hours ago. We will be headed to Europe this spring, then Zimbabwe in May. I hope they’ll do her interview on the way back from France.

 

[Altitude sickness]

There is a fairly well documented trend of receiving conditional approval after leaving the country so you can do your interview upon returning.

It happened to me and a number of others on here.

This is exactly what happened to me. while I was in Zimbabwe. I got an email that I was approved. Unfortunately, I stood through the entire 1000 person line and then when I got up front, they looked at my passport saw I was approved and asked if I wanted the interview. so if you are approved while you’re overseas, let them know at customs know that so you go to the front of the line.

 

[Philip Glass]

So last summer when I flew back to the states from South Africa. The wait to get into Atlanta immigration was over 3 hours. Since I travel internationally for work from time to time and plan on doing more international travel I signed up for Global Entry. Five months later my conditional approval is still pending
I emailed CBP and asked how long it will take to get conditional approval. The response is 12-13 months average and maybe longer.
Pretty much makes getting Global Entry unrealistic for most travelers.

View attachment 655816View attachment 655816

I went through this with Jasper the last year trying to get it done. It was so odd what happened. We waited about 10 months and nothing and the Zim trip is approaching. I contacted my congressman's office and one of the ladies there actually helps with this type of thing often. Nothing happened. Then we went to Guatemala for a mission trip in May and upon return we were going though passport control and the agent takes Jasper's picture and says "young man your GE card will be in the mail shortly!"
Truthfully GE is less valuable than in the past due to the kiosks and faster processing. There are times when several planes have landed and you have a backlog. I would not travel without TSA Precheck and since the programs are linked it just makes sense to get GE.

 

[Rare Breed]

So last summer when I flew back to the states from South Africa. The wait to get into Atlanta immigration was over 3 hours. Since I travel internationally for work from time to time and plan on doing more international travel I signed up for Global Entry. Five months later my conditional approval is still pending
I emailed CBP and asked how long it will take to get conditional approval. The response is 12-13 months average and maybe longer.
Pretty much makes getting Global Entry unrealistic for most travelers.

View attachment 655816View attachment 655816

I finally gave up on them after 25 months and counting

 

[Altitude sickness]

Rare Breed, my wife went through the entire GE process in 3 months mine sat dormant for 10 months until we were returning from Zim and then they asked if wanted to interview. The 2 GE booths and zero people in line. He and I chatted took a pic and I was on my way in :3

this is another topic for the Musk and the DOGE team. Why all the separate FBI background checks. There should be a hierarchy of vetting from various departments. GE, firearms, government security clearances, if someone has a TS clearance they should not need GE. If they have either they should not need a firearm NICs check.

 

[Russ16]

Rare Breed, my wife went through the entire GE process in 3 months mine sat dormant for 10 months until we were returning from Zim and then they asked if wanted to interview. The 2 GE booths and zero people in line. He and I chatted took a pic and I was on my way in :3

this is another topic for the Musk and the DOGE team. Why all the separate FBI background checks. There should be a hierarchy of vetting from various departments. GE, firearms, government security clearances, if someone has a TS clearance they should not need GE. If they have either they should not need a firearm NICs check.

That makes sense on its face but there are any number of felonies that would prevent you from buying a firearm that don’t prevent you from easily reentering the country.

I’m now very maxed my girlfriends went so easily. Less than two months total. I wonder if it was because she applied while in Italy. Or maybe because we are in DC and there are plenty of options for the interview.

 

[towserthemouser]

I applied in early October, still "pending review" three months later. It's weird, because normally the government is super efficient and responsive. I guess they must have slowed down just this one time......

 

[Eric Zelanko]

My experience was similar to some who have posted. IMy brother and I both received an email while in Namibia that we were approved. Upon return to the US, we went through the GE check point and did our picture and "interview". Several other friends had a similar experience. It seems leaving the country "bumps" you to the top of the list. Not sure but that's our experience.

 

[RLL]

All I can say is stay the course and keep up with CBP. I got it 15 years ago living and traveling abroad and it makes port of entry so much smoother. Only once has the normal customs line been faster than GE from my experience.

 

[Red Leg]

Whatever it takes, get it! It makes reentry unbelievably quick and easy. It is all now facial ID.

 

[wesheltonj]

I can't speak to the current wait times for new applicants. My family signed up when the program originally started. We each had our interviews at different locations. Mine in Dallas, my wife in San Juan, and my daughter in San Antonio before trips. On our renewals last year my daughter and I both had to be reinterviewed but San Antonio or Austin were not taking appointments and we both had to drive to Laredo for our interviews. My Interview was just a new photo. My daughter was grilled about any criminal offenses, she has none but obviously someone with her same name does. She was cleared in about 2 weeks and before she received her card.

 

[sureshot375]

My experience was similar to some who have posted. IMy brother and I both received an email while in Namibia that we were approved. Upon return to the US, we went through the GE check point and did our picture and "interview". Several other friends had a similar experience. It seems leaving the country "bumps" you to the top of the list. Not sure but that's our experience.

I think we have enough anecdotal evidence to show that leaving the country triggers something in their system to get the conditional approval released. My guess is the bottleneck in the system is scheduling the interviews. As a result, they only release a limited number of conditional approvals so they can manage the interview scheduling. When they see you leave the Country, they release your approval so that you can knock out the interview on the way back in.