A mini-trip for Global Entry Interview
 

After searching unsuccessfully for my prior comments, I decided to start a new thread.

The Global Entry System ("GOES") essentially allows U.S. citizens to bypass the TSA folks. Not all airlines use it yet.

It took me about an hour to complete the online application. I think I did this in August 2013. After entering the info, they give you a list of possible places to go to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed. The first available date for me was not convenient and they did show a calendar with open dates. I chose October--so it was almost 2 months from when I first started the process.

You must bring your passport and driver's license. Online they also said bring some proof of our residency like an electric bill. I took that and the other bills that had come in the mail the day before the interview.

I'm in the Washington, D.C. area so Dulles and BWI airports were close as well as a D.C venue. If you choose BWI as I did, here's some helpful info:

Park in the Hourly lot. If you park in section D, you will be convenient to the overhead walkway but it will be about a 10-minute walk to section E. The GOES office is on the ground floor of section E ("Pier E") in the international flights end of the terminal. If you park in section E, try to get to the ground level where you will walk across to the terminal closer to Pier E.

From Pier D, once you pass the USO, start looking for GOES signs. The area had an air of being newly-furnished, but signage is good. Two Customs Agents were conducting the interviews while those of us waiting sat in the same room. It was quite informal. When it was my turn, no one else was there and the 2 agents and I talked alot about the financée of one of them! Looked at her pictures on his phone.

Anyhow, I was asked if I'd ever been arrested, my agent took my photo and fingerprints (that was done on a screen--no ink!) and pronounced mine perfect. He said he didn't need my bills but did compare passport and driver's to what was online. I was assigned my GOES number and was told I'd get my ID in the mail.

They agents said the BWI venue was relatively new and that the program was so popular that some places had waiting times of months to get appointments. At this writing, they told me most of the U.S. airlines were participating domestically also. Southwest will be joining next year?

Here's what you do: When returning from overseas, you politely refuse the returning form the steward/ess gives out and find an ATM-like machine after you deplane in customs. You complete your info on that machine and swipe your GOES card. Assuming all is complete, you go on your way. Now that I write this, I'm wondering if there is a special way out of customs. Can anyone add to this?

Oh, and each person in your family must apply separately. Hope this is helpful.

I'm going to copy this to Europe as well.

Folks are replying to the Europe post:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...erview.cfm#top

Only two months your lucky. I applied 8/10 and my appointment date was first given as 11/12, but I had to change it to the 13th, then I received and email yesterday saying due to the shut down it had been changed to later in the month. My nearest airport is San Francisco and for me its a 3 hour drive if the traffic is decent each way so I have to take a whole day off form work to get it done.

<Online they also said bring some proof of our residency like an electric bill.>

<He said he didn't need my bills but did compare passport and driver's to what was online>

Huh. I wonder if they do sometimes look at proof of residency and how this affects us Americans who live outside of the US.

<<<i> allows U.S. citizens to bypass the TSA folks</i>>>
friendly amendment - actually, Global Entry is a program of US Customs and Border Protection, not TSA. It allows the holder to use a self service kiosk when entering the US from a foreign country, bypassing the usual lines at immigration/passport control.

TSA (despite what you may hear, not an acronym for "Thousands Standing Around") is the agency that operates on the other end of a trip, when originating from a US airport. They're the bunch that enhance the travel experience by providing an opportunity to slow down from the usual mad dash to departure, allowing time to gather one's thoughts while waiting in line to partially disrobe and walk through a scanner. Some lucky travelers even get a complimentary light touch massage! And let's not forget the terrific opportunity to do a last minute check for forgotten carry on items when unpacking /repacking one's quart bag of 100cc or less bottles of liquids/creams/gels, in time to stop by duty free to pick up replacements.

Global Entry membership <u>does</u> let holders use their trusted traveler number to take advantage of the TSA PreCheck program where it is available, but that's a relatively few airports.

Love your description of TSA process!

Seamus :))

I was pleasantly surprised a couple of days ago when I went to the Portland (PDX) airport and was informed that I had been pre-selected for the pre-check program. Wham! No line. No shoes off, either.

One of the few good things about being 75 or older is that I no longer am required to remove shoes at the airport! Yaaa!

I made the mistake of callingg the agency "TSA" when i went in for my Global Entry interview. The agent laughingly reminded me they were border control and that, unlike the TSA wimps, they have guns.

My card arrived today. Will add to this in April when I travel.

Although it's in the TR, I forgot to add to this after the April trip. Coming back from the trip, everyone in the plane except the captain and I stood in a long line. Fingers on a special board and I went right through. I had nothing to declare and did carryon only, so it was wonderful!

Note to all: TSA precheck is not the same thing although I entered my GE number when I made a domestic trip on Southwest and "TSA Precheck" was printed on my boarding pass. HOWEVER, when I made a second Southwest trip, it was not so I called Southwest and had it corrected.

Sorry to not acknowledge your clarification above, Seamus! TSA Precheck is not the same, however, my GOES number got it on my Southwest boarding pass.

When booking your ticket, be sure to enter your GOES number under " Known Traveler"

Thanks, HappyT!

My preliminary app was approved within two weeks. I immediately signed in to schedule an interview @SFO.

FIRST APPOINTMENT AVAILABLE = 4.5 months from now!


QUESTION: does the interview center ever take walk-ins? I'd rather spend a day (it's a 3-4 hour drive each way to SFO) within the next two months if it's a possibility.

I would keep looking for cancellations online which happen fairly often or so I understand. The center in DC does take walk ins, but you would need to check with SFO.

>>FIRST APPOINTMENT AVAILABLE = 4.5 months from now!

QUESTION: does the interview center ever take walk-ins? I'd rather spend a day (it's a 3-4 hour drive each way to SFO) within the next two months if it's a possibility.<<

The same thing when I applied last year. There are several more locations in SoCal so I ended up booking a slot at LAX and flying flying down and back the same day. (I fly out of SMF - but maybe you are closer to one of the Bay area airports)

Got an appt. there in less than 3 weeks and it would have been 5.5 months at SFO.

No - AFAIK they do not do walk ins . . . My entire appt took less than 5 minutes BTW. Actually about 3 mins.

To clarify -- I meant SFO doesn't take walk ins (AFAIK) it is the only location in NorCal and is essentially totally 100% booked up (Or at least was all of last year)

> does the interview center ever take walk-ins?

This question has come up several times on FlyerTalk, and people have had a mix of experiences. A few have reported being able to walk up and have the interview (including one at SFO); others have reported that they were turned away. Several people also reported that they were able to reschedule a distant appointment by regularly checking the website for availability.

(http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trust...nterviews.html )

Our friends did a walk-in interview at LAX and said they only waited a very short time. They went down there on a weekday morning.

After reading this thread, I decided to apply for Global Entry, and did so yesterday. Before I registered on the web site, I explored it a bit, and I looked up a list of where interviews are done. I could swear that Peoria IL was one of the places. I was delighted, as Peoria is closer to me than Chicago, and the airport is easier to get to. Now today, the only Illinois location I can see on the web site is Chicago.

Have I lost my mind? Are there two different web pages that list interview locations, and is one of them out of date? Or did they decide it just wouldn't play in Peoria?

I think they decided it wouldn't play in Peoria. I must have misread PIT for PIA.

Never mind.

My interview is next week, in Peoria! I'm not crazy after all. There were some open times this week too. Yet another advantage to living here in fly-over country!

Hello PIA! I'm just 40 miles away in the 'burg! LOVE having my global entry at Ohare .... IF the machines are working, that is. It sure makes it quick and easy to return from abroad.

The interview we had, about 1.5 years ago, was at Ohare and it was a breeze. I doubt they offered PIA at that time as an option.

Happy overseas traveling!

Australians coming back home just use machines to enter - we don't have to fill in forms or anything else . I think children under a certain age can't use it .

I had my interview this morning. Customs at Peoria Intl. is in the Cargo Terminal, and it's a little hard to find -- hiding behind the UPS and FedEx offices.

The interview was quick, just a couple of questions in addition to the ones I'd answered on the on-line application. The agent took my picture, took my fingerprints, and explained what to do when I renew my passport. (It expires in a little under 2 years.)

The whole thing took no more than 10 minutes, and I'm now approved.

Great! Would you mind sharing what you were told to do when you renew your passport. Thanks!

Yes, please do. I don't remember.

We scheduled interviews in Tucson within two days of filling in the online forms and paying the fees. The interviews were very thorough and done by border patrol agents. I was questioned extensively about our trip to Cuba although the agent interviewing my husband didn't ask him. It was a licensed trip. By the time we got home, we had been approved.
I have never used the Global Entry card anywhere; it always has had to be our passports scanned into the machines. We got through JFK in 10 minutes returning from Europe with our Global Entry. Love it!

I always thought that it does not apply for me as I am not a US citizen but just found out that Global Entry (after the application procedure) is also open for other countries' citizens arriving from selected airports.

As there is reciprocity, you can also register your US passport for the automated entry and exit EasyPass gates in Germany.
http://www.munich-airport.de/en/cons...pass/index.jsp

As a US citizen you can do so after your next arrival (and going once more thru regular staffed passport control) on the spot without making an appointment at the Federal Border Police's offices (landside) at Munich, Frankfurt or Düsseldorf airport. The procedure is quite simple as you only fill out a form and they run an instant background check. No "interviews" :-)
EU citizens don't need to register, just use their ePassports.

The EasyPASS gates operate a bit different than Global Entry checkpoints as you go to a double gate.
The first gate opens after scanning the chip in your passport.
Then you step in, gate 1 closes behind you.
You look into a camera and your picture is checked against that in your passport.
Then gate 2 opens and you are done. Takes a minute or two.
Not suitable for families with smaller children IMO as the procedure is one-by-one person only.

As there are no written customs declarations, Customs is not encompassed by EasyPASS. You "declare" by choosing the red or green exit after baggage claim.

Thanks for the info Happy and Cowboy.

What to do after renewing your passport is simple. When you get the new one, go to the Global Entry website and register the new passport. That's all.

About the card, the agent I dealt with said it's used when you enter the US by driving. So essentially it's for entry from Canada or Mexico by car.

At my interview, I was asked the purpose of my previous visits to South Africa, and whether I'd been in Canada or Mexico in the last five years. I have no idea why those questions were asked.

Thanks, Celia about the passport info. Could SA question be about drug smuggling?

Could be, I don't know. After I said "for fun, safaris", and then told the agent that my husband and I had worked there long years ago, he didn't ask anything else.

With the card, I wonder if you can go in a separate line? In June we came back from Canada and just went thru the regular line, so not really an advantage. They had a line for NEXUS, but that's different I thought.

yestravel, I don't know if all airlines have the program but there was a specific sign for Global Entry in Philly ariport. I flew US Air.

Yes, I know how GE works, we use it whenever we fly internationally. I love it! What I am wondering about is the card that you get that may be used for crossing the border into Canada and Mexico.

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood. I don't know about that one.