> 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 Are there two different web pages that list interview locations, and is one of them out of date?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.