How To Get a Global Entry Appointment Right Now: Zoom Calls and In-Person Interviews

Key Takeaways

• There are 2 ways to conduct your Global Entry interview appointment: remotely via video or in person.
• Appointment availability varies by location, with high-demand centers often experiencing longer wait times. Cancellations may open up earlier slots. Utilize a paid service, such as Appointment Scanner, to identify last-minute interview cancellations.
• Enrollment on Arrival enables conditionally approved applicants to complete their interviews at participating airports without an appointment.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offers multiple Trusted Traveler Programs: Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST.

Most (80%) Trusted Traveler Program, or TTP, applications are approved within 2 weeks. However, applications that require manual review can take between 12 and 24 months to complete, which can pose a significant issue if you have upcoming international travel plans.

Here’s what you need to know about getting your Global Entry appointment.

Why Use a Trusted Traveler Program?

Wait times at customs and immigration to reenter the U.S. have been lengthy. In some of the country’s biggest airports, such as New York CIty’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), it’s not unheard of to wait for a whopping 45 to 70 minutes for your turn at an immigration kiosk.

Some travelers get a Trusted Traveler Program membership to move through security checkpoints more quickly.

What Is Global Entry?

The U.S. government established the Global Entry program in 2008 to provide preapproved clearance to low-risk travelers entering the U.S.

Currently, this program is one of the 5 available Trusted Traveler Programs. All programs, except TSA PreCheck, which is administered by the Transportation Security Administration, are governed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Global Entry first originated as INSPASS, or INS Passenger Accelerated Service System, in the 1990s. After the CBP merged with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, it created the current Global Entry program.

Initially, the program was only offered at John F. Kennedy Airport Terminal 4 and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Today, Global Entry kiosks are at 62 U.S. international airports and 15 preclearance facilities in Aruba, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates. Millions are currently enrolled in Global Entry, including citizens from partner countries.

To minimize waiting at customs, member information is stored in a database. When members enter the country through a participating airport, they scan their machine-readable passports and fingerprints at a kiosk, complete a customs declaration form, and proceed straight to the baggage claim area.

How To Sign Up for Global Entry

To apply for Global Entry for the first time, you need to complete an application through the TTP website. You need to complete the following steps:

1. Create a Login.gov account.
2. Complete the application in the TTP system and pay the nonrefundable $120 fee.
3. Schedule your security interview (once conditionally approved) at an enrollment center.
4. Bring your passport (or permanent resident card) and 1 other form of ID to the in-person interview, along with a printout of your TTP application conditional approval letter.

If you already have Global Entry, you need to create an account in the new system to keep your information updated, renew your membership, reapply when your membership expires, and so on.

You need your current basic contact information for first-time and renewal applications. You’ll also be asked for prior addresses and job history, which may be difficult if you haven’t kept track of the places you’ve worked or if you move often.

Remote Interviews for Trusted Traveler Program Renewals

To finish your application, you must complete an interview with a CBP officer. One way to complete your Trusted Traveler Program interview is by remote video.

To be eligible for the remote interview, you must:

• Be conditionally approved for a TTP renewal.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a photo on file with CBP that was taken within the past 10 years and after the age of 14.
• Have previously submitted fingerprints to CBP.

Travelers renewing NEXUS, FAST, and SENTRI memberships will be integrated into the remote-interview pilot program in phases.

Also, first-time Trusted Traveler Program members cannot participate in remote interviews.

Remote Interview Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to schedule your remote interview? First, you need to log in to your Trusted Traveler Program dashboard. You need your email address and password handy to complete this step.

If it’s less than a year before your Global Entry membership expires, you’ll see a box reminding you to complete your renewal to avoid an interruption in service.

You can’t renew your membership until 1 year before expiration. For example, my membership expires on February 20, 2028, and can’t be renewed until February 20, 2027.

After clicking the Renew Membership button, you will be asked a series of questions, such as whether you’re a U.S. citizen (if you have dual citizenship, check the U.S. citizen box), and then select the program you wish to renew. You’ll then be asked whether you plan to fly internationally within the next 6 months.

Next, you’ll be taken to another page to acknowledge that you understand you have to undergo a background check for renewal. Note that a conviction of any criminal offense or pending criminal charges, including outstanding warrants, disqualifies you from membership.

You will then be taken to a page to renew your Global Entry membership. Review your information on the Final Review page, update your old data, and add any missing information. On this page, fill out or update the following:

• Personal information, such as your name, date of birth, eye color, and height; this information should already be on file from your initial application, so you likely won’t need to make any changes here
• Documents, such as your passport information
• Driver’s license if your driver’s license has expired or if you have changed states
• Vehicle information
• Address information; your residential history cannot have any gaps, so you need to list all of the places you’ve lived
• Employment information; like your residential history, your employment history also cannot have any gaps
• Travel history, which includes listing every country you’ve traveled to in the past 5 years
• Additional information, such as whether you’ve been convicted of a crime or if you’ve been found in violation of customs or immigration laws

After double-checking that all your information is up to date and correct, you’ll be taken to a portal to enter your payment information (we’ll share more on which credit card to use for Global Entry membership later).

Hot Tip: Make sure all of your information is correct, as you cannot make changes to an application once it’s submitted. If there are errors in your application, a CBP officer at the enrollment center will need to change your application for you.

Visit the TTP website for application status updates, as notification of when you can schedule an interview appointment (if one is required) will only be posted there.

After making your payment, you need to wait for conditional approval to schedule and attend an in-person or virtual interview.

To schedule a remote interview, you need to log in to the TTP dashboard and click on the Scheduling Your Remote Interview link.

CBP uses Zoom for the remote interviews. You can use a computer, tablet, or smartphone capable of running Zoom with a working microphone and camera.

Make sure to allot roughly 30 minutes for the process. Applicants can wait in a virtual waiting room, available through your TTP dashboard or the CBP One app, for 15 minutes. The actual interview should take no longer than 15 minutes.

For the virtual interview, you need:

• A valid passport
• Documents showing proof of residency, such as your driver’s license, a mortgage statement, a rental payment statement, or a utility bill that shows your current residence
• A permanent resident card (if applicable)

Since you already needed many of these documents during the renewal process, meeting the requirements once you get to the interview shouldn’t be too difficult.

Enrollment on Arrival

If you’re a current Global Entry member or first-time Global Entry applicant and your application has been conditionally approved, you can do Enrollment on Arrival. Given the long wait times for in-person interviews, this is perhaps one of the easiest ways to score an interview right now. No appointment is needed.

As with all other interviews, you must have some essential documents handy, including your valid passport, proof of residency, and a permanent resident card (if applicable).

Many airports do not offer enrollment centers, so check whether your preferred airport participates before arriving. These include airports such as Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).

Hot Tip:

See which airports participate in Enrollment on Arrival.

In-Person Interviews

CBP offers in-person interviews for conditionally approved, first-time TTP members and those undergoing renewals. However, CBP is facing significant delays in processing applications, and appointments at some facilities are fully booked.

After submitting your application, you will be contacted to schedule an interview at one of the Global Entry Enrollment Centers nationwide. Not all enrollment centers are at airports; for instance, there’s a Washington, D.C., center in a federal office building.

To schedule an appointment for your Global Entry application, you can use CBP’s TTP scheduling tool, which lists all Global Entry enrollment facilities in the U.S. and U.S. territories. I recommend checking this link daily, as availability can change quickly and unexpectedly. From the scheduling tool, you can filter to find a day with your preferred number of appointments.

If you’re in a rush, you can sort by the earliest available facility, but that may not necessarily be near your home airport. When you’re scheduling appointments for several people, like family members, each person needs their own appointment time, and you have to log in to each account separately to book.

That said, taking a day trip to the next state over or even hopping on a cheap flight to complete your enrollment may be worth it. For instance, if you’re based in Cleveland but don’t see any appointments available, you may consider Detroit (Detroit Metro Airport Global Entry) if it has slots open, just 1 state away and a 3-hour drive or an hourlong flight.

Hot Tip: A third-party paid service, Appointment Scanner, sends you alerts when there are last-minute interview cancellations. You can choose from over 100 enrollment centers, set a date limit, and customize your notification preferences.

How Much Does Global Entry Cost?

To sign up for Global Entry, you must pay a one-time fee of $120, which is required with your application and must be paid at the time of application submission through the Trusted Traveler Program system. You can pay by credit card or by electronic bank transfer. If you’re rejected from the program for any reason, you will not get your $120 back.

Many of the most popular premium travel rewards credit cards offer credits to offset the cost of a Global Entry membership. You can get your fee paid for by having cards such as the Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. While all of these cards come with hefty annual fees, they make up for it in perks such as lounge access, elite status, and travel credits. These cards offer a $120 statement credit for a Global Entry membership once every 4 years.

If you already have Global Entry, your additional Amex Platinum cardholders or authorized users can use your account’s Global Entry credit when paying with your Amex Platinum card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or Capital One Venture X card, or you can pay for the application for a family member or friend.

Along with Global Entry approval, members get complimentary access to the TSA PreCheck Trusted Traveler Program, which costs up to $85.

Alternatives to Global Entry

Mobile Passport

Not everyone will be approved for Global Entry or want to pay the $120 fee. But there are other ways to beat long wait times at immigration and customs lines. One way to expedite your entry into the U.S. is with the Mobile Passport program.

Mobile Passport was launched in 2014 to help alleviate long wait times at immigration. More than 4 million travelers use Mobile Passport annually.

MPC is a free program available to U.S. citizens and Canadian B1/B2 visitors. The app allows travelers to submit their passports and travel information using a cell phone. It enables you to store your data for future international travel. You can download the app through the Google Play or Apple App Store. Once it’s downloaded, you must create a profile with your passport information, name, gender, date of birth, and country of citizenship.

After landing in the U.S. or arriving at an eligible U.S. preclearance airport, you select your airport or seaport and terminal, take a photo of yourself, answer a series of CBP inspection-related questions, and then receive an electronic receipt with a QR code. Then you bring your physical passport, mobile device, and digital QR-coded receipt to a CBP officer.

Up to 12 profiles can be created, so Mobile Passport is perfect for family members. CBP says that all authorized Mobile Passport apps allow a single household to submit 1 transaction, including answers to CBP inspection questions.

Mobile Passport is available at 31 U.S. international airports, 3 Canadian preclearance locations, and 4 seaports of entry. Check out our detailed Mobile Passport guide for a map and list of all the locations. Keep in mind that MPC is only available at select airports, so it won’t work if you’re not at an eligible port of entry.

TSA PreCheck

CBP said in a bulletin posted on its website that travelers who don’t travel multiple times per year internationally should instead apply for the TSA PreCheck program. This notice appears to be an effort to stave off the number of travelers applying for Global Entry, a program for travelers arriving back in the U.S. from abroad.

The agency says TSA PreCheck applicants can schedule an appointment in less than 2 weeks. If approved, you could receive a Known Traveler Number about 3 to 5 days after your appointment.

TSA PreCheck, which was started in October 2011, allows TSA to expedite the security screening for low-risk travelers.

Like Global Entry, your membership in TSA PreCheck lasts for 5 years. You will not receive a refund if you’re rejected from the program. If you renew your application online, it costs $70 and is still valid for the same 5-year timeframe. If you decide to renew in person, the fee remains $78.

Several credit cards, including the Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card, reimburse the fee regardless of whether you’re approved or not, so make sure to pay with a card that covers the charge.

To apply, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or a lawful permanent resident and pass a background check. And, similar to Global Entry, having a criminal charge or conviction is grounds for disqualification.

Many of the world’s airlines, including virtually every major U.S. carrier, participates in the program.

A TSA PreCheck membership comes with several perks, including the option to leave your shoes, jackets, belts, and other light outerwear on. Additional benefits include keeping laptops and small liquids in your bag.

TSA PreCheck is not the same as Global Entry but an entirely separate program operated by TSA. If you apply for TSA PreCheck and then later decide you want a Global Entry membership, you need to apply (and pay) for it separately.

Final Thoughts

Getting a Global Entry interview to renew your membership has been a challenge as of late. If you have upcoming travel plans, you may want to schedule an appointment sooner rather than later, and if you’re having trouble finding an enrollment center, consider doing a virtual interview. We hope this helps you get a Global Entry appointment more quickly and smoothly than ever!