You’ll need Global Entry; here’s how to get a quick interview appointment.
Global Entry is the Trusted Traveler program that provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Currently available at 53 U.S. airports and fifteen preclearance locations, Global Entry streamlines the international arrivals process at airports for trusted travelers. Global Entry provides access to the TSA Pre✓ expedited screening program as well.
Global Entry is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. legal permanent residents as well as citizens of certain countries with which CBP has trusted traveler arrangements. That list includes Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Canadian citizens and residents enrolled in NEXUS may also use Global Entry kiosks.
Global Entry costs $100 for five years. (Note: there are several premium credit cards that will reimburse your Global Entry fee.) You pay as part of completing your online application; once conditionally approved, you then book an in-person interview to finalize the process. That’s the hard part: there’s always been some delay in booking an appointment, but Covid made the backlog much worse.
If you try to book an appointment now at a Global Entry Enrollment Center, you’ll probably have to wait weeks, months, even up to a year in some cases. Wait times vary by location and it’s a good idea to check other centers near you to find the shortest delay. (Note: Enrollment on Arrival is an option if you’re traveling internationally.)
So how to speed things up?
You can check continuously throughout the day. The busiest locations have the longest wait times. They also have the largest number of people canceling/rescheduling appointments, which means a slot could open up at any time. Also, here’s a non-gov site people have used with some success.
If you don’t fancy parking yourself in front of your computer refreshing Global Entry appointment listings, there’s a service that will do it for you for a $29 fee. Appointment Scanner can be used by people who have filled out their online application, paid the fee, and received a Global Entry conditional approval. The service constantly scans the Trusted Traveler site looking for canceled and rescheduled appointments for Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI programs, alerting you when a slot has opened up at your designated location(s).
Per the Appointment Scanner website, the average user receives between 10 and 25 appointment alerts per day. For the record, Appointment Scanner is not affiliated with the DHS or the Trusted Traveler programs. And it doesn’t promise you’ll be able to schedule an interview; it’s up to you to make the booking yourself.
Twist’s Take: Use Appointment Scanner to get a quick Global Entry appointment.
