Last week, returning to the US from Canada, by car, was my family’s first opportunity to test out our new Global Entry privileges. We waited in line for about 20 minutes to cross the border into Canada on our way out of the US. With the ability to use the Sentri lane on our return from Canada, there were only 2 cars in line! We were able to save some time and not wait in the long lines for inspection. We are looking forward to testing out it’s other benefits on upcoming trips, such as TSA Pre-check and an easier entry process when flying back into the US from abroad.
What is Global Entry?
“Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.” http://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/about
How do I apply?
The process is fairly easy and begun online by filling out the application and submitting non-refundable application fee of $100.
The application is fairly straight forward, asking questions about your residence and job history. The fun part is going through the list of countries to mark those visited in the past 5 years.
Once you submit the application and the fee you will recieve a conditional approval, or a denial within a week or two. Mine was quite quick, others took a few days longer.
What about the interview?
The most difficult part of the process, for those of us living in the Tidewater area is traveling for the interview. The nearest interview sites are either in DC itself, or at the Dulles Airport. The DC office is only open Monday – Friday, while the Dulles office is open 7 days a week. We were able to schedule interviews on a weekend that we had already planned to be in the DC area. The interview process lasted less than 10 minutes, including having our photo and fingerprints taken.
After the interview, then what?
Before we got back home from the interview, we received emails saying our applications had been approved and a few days later we received the Global Entry cards in the mail.
Once approved, what are the benefits?
Now the fun starts! Even when you are not traveling internationally, the Global Entry program gives you the benefit of TSA Pre-check. This means that you no longer have to take your shoes off when clearing the TSA checkpoint. Your liquids and laptop can also stay in your bag. In many airports there are dedicated security lanes for passengers with TSA Pre-check.
When you travel internationally and are flying back into the US you can skip the long immigration lines and head straight for a Global Entry kiosk. I’ve had clients that arrived back to the US facing immigration lines that stretched for over 3 hours. With their Global Entry status they were able to clear immigration using the Kiosk in less than 5 minutes. They said that the program paid for itself in just that one trip!
If you have questions about how the program works, or the application process I would be happy to share more of my experience with you.