The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bureau has filed a new regulation for comment that proposes to raise the cost of Global Entry from $100 to $120. It would also change the cost of SENTRI (US-Mexico crossings) to $120, and indicates they’ll be separately filing to raise the NEXUS fee to $120 as well.
Along with this price increase comes two positive changes,
- Expanding Global Entry to immigration pre-clearance facilities and certain US territories (or at least make the rules consistent with practice)
- Making applications free for children under 18 if they either file with their parents, or their parents are already approved.
Global Entry provides for expedited immigration and customers processing for people who have gone through screening, fingerprinting and an interview, and includes TSA PreCheck airport security. I’ve been in the program since early 2013. Here’s all the ways you risk losing access.
There are 16 locations across 6 countries where you clear immigration and customers before flying to the U.S. and those should eventually be added as Global Entry locations: Dublin and Shannon (Ireland); Aruba; Freeport and Nassau (Bahamas); Bermuda; Abu Dhabi; Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg (Canada). Many have Global Entry now and CBP wants to make that legal,
CBP is also proposing several additional minor changes to 8 CFR 235.12. First, CBP is proposing some language changes to reflect the expansion of Global Entry to preclearance facilities at foreign locations. Because Global Entry now operates in some U.S. territories and preclearance facilities outside the United States, CBP is proposing to remove references to “expedited entry into the United States” and replace them with “dedicated CBP processing.”
CBP says that 170,292 minors and 1,976,781 adults enrolled in Global Entry in 2019. Including family for free will be a savings that more than offsets this increase for families who have even one child they want to enroll in the program.
Comments on the new rule are open through November 9, 2020. Then CBP will need to respond to these before promulgating a final rule to implement these changes, so the date when they’re likely to go into effect is not yet certain.
I’ve reached out to several credit card issuers to inquire about their plans to adjust rewards card benefits for this change to Global Entry. Many travel-oriented rewards cards will rebate the fee to apply for Global Entry (once every four or five years) and will need to increase the amount they’ll rebate to account for the price increase.
(HT: John L.)
Hopefully the credit card providers currently covering the $100 fee will up their benefit accordingly.
Any idea when centers will open back up for interviews? I submitted my renewal but nothing is available.
@Mh – re-opened September 8 https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-reopen-trusted-traveler-programs-enrollment-centers-september-8
If the credit card companies cover the increase I don’t mind. Maybe making Nexus the same price means it will finally be covered as well? Fingers crossed on the second if this happens.
Any word on if credit cards will start covering the Nexus application fee? I use Nexus and can’t take advantage of the fee rebates on my Sapphire Reserve. Hopefully if they raise the fee to $120 for Nexus, the card issuers will start to cover the fee.
Agree on hoping NEXUS Is now finally going to be covered
I won’t have to worry about the fee increase for 5 more years as I just had my Global Entry renewal interview today. Apparently, I paid for it in December 2019 on my IHG card, had an interview cancelled in the spring, and after countless emails telling me I could do the interview on my return from my next international trip (who knows when that’ll be) I got an interview today. They set up an auxiliary office here in Seattle at Boeing Field. Free parking, 2 officers, no waiting. Easy breezy.
I never got a rebate through Amex. They just linked me to the site and it was included.
Thanks. I checked again and the Vegas center at Mccarran still shows no appointments available. I’ve got plenty of time for the interview so I’ll just keep checking.
$120 for NEXUS is too much. Justin should do something.
If they’re linking the increase with the preclearance expansion then they are lying through their teeth. 15 of the 16 preclearance locations already have Global Entry, the only one presently without it is Victoria. The list is here: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/locations
I don’t understand the part about pre-clearance airports. Don’t most already have global entry kiosks? Certainly the major ones at Canadian airports do. Is there some nuance here I’m missing?
Agree with all the comments on hoping Nexus at least gets covered. A decent amount of travel-focused Canadian credit cards cover it.
I have to second Brad on Global Entry at preclearance airports; I’m pretty sure all Canadian airports have it.
I wish credit cards covered NEXUS like Global Entry. NEXUS did have kids free with parents applying and that gave the kids global entry as well. I’ve got 3 more years before I have to worry again.
Shannon definitely already has Global Entry kiosks, or at least did 2 years ago when I was last there.
I’d be fine if they raise it to $200 as it would cut the GE lines at busy airports. Had to wait 20 minutes entering at ATL in early February because they were questioning every arrival. Definitely smart to make children free as the interviews are completely pointless. Also better aligns with CLEAR.
Most inept, bonehead “dept” in the USA. STILL! waiting for conditional approval since Nov. 2019, yet these clowns want to raise prices for crap. Disgusting
Global Entry wasn’t a good experience. They collected my materials, gave me a clearance for interview, then could not complete the interview at Portland OR or Vancouver Canada. Money down the drain. If you’re paying, watch out for their interview schedule issues.
Why do Americans have to pay money and be vetted to get the same ease of entry (actually, in practice not quite as easy) as EU Citizens have in the EU? At most EU airports EU passport holders just go through the automatic border gates and never have to talk to any border guards. Spot checks are much less frequent in the EU than they are in the US for Global Entry holders.
In fact (at least pre-Covid) Americans are allowed to use the automatic border gates at UK airports, meaning that it is easier for an American to enter the UK than to enter the US.
Nothing I read in the article comes close to justifying a $20 increase…..most of the stated benefits already exist, and children for free is how it should have been from Day One. This is just another form of a federal tax in disguise…..you should not have to pay just to avoid standing in a huge line for hours just to legally enter your own home country.
@Mo, I have you beat on waiting for Global Entry. I applied for renewal in June 2019. First I hit the Immigration guys going to the border to help out and slowing everything down. Then when I was finally conditionally approved 7 months later, I made my interview appt for end of March. Cancelled by them. Made another one for July. Cancelled by them. I am proud to say I have an appointment in two days in Nashville. I wish I could have gotten one in Atlanta, where I live!
I often wondered how I was lucky to have my renewal OK’d through the internet. Neither my husband nor I had to show up for an interview again. Not sure if it could be the age, as we both are in our late 70’s, and we have traveled extensively.
Good and Bad
I just got interviews done after 7 months. Bad is one was for my 15 yr old son that is apparently FREE now?!
I think what they are talking about…regarding preclearance.,. Is doing interviews for global entry at preclearance airports….not just having GE kiosks there
Still no free kids in GE. No date set by CBP.
Anyone have any updates?
February 2022 and still no change. $100 for Global Entry and kids are not free.
Anybody have any updates?
Make it fair for everyone…no special programs…everybody gets to wait in line…first come first served…