When I renewed my Global Entry three years ago, the online request (and payment) was enough. I wasn’t required to do an in-person interview. Not everyone is so lucky.
Global Entry lets you skip immigration and customs queues when you return to the U.S. It also gets you TSA PreCheck. It costs $100 and lasts five years. When you renew you may be asked to show up in person. They trialed an online ‘interview’ option earlier in the year.
Somehow I missed the news earlier this month that Customs and Border Protection will now let you do Global Entry renewal interviews over Zoom.
Those conditionally approved to renew must be 18 years old or older; have a photo on file that was taken within the past 10 years (when folks renew for a second time, be sure to reach this stage before 10 years from your in-person interview); and have previously submitted fingerprints (such as during your initial Global Entry interview).
You have to have your current passport (and permanent resident card if applicable) and proof of residence when you sit for the online interview.
This program will be extended to NEXUS, FAST and SENTRI as well.
Going to the airport for this no more than once every five years wasn’t the worst thing, although the backlog in interviews needing to be scheduled made actually getting in now very difficult. We’ll see if this increases the interview throughput potential, but it’s certainly nicer to be able to do the interview from your desk rather than finding an available slot that also corresponds to when you can schlepp out for a physical interview.
(HT: Joe Brancatelli)
I got Global Entry when it 1st came out, AMEX even gave both my wife and I the $100/each back! Great way to go… has saved us a lot of time on lines.
I think my wife decided to get it, when, while coming back into the US, we were detained for several hours when she showed her passport to the agent. Seems her passport had been mistakenly hit by a typo (really) in their system which had her show-up as someone else… and they had to get the State Dept on the phone to interview her, and finally release us.
On 1st re-up, I did not have to go back for an in-person, whereas my wife did…
Welcome to the 21st century CBP (who woulda’ thought you’d use Zoom) 🙂
Renewed last year. No questions asked, no interview…nothing but the paper work and payment.
I was looking forward to my visit to T-4 at JFK with my wife for her renewal. Who doesn’t like going to JFK. I’ll forward the link to my wife. Thanks? 😉
Its ‘theoretical’, I have looked for Zoom appts in NY and CA for months. Will keep on-site appt at SFO.
Nexus, on my second renewal, photo is presumably coming up on ten years, was “conditionally approved” pending an interview. For now, no Nexus interviews available at all. Not yet on Zoom and all offices in Canada are closed (plus Americans are generally not allowed in). They seem to recognize the impact of having no interviews for (so far) 16 months, in that they’ve extended the validity period of the account to up to 730 days from when conditionally approved.
Maybe so. I went to schedule my interview for my GE renewal last week via Zoom. There was no link or way to do it on my TTP dashboard after logging in. Ended up renewing it in person with a walk-in, as schedule appointments were a YEAR out locally. I think they announced it before having the IT in place.
Had to do an in-person interview to renew my TSA PreCheck. Only one agent taking care of the all appointments, with about an hour wait past your scheduled time to see the agent. What a PITA. Just forget about being a ‘walk-in’ for this!
Set up appointments for my wife and me yesterday for mid-July by Zoom. Nothing available by Zoom until then, but pretty wide open beginning mid-July onward. Was surprised that this was offered as an option, but pleased.
Earlier today, and before this post by Gary, my wife booked an appointment for in person. When she went back to the site, it won’t let her make a Zoom appt without getting rid of her in person appt. Since we don’t know when the Zoom appt will be, she’s taking a pass. Oh well.
For people like me who don’t live anywhere near a Customs office that offers Global entry interviews, this is a big benefit. I wish it was around when I renewed this past February!
On FT I had mentioned that there are some renewals that are called in for no reason other than to recapture photo (and fingerprints) because of the age of the photo on file for GE. Perhaps it is another one of those posts deleted there.
have my zoom interview for my renewal tomorrow!
Have my zoom renewal scheduled now for third week in July. Thanks so much Gary for this post. Great option to have now!.
Had my Zoom interview in May. Quick, fast and painless. Took about 5 minutes. While in person interviews, depending on the airport, are still backed up for months.