Travel Tip Tuesday | Renewing Global Entry

Are You Eligible for the New Way to Renew Global Entry?

In 2008, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency introduced Global Entry as part of the Trusted Traveler Program. This program allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance that allows them to breeze through customs and immigration in minutes rather than, sometimes, hours. For many travelers, the perk of getting through customs and immigration quickly has been well worth the $100 fee associated with the program. 

As with all very successful programs, Global Entry has become very popular with travelers, so popular in fact, that scheduling an in-person appointment to renew Global Entry has become a chore that can entail months of waiting for an interview. But, things are about to get better because, on June 1, 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency launched a remote interview pilot program for renewing Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) members. 

Some renewing TTP members with valid passports who are conditionally approved are eligible to participate in the pilot.  This pilot program enables eligible TTP members to complete enrollment renewal interviews with a CBP Officer through video teleconferencing (a Zoom call) while ensuring that the remote interview process maintains high security and privacy standards. 

To be eligible for the remote interview pilot, TTP members must:

• Be conditionally approved for a TTP renewal;

• Be at least 18 years of age;

• Have a photo on file with CBP that was taken (1) within the past 10 years, and (2) after the applicant was 14 years of age; and

• Have previously submitted fingerprints to CBP.

TTP members can renew their TTP membership up to one year before it expires. First-time TTP applicants are not yet eligible to participate.

^{What You Need on a Remote Interview to Renew Global Entry}

To schedule a remote interview, eligible applicants should log into their TTP dashboard and select the “Scheduling Your Remote Interview” link. The U. S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) recommends that applicants verify their e-mail address of record by using the “Edit Profile” link prior to scheduling a remote interview. Doing so will ensure that the applicant receives appointment details and reminders.

CBP is using Zoom for government video conferencing software to conduct the remote interviews. Applicants should ensure that their computer, tablet, or smartphone has a working microphone and camera and that their device is capable of running the Zoom platform prior to scheduling their interview appointment.

Applicants who schedule remote interviews will be able to access a virtual waiting room up to 15 minutes prior to their scheduled interview time through their TTP dashboard or the CBP OneTM Mobile Application, available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Interviews will take approximately 15 minutes. Applicants should be prepared to show the following documents during their remote interview:

• A valid passport. Applicants should bring all of their current passports to the interview so the information can be added to their file.
• Documents providing proof of residency. Such proof may include a driver’s license, mortgage statement, rental payment statement, or utility bill that features the applicant’s current home address.
• A permanent residence card (if applicable).

Renewing NEXUS, FAST, and SENTRI members will be integrated into the pilot over the next several weeks through a phased approach. Due to the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel at U.S. land borders, NEXUS and FAST-North interviews at U.S. and Canadian enrollment centers remain suspended until further notice.

It should also be noted that the CBP continues to offer in-person interviews at TTP enrollment centers located in the U.S. Conditionally approved first-time Global Entry applicants may continue to schedule in-person interviews at enrollment centers through their TTP dashboard or Enrollment on Arrival, which CBP now offers arriving international passengers at 65 airports. Applicants must observe local COVID-19 guidelines.