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Renewing Global Entry Has Never Been More Frustrating

Receiving approval for a new membership (or a renewal) in the Global Entry Program for Trusted Travelers has never been more frustrating. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has even taken the unprecedented move of extending the expiration date of existing Global Entry memberships by a full year. The reasons for the backlog are surprisingly complicated.

Long delays for those applying to or renewing membership in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry Program for Trusted Travelers are now so commonplace that the increasingly drawn-out process has become something of a running joke among frequent flyers. One FlyerTalk member who shared concerns about allegedly being questioned by CBP agents prior to a domestic flight at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) quipped that the possibility of turning the unorthodox interaction with law enforcement into an advantage was briefly considered solely out of desperation.

“Last time they pulled the guy in front of me (if they picked me I was gonna joke about finally getting my global entry interview), but this time I was picked and asked quite a few questions like I just came back in the country,” the FlyerTalker recounted in his controversial post.

It turns out frustrations over the backlog in Global Entry applications are also shared by thousands of this frequent flyer’s fellow travelers. This summer, the CBP took the unusual step of extending the expiration date for Trusted Travelers who have already applied for Global Entry renewal but have not yet been approved. For those travelers, memberships will remain valid for 12 months after the current expiration date.

“We have accommodated to various situations that have included the ripple effect of the partial government shutdown, the response to the southwest border and the high volume of GE (Global Entry) members seeking to renew (those who initially applied in 2014 and 2015),” a CBP spokesperson told the SFGate in September. “The one-year extension of GE benefits for those seeking to renew their GE memberships is helping to mitigate this situation, provided that the renewal application is submitted before the GE membership expires.”

The agency says it has suffered what amounts to a perfect storm where it comes to processing Global Entry applications and renewals. In addition to reasons listed, the program’s popularity continues to skyrocket (meaning the CBP’s workload is only increasing).

The rush to join the Global Entry program in the early days of the program is, in many ways, being revisited today. Most of the very first travelers to join Global Entry are now faced with renewing expiring memberships. Some of those renewals and all new applications require that the travelers be interviewed in person.

Lately, this has been much easier said than done.

Earlier this year, citing “a dire immigration crisis that requires swift and decisive action to confront illegal and uncontrolled migration threatening our safety and security,” then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen has ordered the federal agencies under her charge, including the CBP and the TSA, to re-deploy resources to the Southern U.S. border with Mexico. The Los Angeles Times reports that this has left far fewer resources for processing Global Entry applications. In fact, the newspaper notes that Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Global Entry office was shuttered indefinitely as agents were reassigned to the Southern border.

The partial federal government shutdown of 2018-2019 also created a backlog in processing Global Entry applications for obvious reasons. Believe it or not, the CBP says that it has not entirely recovered from the time lost during the most recent shutdown and resulting work stoppage.

There is no need to fret, however. In addition to an extra 12-month grace period on some expiring Global Entry memberships, there are a few tried and true tactics to help speed the process along. Here are some tips on getting a faster Global Entry interview appointment. In some cases, the advice includes heading out of town in order to help fast track the schedule.

How has your luck been when it comes to renewing or applying to the Global Entry Trusted Traveler program? The world’s largest community of expert flyers is offering a shoulder to cry on along with the best advice for making the process as tear-free as possible in the Trusted Travelers forums.

 

[Image: Shutterstock/Evgenia Parajanian]

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33 Comments
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adventures_await December 6, 2019

When my wife tried to schedule an interview at SFO there is nothing until 2021. They is correct 2021! The closet alternative office for the interview is LAX which is not an option. What is going on at SFO?

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dobdobdo October 20, 2019

Maybe they’ve cleaned things up. After reading this article and comments, I applied for GE renewal last week with an online application. I received approval (without interview or anything additional) in six days.

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waylo October 16, 2019

The forums here clearly describe a dichotomy of experiences. If you are very fortunate, an application can be approved within a week. The less fortunate, for whatever mysterious reason, are waiting >140 days. This is for both new applications and renewals. I applied for my infant child who obviously has no occupation or criminal record 2 months ago, and have not heard back yet. Both of us parents were approved 3 years ago.

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Reetmafreen October 16, 2019

Submitted my renewal application on Friday and got the approval notification 5 days later. I had waited until my new Green Card came in before submitting the GE renewal. The Green Card renewal was a different kettle of fish. You can't apply for a renewal until you are within 6 months of the expiration date of the current card. The trouble is that renewals are taking between 10 and 12 months. I lost the ability to use the GE lanes after the original Green Card expired (there was a non machine readable 1 year extension sticker on the back of the card to allow travel) as the GE machine verifies my identity/eligibility via the Green Card, rather than on my passport. Though I was surprised that I could use the expired Green Card at SAN last month coming back into the country. There were new style GE machines near the JAL/AC gates, so perhaps they were programed differently from the older ones at LAX and CLT.

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danbrew October 16, 2019

Renewed only in May 2019. Still marked as "pending" as of this morning (10/16/19). Expires in March 2020. Have a reminder on my calendar to check it every Friday. :(