Should I switch and do GE while waiting for (expired) Nexus?
My wife and I messed up and didn't renew our Nexus until AFTER it expired (expired in December, renewed in January). I hadn't paid attention and only figured it out after TSA Pre stopped working.
My wife got hers renewed within a few weeks, no interview needed. Mine is still awaiting conditional approval, and it looks like it'll potentially be QUITE a while. No idea why hers was so quick and mine not. My email got the standard long wait-time response.
In order to keep TSA Pre for U.S. domestic travel, I applied separately for that, and got a new TSA Pre number. I emailed Nexus in advance to ask if it was fine, and they said that was fine to do, it wouldn't affect my Nexus renewal application or status. Just an extra $85 out of pocket.
I don't travel internationally very often (esp. lately) but we do have a European trip coming up later this summer.
Q: Is it worth cancelling my Nexus application and reapplying for GE, in order to have Global Entry for the return from the trip (and any subsequent), until Nexus works through backlog)? (Seems I have to cancel Nexus otherwise I'm not allowed to even start a GE application).
We're returning into Chicago ORD. Luckily we have a long layover, and the world won't end if I'm in a long Customs line while my wife breezes through the GE lane.
I'm currently thinking just tough it out for another 6-18 months or however long it takes for Nexus to work their way up to me.
But curious on any pros/cons I may not have considered.
-Sky