Global Entry Enrollment Interview Experiences and Questions Asked in the Interview
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: RSW
Programs: Delta - Silver; UA - Silver; HHonors - Diamond; IHG - Spire Ambassador; Marriott Bonvoy - Titanium
Posts: 14,184
They asked me my address and my name. That's it. No small talk. Didn't even tell me that he was taking the picture just put the camera up and click. Nothing about my travel (I travel A LOT internationally), nothing about prior records. No video. I was approved before I got in my car to leave.
Also, there was no private room or receptionist. Any and all questions are in front of others waiting, including him reading my name and address out loud.
Also, there was no private room or receptionist. Any and all questions are in front of others waiting, including him reading my name and address out loud.
#62
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 69
No, but they had unusual circumstances. One guy had some fancy passport, lol, business or something. And he had a chat with him about that and if he could do this and that with it. The other one was asked some questions as he was born in Mexico city and whatnot. To be honest, I was uncomfortable sitting in the room listening to other peoples details, so I tried to just keep my head into my game on my phone. There were a couple others that came in just for new stickers.
#63
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 244
Had my son's (he's a minor) interview at O'Hare last week. There is a separate lobby waiting room. Strangely, they had FoxNews playing on the lobby TV and they were airing a discussion on the pointlessness of airport security and how it's now working and we're all at horrible risk. Slightly offputting to watch while sitting in the Homeland Security office.
While the waiting room is separate from the interview area, the interviews are done in a smallllll room that has 5 or 6 desks with officers all doing interviews at the same time. We were literally sitting < 4 feet away from the next interviewee with no privacy wall between. I could tell you where the person next to us lives, works, and travels to.
They asked for my state ID (not passport - to prove his address), asked him his address, and if he'd ever been arrested. And that was about it.
While the waiting room is separate from the interview area, the interviews are done in a smallllll room that has 5 or 6 desks with officers all doing interviews at the same time. We were literally sitting < 4 feet away from the next interviewee with no privacy wall between. I could tell you where the person next to us lives, works, and travels to.
They asked for my state ID (not passport - to prove his address), asked him his address, and if he'd ever been arrested. And that was about it.
#64
#65
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Back in April at CLT they asked me what I did for a living, how many times I traveled out of the country a year, why I wanted GE and to confirm the details of the brush with the law I had in 2008. Simple as that, I was in and out in 10 minutes.
#66
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,862
My CBP fellow asked me if I was still at the same address as the application and was I still retired. From there the discussion went into how was retirement working for me as I'm a retired Federal civil servant under the old Civil Service Retirement System. He's also grandfathered into the old system and about two years out from hitting the minimum requirements. Spent way more time talking about that than anything to do with GE. A month later and my wife went through her interview with the same guy. About the same though more about her still being a Federal employee and how was that under the newer Federal Employee Retirement System. Obviously my agent was more worried about retirement than our backgrounds.
#68
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wild Wiltshire
Programs: Demoted to gold, Cats protection
Posts: 3,455
Although the CBP officer in HNL was surprised that British citizens were now included in GE (the memo had obviously not made it!) he asked a few questions on had I been refused entry, had I been in violation of customs, had I ever been arrested. Confirmed my details, showed me the video, it wall all very friendly (and air conditioned) He gave me some advice if the machine wasnt working and that was it. I got the confirmation email the same day
#69
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1
I have my interview tomorrow evening and don't feel like going to Staples to print out the letter, but my letter doesn't even say to print it out and bring it to the interview. Can anyone confirm if they eliminated the requirement to bring the approval letter to the interview?
#70
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 244
I have my interview tomorrow evening and don't feel like going to Staples to print out the letter, but my letter doesn't even say to print it out and bring it to the interview. Can anyone confirm if they eliminated the requirement to bring the approval letter to the interview?
#71
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Plat, DL, WN, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Silver, HY, Global Entry
Posts: 49
I have my interview tomorrow evening and don't feel like going to Staples to print out the letter, but my letter doesn't even say to print it out and bring it to the interview. Can anyone confirm if they eliminated the requirement to bring the approval letter to the interview?
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: RSW
Programs: Delta - Silver; UA - Silver; HHonors - Diamond; IHG - Spire Ambassador; Marriott Bonvoy - Titanium
Posts: 14,184
I brought the wrong letter this morning, the appointment confirmation rather than the actual conditional approval itself; however, since I was on that day's list, he didn't really care. There weren't really any interview questions as such, more confirming a couple of the answers I had supplied. If not outright stated, he very strongly implied that I was approved before I even sat down and open my mouth to give the first response. The only part of the entire 5 minute procedure that was at all noteworthy was that he strongly suggested that I have my new passport number (later this year) entered by staff at an interview center, rather than relying on doing it myself in the GOES profile. Otherwise, it was a complete formality just to get the photo and fingerprints on file.
#73
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,090
On the lack of privacy, I had mine at ORD and echo the comment above that there was a separate waiting area, but just a bunch of desks/open cubicles in back. Not a ton of privacy, but I was the only one being interviewed at the time.
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: RSW
Programs: Delta - Silver; UA - Silver; HHonors - Diamond; IHG - Spire Ambassador; Marriott Bonvoy - Titanium
Posts: 14,184
Vegas interview was done in a small office where my interviewer had a desk face to face with his colleague who was (faking?) doing paperwork the entire time. For the photo, I looked straight ahead, and the guy didn't correct me at all.
#75
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: AA
Posts: 16
I have received my conditional approval, and naively thought that scheduling an interview would be easy. I have an up-coming trip through LAX in about a month, and scheduled y arriving flight to allow all morning to schedule my interview. To my surprise, I found that the entire day is booked, and that many days in February are unavailable. I looked at Long Beach, and the entire month of Feb. is booked.
Surprisingly, the situation at JFK, for example, is the opposite, with most days available, so scheduling an interview may be very easy at some centers and difficult at others. I'd like to a avoid the need to tie up a whole day flying to LAX and home ( not to mention the expense) simply for an interview that seems to be a formality! As others have suggested, I'll keep trying to schedule at LAX, but if I can't maybe I'll take my chances as a walk-in.
Surprisingly, the situation at JFK, for example, is the opposite, with most days available, so scheduling an interview may be very easy at some centers and difficult at others. I'd like to a avoid the need to tie up a whole day flying to LAX and home ( not to mention the expense) simply for an interview that seems to be a formality! As others have suggested, I'll keep trying to schedule at LAX, but if I can't maybe I'll take my chances as a walk-in.