Global Entry Interview...time required?
 

Has anyone taken advantage of the AMEX global entry benefit?

How long did the interview take?

At ORD, I'm assuming the office is landside.

They open at 9AM, I have a flight at 9:50. Just want to figure out if I can squeeze it in.

Thanks!

My interview at Washington-Dulles took about 15 minutes (including a 5-minute video they make you watch.) Seems like you're cutting it very close, considering your flight time.

I did my interview at ORD about a month ago and it took about 20 minutes total. They didn't make me watch a video. A few quick questions about my job and travel habits and a demonstration on how to use the kiosk, that was it.

You will need to clear security after the interview to get to your gate. Seems like a pretty tight schedule with a chance for problems.

The interview itself does not take long, as others have indicated.

Okay, I'm convinced that it won't work based on the schedules. Anyone know if they will consider doing the interview without an appointment? I'm thinking, maybe my flight is delayed. I don't want to be a jerk and book an interview I likely won't use.

I doubt that you'll get an interview without an appointment. I had mine at LAX a couple of weeks ago and arrived an hour early so asked if there had perhaps been a cancellation. She laughed and said no one ever cancels these appointments.

You guys were interviewed? I did it at the Atlanta port office (the second Atlanta location, not at ATL). I got there 20 minutes early, they showed me into the back, and an agent showed two of us how to use the kiosk together and repeatedly reminded us that we should never wait unless we're behind another person with the magic sticker in their passport. Then another agent asked me if I'd ever been arrested and if I'd be using it more for business or pleasure. I circled that I'd not been arrested, initialed the form, and I was back on I-75 northbound well before my "interview" slot was even scheduled to begin.

20 minutes including video at SJU - the most difficult part for me was finding the agent and location for the interview. SJU is notorious for misinformation but once I got there the fellow was friendly and accommodating.

my interview was about 10 minutes, but I think you are cutting it too close. I wouldn't assume your interview will start instantly at 0900.

http://globalentry.gov/pdfs/ORD-Chic...ent-Center.pdf

ORD office is in terminal 5.

http://www.ohare.com/PDF/PassengerIn...1terminal5.pdf

As I recall, it's basically in the location on this map that shows US Customs and is outside of the secure area.

As everyone else has mentioned, the "interview" is pretty short. Basically asking you to answer a few questions again, ask you why you want it. But at the time of the interview, you've already been cleared. Seems pointless really.

I did my interview a couple of months ago at SFO. Same as others... about 20 minutes for the interview, stickering, and using the kiosk.

... and yet, when I showed up an hour early in ATL,
they took me straight in,
and I was out in 20 minutes, also.

You guys are lucky.

I had my interview at the San Diego/Mexico border and it took a little over an hour. I didn't even get the chance to watch a video or have a demonstration of the kiosk (they told me to go online to learn how to use the kiosk.)

I seriously doubt it. I think they vet you before the appt for approval to begin with.

If you've been informed you can schedule an interview, the vetting's all done as far as I can tell. Thus, you might luck out with scheduling an interview and showing up on an earlier date. Definitely don't bother showing up until the email comes through for the provisional approval.

At JFK they would. I was doing my interview, while a gentleman showed up and inquired how to set the appointment. The agent asked him if he had all the papers with him, and then she told him to wait till we're finished. Of course, if they'd been busy at the time it could've been problematic, but you have nothing to lose by trying.

Btw, the agents at JFK office were extremely nice and a pleasure to deal with.

I just recently got my passport for a trip to Bahrain on November 4th. I tried to sign up for the San Diego area but they were booked until Feb 2012. Ended up booking a late afternoon appointment for Nov 2nd at LAX and driving up there.

Due to leaving early to avoid traffic I got there a little over 2 hours early, one of the interviewers was just finishing up and told me to give him 10 minutes and he'd see me. No video, but a few questions, got the stamp, showed me how to use the kiosk then told me I'd be in the system in time for my return on the 11th and that was it. Also told me if I hurried I might be able to miss the heavy traffic going back down to San Diego. :)

Had I not been able to drive to LAX, I was planning on my next trip through Atlanta having a 2-3 hour layover and scheduling my appointment then.

If somebody just got approved for GE, can you check if there is a possibility to schedule an interview at EWR on November 24th, 2011 which is a Thanksgiving Holiday in US?

+1 I had the cancel my appointment in Niagara Falls last year due to a death and was unable to find any other appointments before my window was up. I had called JFK to inquire about their appointment schedule and was told no openings. They called me back in 5 minutes and said, don't worry about the appointment, just come in next time you are around and we will take care of you. Very pleasant - on the phone and in person. Also, no video, short interview, and forgot to give me my sticker. Total - <15 minutes.

Amex organized a special Global Entry approval event at a Beverly Hills hotel this weekend. Platinum card holders were invited to register online with the Global Entry website, and once we had our preliminary approval we could visit the hotel for our Customs interview and fingerprinting, saving us a trip to LAX.

Everything was handled very professionally by both Amex and the Customs people. They even supplied coffee and snacks while we waited.

I really appreciate that American Express did this, and I would encourage them to offer similar programs in other cities.

That would have been nice, although going to LAX is a lot easier for me than Beverly Hills. :)

But like others have said, my interview took about 15-20 minutes. Most of the time was spent showing me the kiosk and explaining the rules. The only real questions I got were, what is my name and why do I travel so much? :D

Apparently, CBP will do this upon request for companies with significant number of travelers located in a city where there is a Global Entry office.

When I went to my interview at MIA, the Customs official asked me where I worked. When I told him, he said "oh, we were just there! You could have done your interview then." I was aware that CBP was in my building doing GE interviews, but it was only offered to VPs and above, and I am just a lowly Manager :td: :(

SFO
 

For those that had their interview at SFO, a few questions.

I scheduled an interview at 10:30 and have a noon flight on AA. Is the interview location inside the airport and if so which Terminal. Wanted to get an idea of how much time I'll need, since I will be traveling with the family. Thanks in advance.

I live in SAN, but did my interview in LAS before a flight back to SAN. I showed up 30 minutes early, they said no problem, and took me in. Watched a 5 min video, don't remember answering any questions, signed a form, they took a surprise photo of me (look like a mini alien on my ID) and was out the door in 10 minutes. No kiosk demo. Could not have been eaiser, but finding the office took a little hunting.

What sticker? I got no such sticker in LAS during my interview. Am I screwed for using GE upon entering the US?

I think I walked past it twice without realizing it.

They put a sticker in the back of my passport, but no one looked at it at JFK on my first trip after getting it.

The sticker is not used in normal operation. The purpose of the sticker is if you are at a port of entry that supports GE, but when it's temporarily unavailable, the sticker gives you front-of-the-line privileges in the regular lines if you show it to the line-minders. The sticker doesn't do anything at non-GE ports of entry, or at a GE port when it's working normally.

The office is land side outside the secure area by 5g. The interview is quick but it was full of people with appts. You won't have time with your flight schedule They need to take fingerprints and show you how to use the machine and put a sticker on your passport I did it a couple of years ago they didn't have videos at the time.

We flew to YVR (closest to LAS) to get GE and NEXUS.
It took about 30 minutes for Canadian and US interviews, they were in the same office, just at different windows. NEXUS gets us into Canada and will allow driving across the border in the express NEXUS lanes.
Same price and same application to get both.

I did my interview this past June at IAD. Took about 20 minutes including about 10 minutes waiting time during which I watched the 5 minute video. There were quite busy and turned away someone who didn't yet have an appointment. Also someone came early but they told him he would have to come back at his scheduled time. This may have changed by now.

Super easy at JFK Thursday. Agents took me early. No video, just double checked important info, asked if I had questions and demo'd the kiosk. Super nice and easy to work with.

+1 JFK 15min without video.
also took me 40min early....
super nice.......

I did EWR on arrival there on a Saturday. I showed up 10 minutes early. The ladies working the "front desk," some kind of EWR contract security I think, didn't tell the CBP guys I was there until my appointment time came. Once they knew, they called me right in. Once I was in, the 5-6 minute video on how to use the kiosk and how not to bring apples in the country, some questions about travel patterns, a quick photo and fingerprinting and a discussion about the Dutch, and I was on my way. From application to getting my card in the mail was less than a week. Shockingly efficient.

25 minutes total at IAH. Very easy and the took me 30 minutes early.

ATL - Waited about 10 minutes, then about 10 minutes for the interview / instruction.

Ah yes, EWR friendliness and courtesy. Always a hallmark of customer relations in that cesspool.

OP here :) Yep, I ended up doing mine in JFK also. I had an appointment but they were practically pulling people off the street. Very nice guys, super efficient and happy to take you if you don't have an appointment. I chatted with the guy for a while, he said the AMEX promotion had a huge impact on the number of people signing up. He told me the program has been around 2-3 years but few people even knew about it before.

I'm based in SFO and there is practically NO availability through the end of December. What a difference! Plus, JFK has much longer hours, and is open Saturday and Sunday.

Anyway, my passport worked at the kiosk, as promised, 24 hours later (I was on a MR to Madrid so I got a chance to actually check the 24 hour claim). Very easy, and I'm very happy.

You'll need about half an hour. Maybe 45 minutes. The agent was nice to me, but he asked quite a few questions. We did get interrupted once or twice when he had to answer the phone.

It's in a room on the left side as you walk from int'l arrivals (where you actually exit customs) towards the airtrain.

I think that you may be cutting it a bit close, especially since you are traveling with family.

Moderator action
 

Thread relocated to Practical Travel Safety forum which hosts primary discussions of the Global Entry program.