rruaco

When applying for a green card I had to list every trip to the US I had ever taken - took two pages and ended with a note saying the list was as complete as I could make it but my memory of trips as a two year old is a little hazy

LTN Phobia

Yes, although no new/renewal registration, regardless of nationality, is accepted now.

dubbin

So... How does one get invited?

cutting42

Don't know exactly but 50 trips to the states in the past 4 years seemed to do the trick for me. Got approached in the Lounge at LGW en-route to MCO by a BA ladyand offered the invitation. She just mentioned frequent travelers being asked.

Time traveller

That is what I feared regarding IRIS. I think GE for UK residents frequently visiting the US and IRIS for Americans frequently visiting the UK would definitely be a step in the right direction.

Brit2021

I can confirm Global Entry is available to certain UK passport holders, by certain I mean its currently being trialled. You can only join if you are invited by Virgin / British Airways and you have to be one of their frequent flyers (highest tier) when filling in your application you need a promotional code which the airlines will give you if you qualify and of course you need to complete a CRB check.

I completed the process earlier this year and was approved, it goes without saying I actually enjoy flying into JFK now as opposed to being custom to waiting in line for a few hours!

The application process took 12 weeks for me though this was just before the summer holidays and expected due to an increase in registration!

Hope this helps.

i-want-a-gold-card

I was in MCO last week and was passing the Global entry office and popped in to ask what the current status of Global Entry program for UK applicants.

The officer told me that they were processing a lot of UK applications at the moment so hopefully not to long until they open the program up.

JFX1764

Is GE available to in-frequent visitors to the US (1-4 times a year)? Well when they open it up to UK nationals.

TheKipper

I spoke to the TSA guys at iAd today. They said 3 month wait for background checks and then interview at next airport of entry.

I bet it's really painful, but could also really be worth it!

GUWonder

TSA or CBP?

I've seen this done in less than three weeks repeatedly this month, so the "background check" -- which is centralized for the most part -- doesn't take months. The time to get an interview slot varies by airport. At airports like IAD or ORD or JFK/EWR, the wait for available interview slot is longer than say at MSP.

14940674

The joint GE/PreCheck information desk at IAD is staffed by TSOs. Their knowledge of CBP programs seems to be limited.

kileysmom

The difficult part at least for me is that you need to book an appointment for the final interview and most airports are booking 6 weeks or more in the future. If you have a certain travel date and will be going through one of the airports that offer the interview (there's a list on the GOES website of about 25 or so but most airports that are common points of entry are listed) then you could book your appointment for when you are there. It looks like I am going to end up paying to fly down to Seattle primarily for the interview because I don't know far enough in advance when I'm passing through one of the interview places to book an appointment.

I was told by someone at the SEA office that you can check online to look for cancellations and that's what I'm doing for a scheduled trip in late January. Right now SEA is booking in late March!

OldHigsonian

This would be nice.

However, a separate line for ESTA holders would probably improve things sufficiently for me. Last week in ORD then we were stuck behind a couple of planes full of visa holders (middle east, sub continent). The ESTA holders fly through the process, but they visa holders take 3 or 4 times as long.

ExpatExp

Slightly OT, but at least one UK citizen has also been able to enrol in Pre-Check, the US airport programme that gives members a much less invasive security screening procedure and permits members to skip most security queues, without removing/sequestering shoes, laptops or liquids.

corporate-wage-slave

I really doubt it is worth it. For example you would need an enhanced CRB check, which is tedious in its own right. There are credible reports of people with very minor childhood misdemeanours being denied GE.