Survey of Factors that may Affect Global Entry Approval Timelines
 

[moderator's note}

Since this survey is about factors that may affect approval times of both first time and renewal applications, I have moved it to its own thread from the Global Entry Renewal thread.

[/moderator's note}

I, like many of you, have been waiting 100+ days since I submitted my GE Renewal, while seeing many people posting about getting approved within a few days, with no apparent rhyme or reason.

After reviewing way more pages of this thread than I was expecting to, I think I have narrowed it down to some reasons why this might occur, and would appreciate if you could provide this info so we can maybe collect some data on if you should expect a 150+ day wait or get approved quickly.

I believe the 2 factors for getting put in the long queue are as follows:
-Changed home airport since last application (especially moving to a different state)
-Traveled to a non-Visa Waiver Country

If you could, I would appreciate trying to collect some data to test my hypothesis. If you could answer the following questions:

-First Time Application or Renewal:
-Date Applied:
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending):
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?:
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?:

*Visa Waiver Countries are: Most of EU and EEC, Australia, Andorra, Brunei, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

First Time Application or Renewal: Renewal
Date Applied: December 6, 2019
Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): December 11, 2019 - conditionally approved, pending interview
Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes

-First Time Application or Renewal: Renewal (first renewal)
-Date Applied: July 13(ish) 2019
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): November 20 2019
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No. Same home address and airport as previous.
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes^

^- Only visa issued was a Marriage Visa for the UK; TWOV stamps from China in passport. Other countries visited since original approval (no visa required for US citizens): France, Australia, UK (England, Scotland), Denmark, UAE, Canada, Japan, Mongolia, Bermuda, Bahamas, Italy, Jamaica, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, South Korea, Cayman Islands, Panama [the last four I never left the sterile side of the airport so might not really count but I disclosed them on the GE renewal]

I've mentioned it before I strongly suspect that my travel non-patterns over the past 5 years were a strong influence in my delay...though part of my brain thinks if that was the case a follow-up question or two may have been asked at some point (why throw someone into a long queue if there's not some different result from being in the long queue?) -- especially since my first time through I had a very boring travel history (if I recall correctly just Canada and UK (England)) and was conditionally approved virtually immediately.

Factors likely include change of address and change of employment.

Your pattern does not fit my experience
 

error - my post was erroneously added to this hypothetical

For daughter #1 , a college student:

-First Time Application or Renewal: Renewal
-Date Applied: Dec. 14, 2019
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): Dec. 18, 2019
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No.
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes, assuming Costa Rica is a non-visa waiver country.

Still waiting--but now it DOES have the info about "it's good for a year after expiration now!" in the "still pending" portion...

First Time Application or Renewal: Renewal
Date Applied: June 26, 2019
Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): Pending
Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes (China on a 5-day transit visa)

For ME:
First Time Application or Renewal: 2nd Renewal
-Date Applied: June 12
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): Nov 29 (no interview required)
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes - Australia, UK and EU

Stats for my daughter:
2nd Renewal
Date applied: June 12
Date approved: June 18 (no interview required)
Changed home airport or moved since last: Yes
Travel to non-visa waiver countries: Yes - Australia, EU

Stats for my husband:
2nd Renewal
Date applied: March 20
Date approved: March 23 (no interview required)
Changed home airport or moved since last: Yes
Travel to non-visa waiver countries: Yes - Australia, EU, UK, Taiwan, S. Korea, Singapore, Japan

All our renewals were processed thru IAD

The pattern I have observed is that in families of 3+ people, one of them ends up in the long queue.

leavedacannoli why are you listing VWP countries as "travel to non-visa waiver countries?" All the countries listed are VWP countries (with the possible exception of EU as there are some EU countries, such as Cyprus, not yet in VWP.)

First Time Application or Renewal: Renewal
Date Applied: December 17, 2019
Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): December 26, 2019, no interview required
Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: Yes, but kept same job/employer
Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: No

For me:
-First Time Application or Renewal: 2nd renewal
-Date Applied: July 2019
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): 5 days after submittal, no interview reqd.
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes, probably 10 countries, and I reside in a non-visa waiver country.

For a minor daughter:
-First Time Application or Renewal: renewal
-Date Applied: late June 2019
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): 5 days after submittal, required interview (standard for minors I believe)
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: Yes, a couple, and resides with me in a non-visa waiver country.

-First Time Application or Renewal: First Time
-Date Applied: 27 Aug 2019
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): Pending
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: No

-First Time Application or Renewal: First Time
-Date Applied: 18 Dec 19
-Date Approved (list Pending if Pending): 24 Dec 19
-Changed "Home Airport" or moved out of state since last application?: No
-Traveled to non-Visa Waiver Country* since last renewal?: No


There's another thread that shows a lot of June applicants getting their CA to schedule their interviews - hope you get your's soon.