Global Entry Card renewal

[GottaKnowWhen]

The U.S. Global Entry card sometimes (depending on airport or port of entry, depending on CBP staffing, depending on luck, etc.) sometimes allows one to use a separate shorter line when going through customs/immigration. It carries with it TSA Precheck privileges if you register your Trusted Traveler number with your travel agent or airline.

 

My Global Entry card was coming up on its five-year renewal date. Ten days ago I went online, signed onto the ttp.cbp.dhs.gov website, filled out the application form, and paid the $100 fee via AMEX.

 

1. Within one day I had a $100 refund posted on my AMEX account. Other travel-oriented cards also offer this benefit to members, i.e., reimbursement for Global Entry, Precheck or similar programs. I hadn't realized how automatic the process would be, I had thought I might need to contact AMEX and request the reimbursement. Nope, I didn't need to do anything, the refund just showed up.

2. The CBP website showed my application status as Approved within one day. The initial application required a face-to-face interviewing session, it is not clear if the renewal might require that but at least in my case no such requirement was triggered.

3. Today I received my new Global Entry card. A 5-minute trip to the website to activate the card and the process is done. My Trusted Traveler number remains the same so no need for me to change/update information on the airline websites.

 

Note: On initial application the process requires, among other information, a listing of all countries visited in the previous 10 years. (Maybe it was 15 or 20 years? Anyway, a long time period.) For the renewal, the application only requires a listing of countries visited in the five years since the expiring card was issued. The on-line application has an easy-to-use drop-down of countries listed alphabetically, so checking off my 37 recent visits was quite straightforward. 

 

All in all, I was quite pleased by how quick and easy the whole process was.

Safe travels everyone!

 

Stan

  

[LJJQ]

Stan,

 

My Wife and Myself have had ours about three years now and we also were reimbursed by AMEX. For our interview had to go out to JFK airport! It was fairly easy! We have used our Global  Entry Card when returned from Europe and process was so easy! 
Every citizen traveling out of the country in my opinion should have it! An added plus is the Precheck!

[pumpkin 11]

Just applied for mine as Traveling to and from the Millennium was a mess 3 weeks ago. Looking forward to having it for the future!

[kwokpot]

Global Entry has never been officially approved for cruise ports, despite signs to the contrary posted at the Port. 

[Sheal]

We just applied, for the first time, to the global entry program about 2 months ago.  We had our approval for the interview process with 3 days.  They must have changed the application process as we only had to do the last 5 years.  Even so, remembering every trip was still a challenge.  I had to call RC and celebrity for clues.  I wouldn't have stood a chance if I had to go back 10 years.

[publicpersona]

59 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Global Entry has never been officially approved for cruise ports, despite signs to the contrary posted at the Port. 

That’s not entirely correct. Global Entry is available at Port Everglades. It may the only cruise port and it exists as a test, but it is valid there.
 

Edited July 2, 2021 by publicpersona

[Jim_Iain]

I would say that the previous reply is kinda true.    I've used it a number of times and they just flagged us through.    They told me they didn't have the capability to  actually access Global Entry from the port and definitely don't have the terminals to self clear like most Airport's I've used. 

 

I use Chase Sapphire and they also refund the fee as well as credit you for the first $300 in travel each year.

[DUTRAVEL]

My husband and I just renewed our Global entry cards - approved in one day and no in person interview this time. We applied right after our birthdays (a year ahead of time) and the cards are good until 2027. I paid the fees with the Sapphire Reserve and my United Card. Since Global Entry is only $15 more than Pre-Check, it make sense to get it for us even though we don't use it that often.

 

In addition to Ft Lauderdale, there was a line for Global Entry when we were boarding a ship for an Alaskan cruise at the Port of Vancouver.

[kwokpot]

7 hours ago, publicpersona said:

That’s not entirely correct. Global Entry is available at Port Everglades. It may the only cruise port and it exists as a test, but it is valid there.
 

It's never been officially approved to there even though there's signs indicating that there's a Separate Global Entry line. In fact I once tried to show the boarder agent my card and he said I don't need to see it,I have no idea what it even looks like. Another time I asked about a separate line for global Entry and again they said it's not available. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by kwokpot

[kwokpot]

46 minutes ago, DUTRAVEL said:

there was a line for Global Entry when we were boarding a ship for an Alaskan cruise at the Port of Vancouver.

Yes,that was one of the only occasions where we were officially able to use our Global Entry at a cruise port. Of course that wasn't a US port.

Edited July 3, 2021 by kwokpot

[ymncruise]

I just applied for Global Entry. It says it can take 6 months to process. I hope that won’t be my experience. Has anyone recently applied for the first time?  Wondering how long it will really take. 

[Caribbean Chris]

Our interview is next month at Tampa Airport. We also got it for the TSA PreCheck and hope to do more international travel again soon.

 

The airports I went to on a May business trip were scary-packed with seriously long lines, so I came home and told my spouse I wasn’t flying again without it.

[highway180]

6 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It's never been officially approved to there even though there's signs indicating that there's a Separate Global Entry line. In fact I once tried to show the boarder agent my card and he said I don't need to see it,I have no idea what it even looks like. Another time I asked about a separate line for global Entry and again they said it's not available. 

we've used your imaginary Global entry line, on multiple occasions, and no they do not scan the card....a quick glance, and off we were. Well worth it.

[ericfromri]

13 minutes ago, highway180 said:

we've used your imaginary Global entry line, on multiple occasions, and no they do not scan the card....a quick glance, and off we were. Well worth it.

so have I

[TeeRick]

7 hours ago, ymncruise said:

I just applied for Global Entry. It says it can take 6 months to process. I hope that won’t be my experience. Has anyone recently applied for the first time?  Wondering how long it will really take. 

Hard to predict.  My dw and I renewed online on the same day.  She was approved in a week.  It took them 4 months for mine.  No difference in our status, travel records, or anything else.  So no reason to take so long for mine.  There was no interview required for either of us.

 

My passport is up for renewal in 2022.  I have heard there is a very long wait (6 months) for passport renewals.

[publicpersona]

9 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It's never been officially approved to there even though there's signs indicating that there's a Separate Global Entry line

 

OK, well you can continue to think it is just a hoax or something, but I’ve used it to bypass crowds several times by using the line signed as Global Entry and showing my Global Entry card to the port staff directing people. The CBP agent doesn’t need to look at it because it is linked to your passport. It may not be staffed on occasion; that’s understandable.

 

I’ll be using it again next weekend (if available). I’d offer to take pictures, but that could get me arrested.

[TeeRick]

9 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It's never been officially approved to there even though there's signs indicating that there's a Separate Global Entry line. In fact I once tried to show the boarder agent my card and he said I don't need to see it,I have no idea what it even looks like. Another time I asked about a separate line for global Entry and again they said it's not available. 

Last time I cruised out of Port Everglades on EDGE, they had facial recognition technology when coming back through CBP and there was no line for US citizens.  This was way back in Jan 2019.

[Turtles06]

9 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It's never been officially approved to there [Port Everglades] even though there's signs indicating that there's a Separate Global Entry line. In fact I once tried to show the boarder agent my card and he said I don't need to see it,I have no idea what it even looks like. Another time I asked about a separate line for global Entry and again they said it's not available. 

Like others above, we’ve used our Global Entry cards when disembarking in Port Everglades. No machines as in airports, we just flashed our cards and were on our way. I’ve been told this is also the case in Miami, but I can’t speak from personal experience. 

[DCPIV]

We've had Global Entry for several years, and it's totally worth it even just for the Pre-Check. One instance of international travel where you can use GE, and the extra $15 feels like you're getting away with something.

 

It seems they've streamlined the renewal process, too. I had to go for an in-person interview for my last renewal (2019, I think). Appointments were very difficult to get and had to be scheduled months in advance. I ended up just doing a "walk-in," where I showed up in the morning, waited, and they squeezed me in when they could. 

 

48 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

My passport is up for renewal in 2022.  I have heard there is a very long wait (6 months) for passport renewals.

 

I advise getting on that as soon as you're able. That 6 month estimate likely is fairly accurate. You can shorten that by a couple months if you pay the expedited fee (probably worth it). You can do an in-person renewal but only if you are traveling in the next 3 days.

 

After you get your renewal, you then have to update your Global Entry with your new passport number. We did that just recently and had to do it in person at the Global Entry office. It was a quick and easy thing to do, but we had to go out to the airport to do it. 

 

To be precise, I believe the "in-person" requirement for updating the passport number on GE applies to only the passport rather than the person. They need to see the thing. My wife ran in with both our passports while I waited on the car (so that we didn't have to pay to park). You might want to call and double check that, though. Who knows what might from day to day? 

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, DCPIV said:

We've had Global Entry for several years, and it's totally worth it even just for the Pre-Check. One instance of international travel where you can use GE, and the extra $15 feels like you're getting away with something.

 

It seems they've streamlined the renewal process, too. I had to go for an in-person interview for my last renewal (2019, I think). Appointments were very difficult to get and had to be scheduled months in advance. I ended up just doing a "walk-in," where I showed up in the morning, waited, and they squeezed me in when they could. 

 

 

I advise getting on that as soon as you're able. That 6 month estimate likely is fairly accurate. You can shorten that by a couple months if you pay the expedited fee (probably worth it). You can do an in-person renewal but only if you are traveling in the next 3 days.

 

After you get your renewal, you then have to update your Global Entry with your new passport number. We did that just recently and had to do it in person at the Global Entry office. It was a quick and easy thing to do, but we had to go out to the airport to do it. 

 

To be precise, I believe the "in-person" requirement for updating the passport number on GE applies to only the passport rather than the person. They need to see the thing. My wife ran in with both our passports while I waited on the car (so that we didn't have to pay to park). You might want to call and double check that, though. Who knows what might from day to day? 

Thanks for the tip(s)!

[Turtles06]

5 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

After you get your renewal, you then have to update your Global Entry with your new passport number. We did that just recently and had to do it in person at the Global Entry office. It was a quick and easy thing to do, but we had to go out to the airport to do it. 

 

To be precise, I believe the "in-person" requirement for updating the passport number on GE applies to only the passport rather than the person. They need to see the thing. My wife ran in with both our passports while I waited on the car (so that we didn't have to pay to park). You might want to call and double check that, though. Who knows what might from day to day? 

I really think you can do that update on line:

 

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1265?language=en_US

[markeb]

14 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

I really think you can do that update on line:

 

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1265?language=en_US

Not always. I’m going to have to go to Dulles to update mine. Supposedly a quick walk-in. We’ll see. 

[Turtles06]

54 minutes ago, markeb said:

Not always. I’m going to have to go to Dulles to update mine. Supposedly a quick walk-in. We’ll see. 

Thanks for that info. Could you elaborate— is there functionality to update your passport number in your Global Entry account on line, but some folks just are not permitted to? 
 

In any event, I do hope it is indeed a quick walk-in for you! 

[marieps]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Hard to predict.  My dw and I renewed online on the same day.  She was approved in a week.  It took them 4 months for mine.  No difference in our status, travel records, or anything else.  So no reason to take so long for mine.  There was no interview required for either of us.

 

My passport is up for renewal in 2022.  I have heard there is a very long wait (6 months) for passport renewals.

We mailed our passport renewal application on March 20 and got the new PPs on May 25.  They said 8-12 weeks with standard processing and it was right on the money.  I had no idea AMEX paid for Global Entry.  Bummer.  I used Fidelity Visa.  CBP keeps emailing that we can do our in person interviews when we return from a trip in a few weeks.  That's the plan.

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, marieps said:

We mailed our passport renewal application on March 20 and got the new PPs on May 25.  They said 8-12 weeks with standard processing and it was right on the money.  I had no idea AMEX paid for Global Entry.  Bummer.  I used Fidelity Visa.  CBP keeps emailing that we can do our in person interviews when we return from a trip in a few weeks.  That's the plan.

Thanks.  I am a little over a year to expiration but I know some countries need 6-months in advance for validity. If I'm not mistaken, other credit cards also pay for Global Entry.  Just google and find out which ones do.