[Gold-2K]

Not sure what others recent experiences have been with Global Entry applications. but my current Global Entry is up for renewal in 6 months. Reading the warnings on TSA websites and colleagues experiences about process times, I applied to get it renewed fully expecting it to take 4 months. Reality was, I got the UK security clearance code in 24 hours and amazingly got the TSA conditional approval 36hrs after applying. I travelled to US this week, 3 days after the conditional approval and completed the approval on arrival at US immigration. Im now approved until 2029. Whole process has taken 6 days. Very impressive but very surprising.

I wondered if the speed was due to it being a renewal/extension. However my partner has just applied for the first time and again after 4 days has conditional approval and will be able to complete the process in 2 weeks on arrival on our next trip.

Strangely a US colleague has been waiting nearly 5 months for a conditional approval.

Global entry, especially the TSA pre-check is so good. Would be great if other countries would do something similar. Although hard to imagine LHR making space and staff available for Pre-check lanes.

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CathayLoyalist2

[cwoodward]

The APEC business travel card offers some similar advantages

From HK Government website

‘The aim of the Scheme is to enhance the mobility of business travellers among the APEC economies, thus promoting business within the region.
The ABTC is plastic and the size of a credit card. It is normally valid for five yearsNote 1. The card is good for multiple visits of two to three months to participating economiesNote 2 without the need for a visa if pre-clearance has been granted.
For card holders travelling to a participating economy where pre-clearance has been granted, they can use the special service lanes at selected control points for entry and exit clearance and enjoy streamlined immigration clearance upon presentation of the card and their valid national passport. In Hong Kong, card holders are allowed to use “resident” counters where available.’

Card holders can use the special service lanes of participating economies regardless of whether pre-clearance has been granted by that economy.

Australia Brunei Darussalam Chile People’s Republic of China Hong Kong (China) Indonesia Japan Republic of Korea Malaysia Mexico New Zealand Papua New Guinea Peru The Philippines Russia Singapore Chinese Taipei Thailand Vietnam

It is a very useful card for USA
Card holders travelling to the United States or Canada can use the “fast-track” lanes (currently designated for aircrew) for passenger clearance at all international airports in the United States upon entry.

To be eligible to apply for a card you must hold a valid passport from an APEC economy (or be a permanent resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong, China), engage in regular business travel throughout the APEC region.

It is a very useful card that has saved me countless hours over the years.

[david]

My own renewal didn’t go quite as smoothly, but it wasn’t a nightmare either. It took about 2 months for my application to be processed, which I chalked up to the volume of applications at that time. But it’s all worth it considering how much time I save at the airports now, especially with the TSA pre-check. It’s an absolute blessing during international trips. Honestly, it’s puzzling why some applications get processed quicker than others.

The most challenging part for me was securing a spot for the interview. I found myself constantly on the lookout for openings, which was pretty exhausting.

[Anjaneya Reddy]

I had a similar journey with my Global Entry renewal. The processing time was a solid two months, it felt like forever! Funnily enough, I also chalked it up to a high volume of applications during that period. But despite the long wait, I have to agree – it’s completely worth it. The time you save breezing through airports, especially with the added bonus of TSA pre-check, it’s an absolute game changer.

The securing-an-interview part was the real toughie for me too. I practically lived on the appointment site for a bit there! Around a year ago, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a way to find global entry appointments[/url]. I subscribed to receive SMS notifications for a free spot, and I just received an SMS one day that I was scheduled for 12:00 at the Laredo Enrollment Center for an interview.

[Author]

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