Another Passport/Global Entry post

[Drake3287]

Just received my new Passport renewal the other day. Took exactly 3 months to the day to get it. Pretty much spot on based on what they said it would take. Still waiting of course for the old Passport to be returned.

I also noticed my Global Entry card was expiring this year so I went ahead and applied for a renewal for another 5 years. Quick 24 hour turn-around online and I had approval with no new interview required.

I'm guessing once international travel starts up again soon it'll be a mad house in people rushing to get Passports and Global Entry completed.

 

[cathy63]

Just received my new Passport renewal the other day. Took exactly 3 months to the day to get it. Pretty much spot on based on what they said it would take. Still waiting of course for the old Passport to be returned.

I also noticed my Global Entry card was expiring this year so I went ahead and applied for a renewal for another 5 years. Quick 24 hour turn-around online and I had approval with no new interview required.

I'm guessing once international travel starts up again soon it'll be a mad house in people rushing to get Passports and Global Entry completed.

Wow! I renewed Global Entry back in July and my app is still in Pending Review status. I hope they'll eventually get around to looking at it and decide that another interview will not be needed.

 

[Drake3287]

Wow! I renewed Global Entry back in July and my app is still in Pending Review status. I hope they'll eventually get around to looking at it and decide that another interview will not be needed.

Somethings not right. I'd log in to your account and check the status again. I'm guessing anyone with a squeaky clean traveling record gets an easy approval without an interview. After an online approval there isn't anything to receive in the mail. Even your old credit card looking Global Entry card isn't replaced.

 

[braumeister]

FWIW, I found this on the Washington Post site from September:

Q: My wife and I submitted applications to Global Entry in early July. She received a conditional approval in about two weeks. I'm still waiting for a response. There seems to be no way to contact anyone to determine my status. Is my $100 lost, or is there hope?

A: You should have an answer soon. “Global Entry applications are processed individually,” Peeters says. “As a result, applications submitted by a family group or couple might experience varying processing times, with some family members receiving conditional approval ahead of others. Fortunately, 62 percent of incoming Global Entry applications are processed within 16 days or less, with the remaining percentage of applications requiring 150 days or more to complete.”

So your delay might be more typical than you realize.

 

[cathy63]

Somethings not right. I'd log in to your account and check the status again. I'm guessing anyone with a squeaky clean traveling record gets an easy approval without an interview. After an online approval there isn't anything to receive in the mail. Even your old credit card looking Global Entry card isn't replaced.

I checked just before I posted. It's still pending and DH is the same. I don't think there's anything odd about our travel, it's just Western Europe and the Caribbean.

FWIW, I found this on the Washington Post site from September:

So your delay might be more typical than you realize.

Yeah, I think we're caught in the gigantic pandemic backlog. Maybe they're processing new apps first and getting to the backlog as time permits. DH's expired last week, mine will in January, but we both have a year's grace period. If they haven't gotten around to us by next September, I'll start calling on our elected representatives for help.

 

[Drake3287]

It's just strange that both my wife and I separately applied for the Global Entry renewal's and we both received approvals 24 hours later, and each email conformation was only a few minutes apart.

Our past travel history is the typical Caribbean and Western European countries, nothing unusual. The good news is that Global Entry members are getting a year grace period for renewals while applications are pending.

 

[Go-NoGo]

Wow! I renewed Global Entry back in July and my app is still in Pending Review status. I hope they'll eventually get around to looking at it and decide that another interview will not be needed.

Not unusual. I had a similar experience - applied for renewal in Dec 2019. Got a conditional approval in Oct 2020 (~310 days later), I scheduled a interview in November 2020. Then the second wave hit and the interview was postponed until further notice.

They are extending the grace period for GE by 1 year so that should makes things a little easier once travel resumes

 

[audreyh1]

Just received my new Passport renewal the other day. Took exactly 3 months to the day to get it. Pretty much spot on based on what they said it would take. Still waiting of course for the old Passport to be returned.

I also noticed my Global Entry card was expiring this year so I went ahead and applied for a renewal for another 5 years. Quick 24 hour turn-around online and I had approval with no new interview required.

I'm guessing once international travel starts up again soon it'll be a mad house in people rushing to get Passports and Global Entry completed.

That’s good, because both DH and I need to renew GE this year.

 

[braumeister]

For those who live close enough to the border that driving is feasible, I recommend NEXUS. Completely equivalent to Global Entry, plus extra Canada perks, and only $50 for five years (half the GE price). You do have to get an interview at one of the stations on the US/Canada border, but there are quite a few of them.

We renewed ours online last year and and got our new cards in the mail within about two weeks, no additional interview needed.

 

[Lagniappe]

My Global Entry renewal has been pending since March. They billed my credit card right away, then went into Covid lockdown. It expired in October, but they have extended the grace period for a year.

I wonder how long it will take them to work through the backlog?

 

[cathy63]

Wow! I renewed Global Entry back in July and my app is still in Pending Review status. I hope they'll eventually get around to looking at it and decide that another interview will not be needed.

I just now got the notice that they updated the status on my Global Entry renewal, so it took a little over 8 months to process.

I do have to do another interview. They offer Remote via Zoom or In-person. There are no openings at any time in the future for the remote appontments, and the next available in-person appointment at Otay Mesa is February 4, 2022. Looks like it might be better to wait until I'm traveling somewhere and do it on arrival at the airport. What a pain!

 

[braumeister]

Congratulations on at least getting it out of limbo.

In my experience, the thing to do is keep checking every day for newly available appointments. People cancel all the time.

 

[Drake3287]

Although it was at SFO, I went without an appointment back when this all started when they were super busy and simply waited for an opening/no show. Sure enough they took me after sitting there for an hour or so.

The officers walking back and forth calling people in noticed me waiting it out and were nice about fitting me in.

 

[cathy63]

Although it was at SFO, I went without an appointment back when this all started when they were super busy and simply waited for an opening/no show. Sure enough they took me after sitting there for an hour or so.

The officers walking back and forth calling people in noticed me waiting it out and were nice about fitting me in.

Does SFO do it outside security, or do you have to be arriving on an international flight? I actually plan to fly up there in March and they have a lot of appointments available, so if I could wander over from a domestic terminal I'd definitely do it that way.

 

[Drake3287]

No, it's prior to security. Can't remember if you'd have to prescreen or not from the domestic terminal.

 

[audreyh1]

DH did the Global Entry renewal online today. He had to fix a couple of things before submitting. We sure hope no interview is required.

 

[GTFan]

Renewed GE last summer and got quick renewals for both of us with no interviews. Got new cards in a few weeks.

 

[cathy63]

My Global Entry renewal saga ended today with the receipt of my new card, 7 days after my interview at SFO.

The entire interview was "Oh, this is a renewal! So ... it looks like your last trip outside the U.S. was to Canada? Have you also been to Mexico?" "Yes, I was in Canada. No, haven't been to Mexico." Then they took a new set of fingerprints and a new photo. So, altogether 8.5 months from submitting the renewal app to receiving the card.

DH received his new card with no interview required.

 

[Drake3287]

Crazy system they have! Sorry to hear you had to drive all the way to SFO for almost nothing.

 

[audreyh1]

My Global Entry renewal saga ended today with the receipt of my new card, 7 days after my interview at SFO.

The entire interview was "Oh, this is a renewal! So ... it looks like your last trip outside the U.S. was to Canada? Have you also been to Mexico?" "Yes, I was in Canada. No, haven't been to Mexico." Then they took a new set of fingerprints and a new photo. So, altogether 8.5 months from submitting the renewal app to receiving the card.

DH received his new card with no interview required.

Wow, I can’t believe your application was pending for so long! I think DH only took 24 hours.

DH had to get another interview for his renewal last month. Fortunately the port of entry (border bridge) is 5 miles from our house and not very busy.

Mine expires in October. I’m hoping I get to skip the interview.

 

[cathy63]

Crazy system they have! Sorry to hear you had to drive all the way to SFO for almost nothing.

Oh I flew! DH didn't want to come and I've been vaccinated, so I wasn't going to drive 9 hours each way by myself to avoid a 1 hour flight. Plus, my Mom is in the Bay Area and I needed to visit her anyway. I was just lucky that SFO had so many appointments available that I was able to get one for an hour after I landed. In normal times, they'd be completely booked up and the border office near me would have availability; but everything is upside-down and backwards now.

 

[cathy63]

Wow, I can’t believe your application was pending for so long! I think DH only took 24 hours.

DH had to get another interview for his renewal last month. Fortunately the port of entry (border bridge) is 5 miles from our house and not very busy.

Mine expires in October. I’m hoping I get to skip the interview.

Fingers crossed that you get to skip the interview. Good luck!

 

[audreyh1]

When we looked at the availability of the virtual option on interviews - nada for a year? - we concluded that it really didn’t exist!

 

[braumeister]

Well, I'm glad it worked out OK, but it certainly is a shame that you even needed an interview, not to mention the inexplicable delay.

Happy travels!

 

[audreyh1]

I did a Global Entry renewal this week. DH had to do another interview. My renewal was approved without an interview required. But no mention of a new card coming in the mail. I assume one will as the expiration date has changed.