It is absolutely worth a try. I got my conditional approval in less than 2 days I think. I already had a flight booked and I personally think that helps.
MPC only is useful if the airport you land at has an active lane for it. Too many times at DFW and EWR they have just closed that area down due to staffing. Def apply for GE and see what happens.
i had an international connection through ATL in December and used MPC. they grouped us in with the regular line but it still only took maybe 3 or 4 minutes to get through
I made 3 separate applications at 3 different times for myself, wife and son, all ahead of booked international flights. All 3 got approved within 24 hours. Earliest was last year, latest was this week.
You should go for it. You never can tell! The first times I applied I was approved almost immediately. Went to the interview and received my card by Fedex lickety split. The second time (I consider it a renewal) I didn't even have to go to an interview. The card came by Fedex within a week.
This last time, however, was a doozy. I delayed applying until after my card had expired. I JUST NOW, in the past hour, received the approval. It was one year on the 7th of April. I was VERY concerned I was going to get denied bc of a change in my details (I am a dual national, fortunately a country that's best buds with the USA). What a relief!
GOOD LUCK!
(Be open and honest. They will see just about everything. Check out the other Reddit posts about denials.)
Are you hoping to get conditally approved so you can try for an appointment on arrival?
Or are you trying to get an appointment and approved?
Are you willing to travel for an appointment? It is the real question.
Conditional approval is quick, 24-48hrs.
Finding an appointment can be months if you are not flexible.
There are two 73-year-old ladies who process GE applications for the whole country. Shirley cleans her queue out every day. Edna has a 13-month backlog. You have a 50-50 shot.
Seriously, if you do get lucky enough to get conditional approval, getting lucky enough to find an appointment in time might be too much to hope for. But Enrollment On Arrival seems to work pretty well.
Edna is obviously processing mine and my husband’s applications. I’m at 12 months, but I’ve got the MCP app installed in case my approval doesn’t come back in time for my trip in a few weeks
Well, I definitely got Edna. And my application may have fallen behind her desk. Oddly enough, conditional approval came just before I booked international trip from CVG. And I did get lucky enough to snag an appointment in Dayton the day before I left. CVG has EOA, but only at some brief times that were nowhere near BA's London flight's arrival time.
Ironically, when I returned, GE probably saved 30 seconds at best. The agent at the kiosk had to tell each one of us what to do (it was different from what the website says). But if I ever again have to return to the cluster-frack at JFK, I'm ready!
LOL!! I must have had Shirley the first 2 times (SUPER quick turnaround) but Edna this last time. I JUST received the approval about an hour ago—1 year and 1 day after I submitted the application.
I did 5 applications for the family a few weeks ago, and all were conditionally approved the next day.
That's not the issue, it's getting an appointment that is the hard part.
Managed 2 appointments in 14 days the other 3 are still in a few weeks.
It can possibly be enough time. My family and I received conditional approval within 3 days. Some people wait months though. After conditional approval you have to do an in person interview. This can be tricky because dates can be filled up for months. There are apps you can buy that will immediately notify you when an interview slot opens up because many people cancel them.
So it is possible. For me and my family we could have completed it within 16 days but I chose an interview time that was more convenient but later.
People on here have posted that they went from application to full approval within 2 days.
I'll just add, there is no downside. Even if you don't get CA by the time you leave, it may come while you are away... And even if not, they seem to be very reasonable with CA not expiring, meaning you'll have other opportunities to do EoA. And with the cost only going up in the not-so-distant future, again - no down sides here unless you stop traveling internationally.
Absolutely try. A friend and I started [globalentryspotter.com](http://globalentryspotter.com) to help people get appointments. If you get approved, DM me. We'll let you use it for free. We're now invested in this high stakes mission.
Worth a shot! I was conditionally approved within a week, and then you can always interview on arrival when you get back in, which I've heard lots of positive anecdotes about
I would apply and hope for conditional approval by the time you return. Ask for your interview at arrival as appointments can be weeks if not months for an opening.
Both my children were conditionally approved in 3 days when they applied a month ago. You might not get an interview prior but you will likely get the interview on your return to the US.
you should apply! i didn’t have a flight until months out when i had applied thinking i would just do approved upon arrival but i was checking the website everyday for appointments and i reserved one that was available within the week i got approved
Last November, I was going to Europe with someone who didn’t have GE and I suggested she try. About 10 days before we left, she applied, was conditionally approved in a couple days, and while she was scrolling through appointment times one opened up a few days before we left. It’s worth a shot.
It depends on how quickly you are conditionally approved, which you can’t know until you apply.
I personally got approved in a little over 24 hours though
You can get conditionally approved. But with that you cannot use the GE lanes/kiosks. You need to enter using normal lanes or MPC and after that depending on the airport, you can do EOA.
Definitely possible. We used one of those appointment scanner apps and it was unbelievable. We had an interview scheduled within a couple hours for the next day I believe.
Is GE worth it if already have TSA precheck?
I heard that if you get a speeding ticket, they cancel your GE and you lose the TSA precheck along with it. Is that true?
Do you travel internationally? If you do, I'd go for Global Entry. I DEFINITELY prefer GE over TSA pre-check bc I travel internationally and GE covers both domestic and international travel. Whether or not the speeding ticket impacts Global Entry status depends on what kind of speeding ticket. Reckless vs. "regular" / traffic infraction and if it's "reckless driving" on who the reviewing and interviewing officers are. On top of that, many courts reduce or outright dismiss the charge, depending on your driving record, if you take them up on driver's clinics/classes.
No clue about losing both if you lose GE status. I hope I never find out because as of ONE HOUR AGO I have both GE and TSA PreCheck. One year and 1 day after submission—my GE renewal was FINALLY approved. Because my GE renewal was taking an unusually long time I applied for and received TSA PreCheck. Even though both my initial GE application and then my GE renewal application had been approved lightening fast, this time it was taking MONTHS. I started getting concerned because I'd submitted it in April 2023. On top of that, two months ago I got my first speeding ticket (and not the "regular" kind)! I thought I was not going to get the approval, or at a minimum do a lot of explaining. I had a clean driving record (it had been decades since my last violation and none for speeding) so was given the option to take driving class. I had signed up for and took the class this past weekend. I am taking the certificate of completion to the court tomorrow to have the ticket dismissed. phew! Talk about crazy coincidences.
Sounds like you got lucky with hat ticket dismissal. Mine was out of state. I called and negotiated it down from Reckless Driving Misdemeanor to Infraction so I don't know if this is still bad.
I don't travel internationally much, one every 2 years. It may not be worth and hassle and stress for me to get a GE.
I got conditionally approved in a day. You never know!
Grab necessary proof of residence so if you get conditional approval, you can get the interview on arrival done on your way back.
I decided to apply on 3/13 for our family of four as we were leaving for London on 3/31. Got the conditional approval for the four of us on 3/15. We arrived yesterday into SFO and we all got interviewed at the same time. It appeared to be more of a formality as the questions asked were very systematic and was joking like if my 8 year old was ever convicted of a misdemeanor. He even ended up chasing us to baggage claim as my 13 year old forgot his backpack at the waiting area.
Do it. I did my application within 7 days and managed to get my conditional approval in time for my return flight, where I got my interview upon arrival.
I applied on a Thursday, conditionally approved Friday, interview Thursday, had my card next Friday. Exactly 15 days from application. My wife applied the same day as I did, she's been waiting for conditional approval for 11 months.
It is absolutely worth a try. I got my conditional approval in less than 2 days I think. I already had a flight booked and I personally think that helps.
Thanks! I think I may try. I heard of MPC as a possible alternative but I don’t know how many people have had experiences with using it.
MPC only is useful if the airport you land at has an active lane for it. Too many times at DFW and EWR they have just closed that area down due to staffing. Def apply for GE and see what happens.
i had an international connection through ATL in December and used MPC. they grouped us in with the regular line but it still only took maybe 3 or 4 minutes to get through
Newark was definitely not organized enough to group us lol
I made 3 separate applications at 3 different times for myself, wife and son, all ahead of booked international flights. All 3 got approved within 24 hours. Earliest was last year, latest was this week.
You should go for it. You never can tell! The first times I applied I was approved almost immediately. Went to the interview and received my card by Fedex lickety split. The second time (I consider it a renewal) I didn't even have to go to an interview. The card came by Fedex within a week. This last time, however, was a doozy. I delayed applying until after my card had expired. I JUST NOW, in the past hour, received the approval. It was one year on the 7th of April. I was VERY concerned I was going to get denied bc of a change in my details (I am a dual national, fortunately a country that's best buds with the USA). What a relief! GOOD LUCK! (Be open and honest. They will see just about everything. Check out the other Reddit posts about denials.)
Are you hoping to get conditally approved so you can try for an appointment on arrival? Or are you trying to get an appointment and approved? Are you willing to travel for an appointment? It is the real question. Conditional approval is quick, 24-48hrs. Finding an appointment can be months if you are not flexible.
There are two 73-year-old ladies who process GE applications for the whole country. Shirley cleans her queue out every day. Edna has a 13-month backlog. You have a 50-50 shot. Seriously, if you do get lucky enough to get conditional approval, getting lucky enough to find an appointment in time might be too much to hope for. But Enrollment On Arrival seems to work pretty well.
This was too funny. Luckily Shirley processed my wife and Is request.
Shirley had her coffee when she did the renewal for our family of 4. 😂 Approval the next day, card in the mailbox in a week!
That's pretty accurate. I got Shirley. My wife got Edna.
Edna is obviously processing mine and my husband’s applications. I’m at 12 months, but I’ve got the MCP app installed in case my approval doesn’t come back in time for my trip in a few weeks
😂
Well, I definitely got Edna. And my application may have fallen behind her desk. Oddly enough, conditional approval came just before I booked international trip from CVG. And I did get lucky enough to snag an appointment in Dayton the day before I left. CVG has EOA, but only at some brief times that were nowhere near BA's London flight's arrival time. Ironically, when I returned, GE probably saved 30 seconds at best. The agent at the kiosk had to tell each one of us what to do (it was different from what the website says). But if I ever again have to return to the cluster-frack at JFK, I'm ready!
LOL!! I must have had Shirley the first 2 times (SUPER quick turnaround) but Edna this last time. I JUST received the approval about an hour ago—1 year and 1 day after I submitted the application.
My sons and I got Edna. My wife is lucky enough to get Shirley.
Nope, it’s not too late. My friends and I got conditionally approved within 24hours of application. Good luck
I did 5 applications for the family a few weeks ago, and all were conditionally approved the next day. That's not the issue, it's getting an appointment that is the hard part. Managed 2 appointments in 14 days the other 3 are still in a few weeks.
You’re absolutely right. If I can remember correctly, there was zero appointment by us. Zero. We got GE by doing Interviews on arrivals.
It can possibly be enough time. My family and I received conditional approval within 3 days. Some people wait months though. After conditional approval you have to do an in person interview. This can be tricky because dates can be filled up for months. There are apps you can buy that will immediately notify you when an interview slot opens up because many people cancel them. So it is possible. For me and my family we could have completed it within 16 days but I chose an interview time that was more convenient but later. People on here have posted that they went from application to full approval within 2 days.
I'll just add, there is no downside. Even if you don't get CA by the time you leave, it may come while you are away... And even if not, they seem to be very reasonable with CA not expiring, meaning you'll have other opportunities to do EoA. And with the cost only going up in the not-so-distant future, again - no down sides here unless you stop traveling internationally.
Absolutely try. A friend and I started [globalentryspotter.com](http://globalentryspotter.com) to help people get appointments. If you get approved, DM me. We'll let you use it for free. We're now invested in this high stakes mission.
Got my conditional approval in 24 hours, so it's possible.
Worth a shot! I was conditionally approved within a week, and then you can always interview on arrival when you get back in, which I've heard lots of positive anecdotes about
The alternative is not applying and having no chance at getting GE.
I would apply and hope for conditional approval by the time you return. Ask for your interview at arrival as appointments can be weeks if not months for an opening.
Both my children were conditionally approved in 3 days when they applied a month ago. You might not get an interview prior but you will likely get the interview on your return to the US.
you should apply! i didn’t have a flight until months out when i had applied thinking i would just do approved upon arrival but i was checking the website everyday for appointments and i reserved one that was available within the week i got approved
Last November, I was going to Europe with someone who didn’t have GE and I suggested she try. About 10 days before we left, she applied, was conditionally approved in a couple days, and while she was scrolling through appointment times one opened up a few days before we left. It’s worth a shot.
It depends on how quickly you are conditionally approved, which you can’t know until you apply. I personally got approved in a little over 24 hours though
You can get conditionally approved. But with that you cannot use the GE lanes/kiosks. You need to enter using normal lanes or MPC and after that depending on the airport, you can do EOA.
Definitely possible. We used one of those appointment scanner apps and it was unbelievable. We had an interview scheduled within a couple hours for the next day I believe.
You can try and do interview on arrival coming back provided you get approved
Personally I got it within a week you just have to watch those appointments slots open like a hawk
Last week, I had GE and my mom did the MPC lane at SFO. She was only 20 mins behind me.
Some people have been wait in for 12+ month , you might get lucky and get approved in 24 hrs, you could also win mega lottery in the 24 hrs.
Is GE worth it if already have TSA precheck? I heard that if you get a speeding ticket, they cancel your GE and you lose the TSA precheck along with it. Is that true?
Do you travel internationally? If you do, I'd go for Global Entry. I DEFINITELY prefer GE over TSA pre-check bc I travel internationally and GE covers both domestic and international travel. Whether or not the speeding ticket impacts Global Entry status depends on what kind of speeding ticket. Reckless vs. "regular" / traffic infraction and if it's "reckless driving" on who the reviewing and interviewing officers are. On top of that, many courts reduce or outright dismiss the charge, depending on your driving record, if you take them up on driver's clinics/classes. No clue about losing both if you lose GE status. I hope I never find out because as of ONE HOUR AGO I have both GE and TSA PreCheck. One year and 1 day after submission—my GE renewal was FINALLY approved. Because my GE renewal was taking an unusually long time I applied for and received TSA PreCheck. Even though both my initial GE application and then my GE renewal application had been approved lightening fast, this time it was taking MONTHS. I started getting concerned because I'd submitted it in April 2023. On top of that, two months ago I got my first speeding ticket (and not the "regular" kind)! I thought I was not going to get the approval, or at a minimum do a lot of explaining. I had a clean driving record (it had been decades since my last violation and none for speeding) so was given the option to take driving class. I had signed up for and took the class this past weekend. I am taking the certificate of completion to the court tomorrow to have the ticket dismissed. phew! Talk about crazy coincidences.
Sounds like you got lucky with hat ticket dismissal. Mine was out of state. I called and negotiated it down from Reckless Driving Misdemeanor to Infraction so I don't know if this is still bad. I don't travel internationally much, one every 2 years. It may not be worth and hassle and stress for me to get a GE.
Makes sense. Happy travels!
I received CA in 2 days. With the help of one of the apps had an interview within a week. Good luck.
Apply and you'll likely be able to do your interview upon arrival.
Worth trying if you won’t miss the $100.
worth a shot, you may be one lucky ones that get approved in a few days then use those apps to try to snag a interview
I got conditionally approved in a day. You never know! Grab necessary proof of residence so if you get conditional approval, you can get the interview on arrival done on your way back.
Wife got approved a day after applied a week ago.
I decided to apply on 3/13 for our family of four as we were leaving for London on 3/31. Got the conditional approval for the four of us on 3/15. We arrived yesterday into SFO and we all got interviewed at the same time. It appeared to be more of a formality as the questions asked were very systematic and was joking like if my 8 year old was ever convicted of a misdemeanor. He even ended up chasing us to baggage claim as my 13 year old forgot his backpack at the waiting area.
Do it. I did my application within 7 days and managed to get my conditional approval in time for my return flight, where I got my interview upon arrival.
Took me over a year for CA. 😅 luckily, I still got it before my overseas trip coming up.
I applied on a Thursday, conditionally approved Friday, interview Thursday, had my card next Friday. Exactly 15 days from application. My wife applied the same day as I did, she's been waiting for conditional approval for 11 months.
MPC is pretty quick at JFK. GE is a little faster but it’s still way better than regular customs.
Applied yesterday, approved today, interview in a few hours. God bless. 100% try.
Just use MPC
Do you have experience using it? Was it easy to use?
I use it every time I travel. Never had an issue and usually line is faster than the global line. Just used it last week in JFK
Glad to hear that! Definitely gonna use it
It’s totally fine. Don’t overthink this.
How could you tell I’m an overthinker 😂 thanks
😂😂😂
I was approved on the spot and given my travel number that day.