On 13 July 2012 I found myself at the end of a very long line that snaked back and forth through the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Immigration Area. I had 3 hours to make my connecting flight and the line seemed to be moving so other than the wasted time there wasn’t a problem. This all changed when some little faggot came strolling along asking if anyone had a boarding time before XX:XX. People would show him their boarding pass and if their boarding time was earlier then they would be given a yellow card and told to proceed to one of the shorter lines directly in front of the Interrogation Booths. Then the snake line would come to a halt while the people with yellow cards were processed. This was repeated about every 15 – 20 minutes and it took me over 2 hours to clear Immigration. The real problem was that Immigration was understaffed. Only 5 agents were available to process US Citizens, 7 for Foreign Passport Holders and 1 agent was guarding 5 Global Entry Kiosk. Less than 10 people used the Global Entry Kiosk in the time I was there.
Global Entry is just another tax. They add a fee to every ticket to increase security and then offer to let you skip some of the security for another fee ($100 for a 5 year pass). Well I would have gladly paid $20 to skip that line so I decided to apply.
If you’re interested, here’s the drill.
Go to the Global Entry website www.globalentry.gov and create an account.
Fill out the online application.
Includes: Name, Address, Passport Information, Everyplace you have lived for the past 5 years, Employment for the past 5 years, Every country visited for the past 5 years (Except Canada and Mexico), Information about any Criminal Convictions
You will not be accepted if they find incorrect or omitted information or if there are gaps in the Employment or Residence Information.
Pay $100 (No Refunds, another $100 if you screw up and want to try again and changes not allowed after submitting.)
Wait about 3 weeks and if your application is accepted you will receive Conditional Approval and given 30 days to schedule an interview. Interviews are given at some Border Crossings and International Airports. Don’t make the mistake of thinking; well I’m going to be at XX Airport next month so I can interview then. The interview must be scheduled within 30 days of receiving the Conditional Approval but the interview can take place after the 30 day window. Interviews are scheduled online by entering your account, selecting a Location and then selecting a time slot. Depending on where you want to interview, time slots may not be available for a month or longer. They are scheduled at 20 minute intervals and are not displayed once they are filled. Walk-ins are not accepted but it is possible to re-schedule. When you go to the interview, you must bring your Conditional Acceptance Letter, Valid Passport or Permanent Residence Card and proof of residency (Drivers License, Rent Receipt, Mortgage Payment, Utility Bill, etc.) They will take your photo and a full set of fingerprints so yes; the FBI and CIA will know who you are.
I received the Conditional Approval and then spent some time researching flight schedules to get a decent flight to BKK that would coincide with an available Global Entry Interview Slot. Will let you know how that plays out.
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