Applying for Global Entry Membership Process

I haven't been flying quite frequently these past 2 years, and I'm tired waiting in a long line and having to take off my shoes, laptop and belt. Thus, I applied for Global Entry membership. It costs $100, but it's good for 5 years.

1. You'll go to the Global Entry website to create an account.
2. Fill out a lengthy application and submit it. It asks for home address, employments and countries you have visited in the past 5 years. Make sure what you enter are accurate because they are going to do a background check and will you those questions in the in-person interview.
3. Check back to the website about a week later and log into your account. If your background check is clear, your application will be conditional approved.
4. You'll see a button to schedule an interview (must do within 30 days). You'll choose the airport and time. Some airport, like SFO, is busy with many applicants, the first available appointment might be months away. You have a few options.
   • return to the website every couple hours and refresh the page.
   • go to the airport and get on the waitlist. You might be there for a few hours.
   • schedule the interview at a less busy airport and fly there.
5. Before going to the interview, make sure you bring 1) the approval letter 2) passport 3) driver's license or ID (if the address is current). Be there an 30 minutes or an hour early. But don't be later, else they might send you home and you'll have to make another appointment.
6. The interviewing officers are very friendly. They'll ask you some questions (like have you ever be arrested? what countries have you been to in the past 5 years?). Then you have your photo and finger prints taken. The whole process take 10-15 minutes.
7. Your Global Entry membership card will arrive in 5-10 days. Once it arrives, log back into your account to activate the card.

Your membership number is also your known traveler number, which you will enter that in whenever you book your flight from one of these 18 airlines that participate in TSA pre-check program. Your boarding pass will have TSA pre-check on it that allows you go to the much shorter express line.

If flying with other airlines, you'll go to the normal line. You'll have to take off your shoes, belt, jacket and laptop.