Global Entry is running normally again in 2026, but actually getting an interview has become the hard part. After a short pause during the federal shutdown this spring, demand surged and interview slots at the busiest enrollment centers are now booked months out. For a summer or fall trip abroad, the membership is no longer the bottleneck. The interview is. Several official routes let you finish enrollment much faster than the posted calendar suggests, and one of them skips the scheduled appointment entirely.
Here is the short version. Apply and pay first so your application is in the system, get conditionally approved, then use Enrollment on Arrival to complete the interview the next time you fly back into the United States. If you would rather interview before you travel, watch for daily cancellation slots and look at a quieter enrollment center. Travelers who plan around the interview, instead of taking the first date a single center offers, routinely turn a multi month wait into a few weeks.
- What changed: Global Entry arrival processing was paused in mid February 2026 during the federal shutdown, then restored on March 11. The backlog plus record summer demand pushed interview waits to several months at major centers.
- Who it affects: Anyone applying for or renewing Global Entry before an international trip this summer or fall.
- The faster path: Get conditionally approved, then complete the interview through Enrollment on Arrival, a cancellation slot, or a less busy center.
- Cost: $120 for five years, which also includes TSA PreCheck.
Why the interview wait got so long
Global Entry never stopped existing, but it did stop processing for a stretch this winter. Customs and Border Protection paused enrollment and arrival processing in mid February 2026 during the government shutdown, then brought the program back on March 11. Conditionally approved applicants whose interviews had been canceled returned to the queue at the same moment a record summer travel season was building, and the two waves collided.
The result is a familiar pattern with new intensity. Independent wait time trackers in 2026 show interviews booked four to eleven months out at the busiest big city centers, while smaller regional offices in border towns and lower population states often clear in a few weeks. The card itself can be approved quickly. The sit down interview is where applicants lose the summer.
It helps to separate the two stages. Applying and getting conditionally approved is fast and online. The interview is the slow step, and it is the step you can route around. If you are still deciding whether Global Entry is even the right program for how you travel, a side by side look at PreCheck, CLEAR, and Global Entry is the place to start.
The fastest route: Enrollment on Arrival
The single best way to beat the calendar is to skip the enrollment center appointment altogether. Enrollment on Arrival is a Customs and Border Protection process that lets conditionally approved applicants finish their interview as they clear customs on the way back into the country, including at designated preclearance locations abroad. There is no separate appointment to schedule and no second trip to an enrollment center.
It works like this. You apply through your Trusted Traveler account, pay the fee, and wait for conditional approval. On your next international return, you follow the signs for Enrollment on Arrival after passport control, a CBP officer completes the interview on the spot, and your membership activates. The program runs at dozens of major international airports and is the reason many travelers who book a trip first end up enrolled within weeks rather than months. CBP lists participating airports and the current details on its Enrollment on Arrival page.
The catch is simple. You need to be flying internationally during your conditional approval window, and you should leave extra time on arrival in case the desk is busy. For anyone with a trip already booked, though, this is usually the path of least resistance.
If you want the interview done before you fly
Not everyone has an international trip on the calendar. If you want to interview at home first, two tactics make the biggest difference.
Watch for cancellations. The posted wait at a center reflects its next brand new slot, not the openings that appear when other applicants cancel or reschedule. Those open up every day. Sign in to your Trusted Traveler account, check your home center in the early morning and late evening, and rebook the moment an earlier slot appears. Watching a busy center for a week often beats its headline wait by months.
Cast a wider net on location. The interview does not have to happen at the center closest to you. A center one or two hours away, or one in a smaller city you are already visiting, may have openings weeks sooner. Where it is offered, Enrollment on Departure lets some travelers interview while leaving the country rather than on the way home.
| Route | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment on Arrival | Finish the interview at customs when you fly back in, no appointment needed | Anyone with an international trip already booked |
| Cancellation watch | Refresh your Trusted Traveler account for slots others drop | Flexible travelers who can reach a center on short notice |
| Quieter center | Book an office in a smaller city or a short drive away | People near more than one enrollment center |
| Mobile Passport Control | Free app that speeds arrivals while you wait on Global Entry | Travelers who run out of time before a trip |
If the clock runs out before your trip
If your trip arrives before your interview does, you are not stuck in the regular line. Mobile Passport Control is a free Customs and Border Protection app that lets eligible arriving travelers submit passport and photo information in advance, which can move you into a faster arrivals lane at many airports and seaports. It is not the same as a Global Entry lane and it does not include PreCheck, but it costs nothing and needs no interview.
For the security checkpoint on the way out, TSA PreCheck is the benefit most travelers feel day to day, and it comes bundled once your Global Entry finishes. If you only fly within the country, PreCheck on its own may be the smarter buy. Travelers weighing paid speed lanes can compare the subscription option in this breakdown of what CLEAR Plus now costs, and anyone curious about how the customs booth itself is changing can read this look at the walk through cameras CBP is testing.
- Conditional approval has a window. Once CBP conditionally approves you, do not let months pass without completing the interview, or you risk starting over.
- Your passport must be valid. Bring your passport and, if asked, a second form of identification to the interview or the arrival desk.
- Every traveler needs a membership. Children are not covered by a parent account, so each family member needs an application of their own.
- Skip the paid appointment finders. Government interview slots and the application itself are handled free through your Trusted Traveler account, so services that charge to find a slot are reselling something you can do yourself.
- Is Global Entry still suspended? No. Processing was paused in mid February 2026 and restored on March 11, and the program is running normally now.
- How long is the interview wait? It varies widely. Busy big city centers are quoting several months in 2026, while smaller centers can clear in weeks, and cancellation slots open daily.
- Does Global Entry include PreCheck? Yes. A Global Entry membership covers TSA PreCheck at no extra cost.
- Can I use Enrollment on Arrival if I already applied? Yes, as long as you are conditionally approved and arriving on an international flight at a participating location.
The takeaway for 2026 is to flip the usual order. Do not wait for an interview slot before you plan a trip. Apply now, get conditionally approved, and let Enrollment on Arrival or a cancellation slot finish the job. For travelers landing internationally this summer, the booth at the end of the jet bridge is often the shortest path to skipping every line after it. For a wider view of the faster arrivals tools reaching major airports, see this guide to the connection checks now built into customs.
For broader planning, compare this update with Deep Arrival’s airline planning guides.
