Southwest Virginia travelers who are already conditionally approved for Global Entry can finish the interview at Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport later this month instead of driving to Dulles, Richmond, or Norfolk.
The airport’s official event page now lists mobile U.S. Customs and Border Protection interviews on August 24 to 28 and September 22 to 24, 2026. The useful move is to complete the online application, wait for conditional approval, and book a named slot before those dates fill.
- What: Mobile CBP Global Entry interviews at Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport.
- When: August 24 to 28 and September 22 to 24, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: Second-floor Commission Conference Room, appointment only.
- Fee: $120 for five years, paid with the online application.
- First step: Apply on the TTP site and wait for conditional approval.
What Roanoke and CBP confirmed
The Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport Global Entry event page is a dated CBP mobile enrollment notice, not a promise that a permanent interview desk is opening. August 24 to 28 is the nearer block. September 22 to 24 was added on July 24, 2026, for travelers who miss the first window.
Interview hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment only. The airport tells applicants to take the escalators to the second floor, turn right along the balcony, and use the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission Conference Room, the second-to-last door on the left.
The event covers new and renewing applications. Every file still has to be completed online first. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck once CBP approves the traveler.
The official CBP Global Entry page prices the application at $120 for five years. That is the national fee, paid when the Trusted Traveler Programs form is submitted, not at the Roanoke conference-room desk.
CBP’s how to apply page says 80 percent of applications are approved within two weeks, while some reviews take up to 12 months or longer. Roanoke cannot compress that background check. The local win is only the in-person interview after conditional approval.
Questions about scheduling or the application go to CBP at 1-877-227-5511. The Airport Commission says it cannot answer those questions.
How to use the August and September windows
Treat both date blocks as appointment capacity, not a walk-in clinic. Create a Trusted Traveler Programs account, submit the Global Entry application, and wait until the account shows conditional approval before looking for Roanoke.
The airport’s booking path is specific. Log into TTP, scroll to How Enrollment Works, choose Find an Enrollment Center, and open the Global Entry scheduler. Do not start by picking Virginia from a state list. The airport says that path hides ROA.
Use the date filter for a day inside the published window. August 24 to 28 is the first range to try. September 22 to 24 is the backup if the nearer week is already full.
Bring a valid passport and a second photo ID such as a driver’s license. Lawful permanent residents must bring a machine-readable permanent resident card. CBP photographs and fingerprints every applicant. The airport says each interview takes about 10 to 15 minutes when the paperwork is complete.
Park in a lot. The airport’s official parking page says the first 30 minutes are free in all lots, then $4 per half hour up to the daily maximum. Do not leave a car at the curb. An enrollment visit is not a flight, and curb space is reserved for passenger drop-off.
If the visit runs longer than 30 minutes, the airport’s published daily maxima apply. Those are ordinary lot rates, not a Global Entry validation.
Why the scheduler still mentions March
The same airport page still tells travelers to filter the scheduler with a date in the March 26 to 27, 2026 range. Those March dates have already passed. They belong to an earlier mobile event, not to the August or September interviews.
That leftover instruction is still the airport’s published workaround for a listing that does not appear when a traveler chooses Virginia first. It is not proof that March appointments remain open. It is also not proof that the August dates will auto-appear without a date filter.
Start with August 24 to 28 in the date filter. If Roanoke still does not appear, try September 22 to 24. Only then use the airport’s published March filter as a last listed method, and confirm that any slot you actually reserve falls on August 24 to 28 or September 22 to 24.
Do not drive to the second-floor conference room on a March leftover, a guessed walk-in, or a confirmation for a different airport. CBP requires a separate interview appointment for each applicant, including children.
The current source for the August and September windows is the airport page itself, paired with CBP’s national fee and interview rules.
What approval changes, and what it does not
Global Entry is built for pre-approved travelers returning to the United States. Members use automated kiosks at participating airports instead of the regular CBP hall.
The same membership usually adds TSA PreCheck on later domestic flights. A Roanoke interview can change both the inbound customs line and the outbound security line.
Travelers comparing programs should use Deep Arrival’s guide to Global Entry versus TSA PreCheck before paying twice. PreCheck is the domestic checkpoint product. Global Entry is the customs-reentry product that usually includes PreCheck. If the only pain is the Roanoke or connecting-hub security line, a cheaper PreCheck clinic may be enough.
CBP still warns that members can be selected for further inspection. A membership is not a packing waiver, and it is not a guarantee of an empty kiosk on a peak arrival bank.
The $120 fee is non-refundable even if CBP later denies the application. Minors are the exception. CBP waives the fee for an applicant under 18 when a parent or legal guardian is already enrolled or has a pending file.
Children still need their own TTP account and their own interview. A parent or legal guardian must attend that interview. There is no minimum age, but consent is required under 18.
Who should book a Roanoke slot
Priority one is anyone in the Roanoke, Blacksburg, Salem, or New River Valley area who already has conditional approval and can use weekday hours. A local conference-room slot beats a midweek drive to a permanent Virginia center.
CBP’s Virginia enrollment-center list still names Washington Dulles, Richmond, and Norfolk. Roanoke is not on that permanent list. This pop-up is the local substitute, not a new standing office.
Priority two is a traveler who flies internationally this fall and still needs the interview. Conditional approval alone does not open the kiosk. The interview has to happen first.
Priority three is a renewal due inside the next year. The airport says renewing files are eligible for the same August and September desks. Bring current documents, not an expired card and a hope that CBP will look it up.
Skip the rush if you already hold current Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI, or if you cannot use 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekday hours. A permanent center with evening or weekend inventory can still be the better fit.
Also skip the drive if the TTP account is still sitting in review. Arriving without conditional approval wastes the 30-minute free parking window and does not move the background check.
Eligibility remains national. CBP’s eligibility page limits the program to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and citizens of listed partner countries.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Already have conditional approval near ROA | Book an August 24 to 28 or September 22 to 24 conference-room slot now. |
| Still need to file the online application | Submit the $120 TTP form this week. Do not drive until approval appears. |
| Already hold current Global Entry | Skip this pop-up unless a renewal interview is actually due. |
| Cannot use weekday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours | Use Dulles, Richmond, or Norfolk instead of forcing a ROA slot. |
| Miss the August week | Hold for September 22 to 24 before driving to a distant center. |
- Deadline: August 24 opens the first interviews. September 24 is the last published day.
- Prep: Finish the TTP application and reach conditional approval first.
- Documents: Bring a valid passport plus a second photo ID.
- Parking: Use a lot, not the curb. The first 30 minutes are free.
- After approval: Add the Known Traveler Number to airline profiles.
The pop-up does not change Roanoke’s passenger checkpoint hours or airline bag rules. It only creates a local path to the interview that later changes the customs and PreCheck lines.
When are the Roanoke Global Entry interviews?
Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport lists August 24 to 28 and September 22 to 24, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment in the second-floor Commission Conference Room.
Do I still need an online application?
Yes. Apply through the official Trusted Traveler Programs site and wait for conditional approval before booking a Roanoke interview.
How much does Global Entry cost?
CBP lists a $120 non-refundable fee for five years, paid when the online application is submitted. Minors can be free when a parent or guardian is enrolled or pending.
Is Roanoke a permanent enrollment center?
No. CBP’s Virginia list still names Dulles, Richmond, and Norfolk. The August and September desks are a mobile event, not a new standing office.
Where do I park for the appointment?
Park in a lot, not at the curb. The airport says the first 30 minutes are free in all lots, then standard half-hour rates apply.
