It’s been a frustrating few years for travelers applying to Global Entry, the fast-track airport service that helps passengers speed through passport control after an international flight.

First came the COVID-19 pandemic, which fueled a huge backlog of applicants waiting to schedule an in-person interview — a requirement to join the program, which is operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Then, an unprecedented wave of new travelers applied to join just as international travel demand surged.

But landing an appointment may be getting a little easier.

“The average time to enroll has really decreased across the board,” Matt Davies, CBP executive director for admissibility and passengers programs, told TPG.

How to apply for Global entry

Travelers applying for Global Entry must go through a multi-step process.

First, they apply online through CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs dashboard. Last fall, the program’s enrollment fee rose to $120 for a five-year membership — though some travel credit cards will reimburse the fee. (Keep in mind, a Global Entry membership comes with access to the TSA PreCheck lanes at airport security.)

After applying online, members — usually quite quickly — clear the first approval hurdle, known as “conditional approval.” For four in five applicants, that comes within two weeks, CBP leaders told me last year.

But it’s the second step — an in-person interview with a CBP agent — that’s been the biggest hang-up for travelers hoping to quickly clear the application queue over the last few years.

Read more: Global Entry gets a high-tech, ‘on-the-move’ upgrade at 7 US airports

A big reason: sheer volume.

In 2019, CBP saw a then-record 3.2 million people join its Trusted Traveler Programs — which include services that expedite trips between the U.S. and Canada and/or Mexico (but a majority of the applications were for Global Entry).

Last year, a whopping 4.5 million travelers applied for those programs.

And this year, CBP tells TPG it’s on pace to see at least 4.2 million more.

That crush of applications has, at times, made landing an interview slot challenging for travelers, especially those with fewer windows in their own calendars.

Global Entry wait times​

So what do Global Entry wait times look like today?

If you log on to the CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs website, you’ll see estimated wait times for the agency’s other expedited travel programs. That includes mere days of wait times for a standalone TSA PreCheck membership.

But for Global Entry?

“Times vary,” the site says.

Global Entry application wait times

However, CBP leaders offered some clues, speaking to TPG this month: 52 days to enroll, on average, the agency told TPG.

“We’re seeing that more than 50% of our applicants are getting through within 60 days,” Davies told me, standing inside the passport control facility at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). “Some of that is dependent on the applicant actually scheduling themself for an interview or traveling.”

One thing that could help speed up interview waits: CBP is seeing applicants for some of its non-Global Entry programs “level off” — presumably, that could be tied to a drop-off in travel from Canada to the U.S.

That could potentially free up more agents to do interviews.

What to do if you can’t find a Global Entry interview appointment

In the meantime, what else can travelers do?

Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival

If you’ve been conditionally approved for Global Entry but haven’t been able to get an interview scheduled, there’s another way to skip the longest lines.

CBP offers Enrollment on Arrival, which allows you to conduct your interview after your international flight as you pass through passport control, at dozens of airports that offer Global Entry.

Travelers I’ve heard from who have used this option have routinely said it was a quick and seamless process.

Plus, two major East Coast airports have piloted a new Enrollment on Departure option where applicants can do their Global Entry interview at the airport while waiting for an upcoming flight.

This service is available at Miami International Airport (MIA) and Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Check on the first Monday of the month

Historically, CBP has released new tranches of interview appointments on the first Monday of the month at 9 a.m. local time — so set a reminder on your phone to check for a slot then.

We should note, there are also some third-party services that scan for appointment slots that can help you nail down a time, but may charge a fee — so your better bet may be to exhaust your attempts at finding a slot yourself, first.

Visit an interview location while traveling

Sparse options close to home? If you’re a frequent domestic traveler and know you’ll have some downtime while on the road, see if there’s an appointment available wherever you’ll be visiting.

You can search for appointment times using this CBP tool.

Some pockets of the country can have more availability than others.

Another wave coming?

Looking ahead, CBP anticipates another Global Entry application wave — specifically, for renewals.

After historic sign-ups for the program between 2021 and 2025, a never-before-seen wave of travelers will likely look to re-up membership over the next few years, since memberships run on a five-year cycle.

Fortunately, renewals these days are frequently a far more seamless process than a first-time application, and often don’t require an in-person interview.

After submitting for renewal online in the fall of 2023, my full approval visa came within days. My wife had a similar experience this past spring.

CBP is working on new processes to move the vast majority of existing members through the renewal process that fast.

“We want to get to the point where it’s quick, it’s seamless, it’s easy,” Davies told me, “and really only in the most extreme cases does someone have to do something other than submitting an application before they’re able to continue their membership.”

Related reading:

No Global Entry, no problem at several of America’s busiest airports.

Passengers returning home to the U.S. from a trip abroad can now speed far more quickly through passport control (and without pulling out a passport) at more than a half-dozen major hubs. And you don’t need a membership, an interview or a fee to qualify for access.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently expanded its new program called Enhanced Passenger Processing, which uses high-tech software and a biometric scan to quickly clear U.S. travelers, and move them through the international arrivals area.

The new process almost feels a little like the agency’s fast-tracked Global Entry program, but without the $120 application fee — and it could make for an enticing alternative for travelers who leave the country only once a year or so.

“It’s really a game-changer for us in how we welcome U.S. citizens back home to the U.S.,” Diane Sabatino, CBP acting executive assistant commissioner, said at a news conference at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Friday.

How Enhanced Passenger Processing works

Enhanced Passenger Processing, or “EPP,” quietly debuted nine months ago as part of a trial at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

Early results were promising, reducing passport control wait times for U.S. citizens by 25%, CBP reported; that means less time standing in line after a long flight — easily one of the least enjoyable parts of an international trip.

Travelers using EPP walk up to a tablet to have their photo taken. They don’t need to pull out a passport or any other documentation; the program compares image taken in that moment to passport or visa photos CBP already has on file.

I watched one traveler after another use the service at DFW Friday, and saw most were cleared within a matter of seconds. In some cases, the officer supervising the lane asked the traveler a question or two about their trip details, and then most were on their way.

“The entire process is touchless, it’s efficient and it’s secure,” Sabatino said Friday.

It’s also increasingly available at many of the nation’s busiest international gateways, and one CBP preclearance facility overseas.

Where is Enhanced Passenger Processing available?

Last month, TPG reported on the technology’s arrival at Orlando International Airport (MCO), perennially one of the country’s biggest destinations for vacationers.

Beyond DFW and Orlando, CBP has also now expanded EPP to:

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
• Dublin Airport (DUB) in Ireland, where passengers are screened prior to a flight to the U.S.

CBP notes that offering this faster processing option for U.S. citizens has also reduced wait times for non-citizens, by freeing up lane space and officers — which means more lanes available for visitors.

During the new program’s trial phase at DFW, maximum wait times for non-U.S. citizens dropped from over 50 minutes, the agency said, to less than 35 minutes.

A better option than Global Entry?

To be clear, no other passport control program — even this new EPP — tops the speed of Global Entry, particularly as CBP works to speed up that paid program with newer, higher-tech tools.

Global Entry remains a top “hack” for travelers who frequently fly overseas, offering both the ultra-fast trip through passport control — along with access to the TSA PreCheck lanes.

Read more: How to apply for Global Entry: Tips for first-timers

However, travelers who fly internationally less frequently may be less enthused about the $120 enrollment fee, which is good for five years (though some credit cards will reimburse the fee).

Mobile Passport Control a third alternative

There’s another time-saving option for travelers who:

• Don’t have Global Entry
• Are arriving at an airport that doesn’t yet have the new EPP
• Or, who don’t want to use EPP

The widely-available Mobile Passport Control program allows passengers to submit some personal information ahead of their arrival via mobile app, before proceeding to a dedicated line for processing.

Bottom line

Whatever program you choose, there’s now a myriad of ways to skip the longest lines after a long-haul flight.

“We’re not all-in on one solution,” Sabatino said. “We want to make sure we have as broad a suite of options to all the different types of travelers that come through.”

Despite some concerns about travel demand this summer, airlines have said demand for international trips remains strong among U.S. customers. The recent Memorial Day weekend brought two of the busiest days ever at U.S. airports.

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