BajaNomad

SENTRI pass will soon cost only $42.25

Loboron - 1-10-2011 at 08:50 AM

It’s going to get a lot cheaper to cross the border using a SENTRI fast pass.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to slash the price of the high-tech fast pass as part of campaign to encourage more low-risk, frequent border crossers to register for the program.

The price of a SENTRI pass will soon drop from $122.25 to $42.25 per applicant, valid for five years, said Pete Flores, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Director for Field Operations in San Diego.

“We’re shooting to get as many as possible,” Flores said during an interview Friday.

CBP will also be opening a new SENTRI enrollment center just east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The facility, under construction at the site of the former Payless shoe store, will open in late February or early March, Flores said. CBP operates a SENTRI center in Otay Mesa, where the program started in 1995.

SENTRI passes allow pre-screened motorists and pedestrians to use special lanes to expedite their crossing. Applicants must pass background checks, submit fingerprints and an interview with CBP officers. Cars are also inspected.

SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection and relies on a high-tech card and license plate readers and computers.

The program helps ease traffic congestion but is still not widely utilized. Only two percent of pedestrians use SENTRI to cross at San Ysidro, Flores said. Meanwhile about 28 percent of motorists who cross there use SENTRI, he said. Flores said a recent survey showed that price was one reason more people were not enrolling in the program.

San Ysidro Port Director Chris Maston, speaking at a binational meeting Friday in San Diego, said he hoped more pedestrians will enroll in the SENTRI program to help expedite foot traffic. Northbound waits for pedestrians topped two hours during the holidays, he said.

“I don’t think anybody should have to stand in line for two hours unless they’re at Disneyland and choose to do so,” said Maston.

On Dec. 23, it took about four hours to cross by foot, many heading north to do holiday shopping.

Maston said many people wrongly believe that the program is reserved for business people and professionals.

Maston provided an update about the SENTRI program during a meeting of the Coalition for Border Prosperity Smart Border Committee, a program of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and was met with words of encouragement.

About 50 civic and business leaders from both sides of the border attended the meeting. Mexican officials said they would help get the word out about the new SENTRI developments.

Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com

Von - 1-10-2011 at 09:36 AM

I tried getting the Sentri last yr and was denied. I had a misdemenor about

10yrs ago, would that be the reason why? Does anyone know?

The people there never gave me a reason why it was denied? Who can

and who cannt get one? Thanks:)

BooJumMan - 1-10-2011 at 09:53 AM

They are very picky. I am a full time student and I couldn't get one because I didn't have a real job. :D

wessongroup - 1-10-2011 at 10:54 AM

Depends on what offense you were charged with... in most cases...

They do run ya though the "data base".. and yes they are picky.. very conservative at this time...

Good luck.. they are something which is very hard to beat, unless like crossing at 3-4 am... to avoid traffic....

And I bet a few would like them for RV's ... or have they been added?

[Edited on 1-10-2011 by wessongroup]

RichBaja - 1-10-2011 at 11:00 AM

Sounds like the Sentri lane will be getting longer wait times.

Gaucho - 1-10-2011 at 11:06 AM

Any idea when they plan on reducing the price?
Quote:
Originally posted by Loboron
It’s going to get a lot cheaper to cross the border using a SENTRI fast pass.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to slash the price of the high-tech fast pass as part of campaign to encourage more low-risk, frequent border crossers to register for the program.

The price of a SENTRI pass will soon drop from $122.25 to $42.25 per applicant, valid for five years, said Pete Flores, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Director for Field Operations in San Diego.

“We’re shooting to get as many as possible,” Flores said during an interview Friday.

CBP will also be opening a new SENTRI enrollment center just east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The facility, under construction at the site of the former Payless shoe store, will open in late February or early March, Flores said. CBP operates a SENTRI center in Otay Mesa, where the program started in 1995.

SENTRI passes allow pre-screened motorists and pedestrians to use special lanes to expedite their crossing. Applicants must pass background checks, submit fingerprints and an interview with CBP officers. Cars are also inspected.

SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection and relies on a high-tech card and license plate readers and computers.

The program helps ease traffic congestion but is still not widely utilized. Only two percent of pedestrians use SENTRI to cross at San Ysidro, Flores said. Meanwhile about 28 percent of motorists who cross there use SENTRI, he said. Flores said a recent survey showed that price was one reason more people were not enrolling in the program.

San Ysidro Port Director Chris Maston, speaking at a binational meeting Friday in San Diego, said he hoped more pedestrians will enroll in the SENTRI program to help expedite foot traffic. Northbound waits for pedestrians topped two hours during the holidays, he said.

“I don’t think anybody should have to stand in line for two hours unless they’re at Disneyland and choose to do so,” said Maston.

On Dec. 23, it took about four hours to cross by foot, many heading north to do holiday shopping.

Maston said many people wrongly believe that the program is reserved for business people and professionals.

Maston provided an update about the SENTRI program during a meeting of the Coalition for Border Prosperity Smart Border Committee, a program of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and was met with words of encouragement.

About 50 civic and business leaders from both sides of the border attended the meeting. Mexican officials said they would help get the word out about the new SENTRI developments.

Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com

BajaGeoff - 1-10-2011 at 11:30 AM

At this point, no RV's, no trailers and no towed items. It would be nice if they added a special Sentri lane for them in the future though.

I did not see a proposed launch date of the new prices anywhere.

SUNDOG - 1-10-2011 at 11:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Von
I tried getting the Sentri last yr and was denied. I had a misdemenor about

10yrs ago, would that be the reason why? Does anyone know?

The people there never gave me a reason why it was denied? Who can

and who cannt get one? Thanks:)


SENTRI Eligibility

(07/10/2009)A SENTRI applicant may be declared ineligible for membership if there are penalties, violations, arrests, convictions or pending law enforcement investigations in their backgrounds. Any negative encounters with state, federal and local law enforcement, border agencies, military authorities, etc. may render an applicant inadmissible to the SENTRI program. In the case of dismissed charges, certified court records may be required as part of membership consideration into the SENTRI program.
Reasons for Ineligibility

Applicants may not qualify for participation in the SENTRI program if they:

Provide false or incomplete information on the application;
Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants;
Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;
Are subjects of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state or local law enforcement agency;
Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation;
Cannot satisfy CBP of their low-risk status (i.e. CBP has intelligence indicating the applicant is not low risk; CBP cannot determine an applicant’s criminal, residence or employment history.); and/or,
Are subject to National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS) or other special registration programs.

krafty - 1-10-2011 at 12:02 PM

indeed good news-I would try again, Von-had a neighbor who had an old dui and finally got a SENTRI

woody with a view - 1-10-2011 at 08:15 PM

what a joke! i paid my debt(s) to society 15 years ago and am a member, in good standing, of the human race!

btw, last night at tj we sat for 1 hour at 6.45 pm. the guy looked at our passport cards and never asked us a word other than "how long was our wait in line"!!!!!

bajario - 1-10-2011 at 08:44 PM

I had a couple of minor run ins in my early twenties (15+ years ago). One being a DUI. I got my pass reactivated last month after having inactive the last few years.

Hope they add more lanes.

Low price for SENTRI to be *temporary*

BajaNews - 1-11-2011 at 09:45 PM

http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias/3520/Low-price-for-SENTR...

By Leonel Sánchez
January 11, 2011

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to only temporarily lower the price of a SENTRI fast- pass and the reduction will apply only pedestrians and drivers at the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Calexico ports of entery, an agency spokeswoman said.

CBP officials last week said the price of a SENTRI pass would be slashed from $122.25 to $42.25 but did not specify for how long. The agency is slashing the price to encourage more people to sign up.

SENTRI passes allow low-risk, pre-approved frequent border-crossers access to dedicated lanes at land ports that reduce their travel time.

CBP spokeswoman Jacqueline Wasiluk this week said the federal agency has yet to decide how long the price reduction will last or when it will take effect.

“While we do not plan for the price reduction to be permanent, we do not have an established timeline yet for when the reduced price will go into effect and when it will end,” Wasiluk said in an e-mail response to a reporter’s questions about SENTRI. “We are still in the planning stages.”

Pete Flores, CBP Acting Director for Field Operations in San Diego, said Friday that a new SENTRI processing center will open just east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in late February or early March. The facility is under construction at the site of a former Payless shoe store.

A SENTRI processing center, where the applicants for the SENTRI pass are interviewed, currently operates in Otay Mesa.

People may apply on line at:
http://www.cbp.gov

[Edited on 1-12-2011 by BajaNews]

krafty - 1-12-2011 at 02:55 PM

ours needs to be renewed next summer-hope the slash is in effect by then-wonder if the renewal can be done at the new center-much more convenient

Hook - 1-12-2011 at 04:41 PM

I'm having a hard time finding the application at cbp.gov.

BajaNomad - 1-12-2011 at 04:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
I'm having a hard time finding the application at cbp.gov.

Check out the links on the right side of this page:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/sentri/se...

Including this one to where you can (it appears) apply online:
https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov

BajaNomad - 1-12-2011 at 05:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNomad
Including this one to where you can (it appears) apply online:
https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov
And this one in (PDF) hard copy:

http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_823S.pdf

RichBaja - 1-12-2011 at 08:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
what a joke! i paid my debt(s) to society 15 years ago and am a member, in good standing, of the human race!

btw, last night at tj we sat for 1 hour at 6.45 pm. the guy looked at our passport cards and never asked us a word other than "how long was our wait in line"!!!!!


( i paid my debt(s) to society 15 years ago and am a member, in good standing, of the human race!)

The little I have seen of you counteracts your statements.


:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Sentry pass

akshadow - 1-12-2011 at 08:12 PM

I don't think they should reduce the cost to attract mre people. The price was very cheap per crossing. Will they increase the number users to the point where there are long lines for the sentry lanes too?

Sentri price reduction in doubt

bajalou - 4-25-2011 at 11:02 PM

Nearly four months after U.S. officials said the price of a border fast pass would drop temporarily from $122.25 to $42.25, the price remains the same, raising questions whether the proposed reduction will be implemented.

“We are still exploring this as an option,” local U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman Jacqueline Wasiluk said.

http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias/10491/Big-SENTRI-price-r...

NEW SENTRI PRICE!

baja829 - 4-28-2011 at 07:07 PM

CBP has announced that the price of the Sentri Pass will be reduced, from $122.50 to $42.25 per person, FOR THE PORTS OF CALEXICO (EAST & WEST) OTAY MESA & SAN YSIDRO ONLY.

This "may be" a temporary decrease and they have not yet announced the timeframes and when it will begin.

If you're thinking about applying for Sentri and will list one of those 3 Ports as your entry, wait for the CBP annouoncement. The are slashing prices to encourage more people to sign up.

Sentri applications can only be made on line. They will then provide you with a date to appear in person, at the border. Each pass is specific to one vehicle and only those persons who applied for that vehicle. They are valid for 5 years. You can apply for additional vehicles as well.

It's well worth it when we wait in line at Calexico for 2 hours or so and the Sentri line is completely empty. Don't know about the other Ports however.

I'm sure this has been written about before, but I haven't seen it since the price reduction was announced and it's important for new applicants in those 3 areas to be aware of the change.

krafty - 4-28-2011 at 07:46 PM

SY pretty much the same

mrfatboy - 6-2-2011 at 01:09 PM

Any new news on this? I want to get a pass and wouldn't mind getting the cheaper price.

bajabound2005 - 6-3-2011 at 08:35 AM

it's worth it at any price!

Von - 6-3-2011 at 10:39 AM

3.5 month wait to renew my moms Sentri lol! or drive to Nogales AZ. and have it the next day lol i guess my mom is drivin~~~~

bajajurel - 6-13-2011 at 09:34 PM

05-13-11 I applied on line.

06-08-11 received notification that the application had been processed and I am now invited to visit a Sentri enrollment center to complete the process.

09-26-11 is my appointment so this is not a quick process. I have called and left a message to see if I can get in earlier but have not had a response.

The Gov. is joking - they need all the money they can get out of you to pay for bloated social programs. They are not going to reduce the fee.

It's still listed at Application Fee: $25.00 per person (or a maximum of $50.00 total for husband, wife and minor children)

Fingerprint Fee: $17.25 (applicants 14 years and older)

System Costs Fee: $80.00 per person (or a maximum of $160.00 total for a husband, wife and minor children)

Total Fee: $122.25 per person

bajajurel - 6-13-2011 at 09:40 PM

http://1leonelsanchez.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/sentri-border...