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RocketJSquirrel
Nomad
Posts: 251
Registered: 8-3-2019
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Thanks TjSue, Your post reminded me to set an alarm on my calendar, to start the process (or at least thinking about it) one year ahead of time.
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Bajazly
Super Nomad
Posts: 1013
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
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Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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About 4 years ago my buddy who worked at HP and traveled to SE Asia 6 or more times year and comes to Baja 3 or 4 times a year told me about GE. He
said he was going to do it but the interviews are always like 6 months out. A couple years ago after a 9 hour crossing back to the US I applied the
next day, 6 weeks later I had mine. To this day he still waits for hours to cross back north.
Point is, no real good reason to wait to apply. It is what it is and until you actually apply you will still be fretting about the long wait for an
interview and using that as an excuse to not do it.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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RocketJSquirrel
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Posts: 251
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Bajazly is right. I can't count the number of hours I spent idling and fraying my nerves in the "Ready" lane. Many many more hours than I spent
organizing my Global Entry card.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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What exactly does a Global Entry card let you do? Do you just drive up the Sentri lane or is there a lane that says Global Entry? I normally come back
thru Tecate which usually is one line splitting into two gates.
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 10549
Registered: 10-3-2003
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Quote: Originally posted by TMW  | | What exactly does a Global Entry card let you do? Do you just drive up the Sentri lane or is there a lane that says Global Entry? I normally come back
thru Tecate which usually is one line splitting into two gates. |
GE lets you use the Sentri lane.
We typically pass a couple thousand cars and cross in less than 15 mins.
[Edited on 12-13-2020 by JZ]
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DosMars
Nomad
Posts: 118
Registered: 12-11-2005
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajazly |
Point is, no real good reason to wait to apply. It is what it is and until you actually apply you will still be fretting about the long wait for an
interview and using that as an excuse to not do it. |
Bingo! That's what made me finally pull the trigger. I have a group of buddies I've been trying to explain this to who keep putting it off. I'm
looking forward to giving them progress reports on my way home after I leave them in line. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those times I will be
crawling into bed at home by the time they're creeping up on the crossing...
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jamiec
Junior Nomad
Posts: 69
Registered: 3-16-2020
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For what its worth, I applied for Global Entry Jan 2020. Just got conditional approval Dec 2020. Was able to schedule an appointment in San
Francisco for next week as it is closest to me in Central California. Lots of choices for appointments in San Francisco.
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tjsue
Senior Nomad
Posts: 520
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: Originally posted by jamiec | | For what its worth, I applied for Global Entry Jan 2020. Just got conditional approval Dec 2020. Was able to schedule an appointment in San
Francisco for next week as it is closest to me in Central California. Lots of choices for appointments in San Francisco. |
I applied in October of 2019, and got my conditional approval in July of 2020, so that time period sounds about right.
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JZ
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Posts: 10549
Registered: 10-3-2003
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My approval took 2-3 months. Six weeks for the kids.
About 2 months to schedule interviews. Could have done it in a week if I drove to the border.
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TMW
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Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Thanks JZ. I applied for a GE card. Usually Tecate is pretty quick getting thru depending on when you get there. But I do from time to time go thru
Mexicali. I haven been thru TJ going north for many many years.
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 10549
Registered: 10-3-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by TMW | | Thanks JZ. I applied for a GE card. Usually Tecate is pretty quick getting thru depending on when you get there. But I do from time to time go thru
Mexicali. I haven been thru TJ going north for many many years. |
Great. If you love Baja, it's a must have. It's awesome.
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Sunman
Nomad
Posts: 400
Registered: 6-22-2007
Location: Oxnard
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Just had my interview, it was originally scheduled in May, but canceled due to COVID. I did it near LAX, couldn’t have been easier, I parked and was
not in the building for 20 minutes before I was interviewed and left. Sadly I don’t think I’ll have my card before my Xmas trip, but looking
forward to not waiting in line anymore. What pushed me over the edge was being able to Register my truck with a camper on it. This was not possible
back in the early days of Sentri.
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tjsue
Senior Nomad
Posts: 520
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: San Diego
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After I got approved, I had my card within a week, so you should have yours before your XMAS trip.
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Sunman
Nomad
Posts: 400
Registered: 6-22-2007
Location: Oxnard
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You were right, got it today! Leaving manana, perfect timing!!
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verichip
Banned
Posts: 70
Registered: 3-15-2019
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How long did you have to wait from payment until you were able to schedule an appointment?
Where is the shortest line for an appointment? Around San Diego that is?
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BajaTed
Senior Nomad
Posts: 859
Registered: 5-2-2010
Location: Bajamar
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| Quote: Originally posted by JZ | | Quote: Originally posted by TMW | | Thanks JZ. I applied for a GE card. Usually Tecate is pretty quick getting thru depending on when you get there. But I do from time to time go thru
Mexicali. I haven been thru TJ going north for many many years. |
Great. If you love Baja, it's a must have. It's awesome.
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Careful, they are highly addictive, my wife and I are in a catatonic state when we pull them out of our wallets and have to surrender them for a few
brief moments.
Es Todo Bueno
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 10549
Registered: 10-3-2003
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The site will tell you the places you can schedule the fastest.
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tjsue
Senior Nomad
Posts: 520
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: Originally posted by verichip | How long did you have to wait from payment until you were able to schedule an appointment?
Where is the shortest line for an appointment? Around San Diego that is? |
You can't make an appointment until you're conditionally approved, and you'll get an email when that happens. There's only one place in San Diego for
interviews, and that's the Otay Mesa office.
[Edited on 1-10-2021 by tjsue]
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RocketJSquirrel
Nomad
Posts: 251
Registered: 8-3-2019
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| Quote: Originally posted by tjsue | There's only one place in San Diego for interviews, and that's the Otay Mesa office.
[Edited on 1-10-2021 by tjsue] |
I don't know re: SENTRI, but my wife did her GE interview at Lindbergh Field (SAN).
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tjsue
Senior Nomad
Posts: 520
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: San Diego
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That office has been closed, along with the Sentri office at the San Ysidro border. The only one in San Diego is in Otay.
https://www.san.org/news/news-detail/san-diego-international...
[Edited on 1-11-2021 by tjsue]
[Edited on 1-11-2021 by tjsue]
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