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MMMondayMemo: What is Global Entry?
Each Monday Miles has decided to drop a tip, hint, tutorial, trick that maybe you’ve missed or haven’t heard before. If you’re an expert in this field, some of these may be things you already know, but there are a lot of beginners out there who are just getting their feet wet. This week the Monkey Miles Monday Memo focuses on making immigration, customs, and security easier! MMMondayMemo: What is Global Entry?
Global Entry is something that those who are travel enthusiasts know all about, but I also talk to A LOT of people that have no idea what it is. It’s something that we highly recommend to anyone who is traveling abroad, and also those who travel domestically as it gives you TSA-PRE clearance as well. In short, it makes domestic security, immigration, and customs a WHOLE LOT shorter.
As defined by Wikipedia:
Global Entry is a program of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States. As of December 2014, Global Entry was available at 42 US airports and 12 pre-clearance locations. More than 1.8 million people are enrolled in Global Entry and approximately 50,000 new applications for the program are filed monthly.
So how do you go about getting Global Entry?
First you must be eligible. The following information is provided by cbp.gov.
Lawful permanent residents and aliens from the following countries
- Citizens of Colombia
- Citizens of United Kingdom
- Citizens of Germany
- Citizens of the Netherlands
- Citizens of Panama
- Citizens of Singapore
- Citizens of South Korea
- Mexican nationals
You may be ineligible if you
- Provide false or incomplete information on the application;
- Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants (to include driving under the influence);
- Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;
- Are the subject 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; or
- Cannot satisfy CBP of your low-risk status.
You’re eligible? Here’s what you do
Step 1: Create an account with GOES by going here. ( Global Online Enrollment System)
Step 2: Log in to your Account and fill out an application and pay the $100 fee
Step 3: Once you are approved, you will be asked to schedule an appointment
- Make sure to bring your passport and another form of ID to your appointment.
What’s the appointment like?
Nothing to it. They will take a digital pic of you and scan your fingerprints. Mine took about 5-10 minutes and the officer asked me various questions about my identity and wanted to make sure that Miles I hadn’t committed any crimes, etc. It’s a quick and easy process that I HIGHLY recommend going through to make travel soooooo much faster.
How long does Global Entry Last?
5 years
What is the Immigration and Customs experience like with Global Entry?
First you use a kiosk where you scan your passport and fingerprints. I’ve never waited to use a kiosk and never waited more than a couple minutes to have my global entry ticket examined. Both your passport and fingerprints are linked to your Global Entry account.
Should I get TSA PRE as well?
You don’t need to do that because Global Entry gives you TSA PRE via your trusted traveller ID number. Simply input that number into your reservation and TSA PRE will be added to your reservation.
Many credit cards give a FULL $100 refund on your Global Entry fee
- Any American Express Platinum + additional card holders
- Personal
- Mercedes
- Ameriprise
- Business
- Citi Prestige
- Citi Aadvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase Ritz Carlton
- Gives a $300 travel credit and Global Entry Qualifies
- Citi Expedia + Voyager card
- Gives $100 travel credit and Global Entry Qualifies
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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