US customs extends Global Entry membership for those waiting to renew
If your Global Entry pass is expiring soon and your renewal application is still "pending," fear not — you won't lose your perks just yet. U.S. customs will extend Global Entry privileges a year beyond the expiration date to those who are still waiting to renew.
The extension comes after U.S. Customs shared that it has a backlog of 350,000+ applicants to work through.
This probably comes as a relief to many as appointments have become increasingly hard to get in a timely manner. For instance, we checked out some of the wait times across the country back on Oct. 28 and airports like Salt Lake City (SLC), Washington (DCA) and San Francisco (SFO) didn't have any appointments available at all.
So, if you haven't been able to snatch an appointment, you'll still be able to enjoy your Global Entry pass and perks as long as you filed your renewal prior to the expiration date.
Global Entry is a game changer for frequent travelers as it expedites the security screening process considerably. If you're considering getting Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, check out the many credit cards that offer the two perks as a part of its welcome bonus and annual fee. This is a lucrative perk considering Global Entry costs $100 out of pocket and also includes TSA PreCheck.
Bottom line
You may have to wait a bit before your application is approved as Customs has reported it receives as many as 7,000 applications a day on top of its backlogged applications. However, it's a great perk offered by many travel rewards credit cards and it would be a shame not to take advantage of the service. For those who already have it and are just waiting for renewal, take a deep breath as U.S. customs is working through thousands of applications and has extended perks to current members.
