CBP Enrollment on Arrival: Eligibility, Locations, and Interview

CBP Enrollment on Arrival lets a conditionally approved Global Entry applicant finish the required interview with a Customs and Border Protection officer while clearing customs at a participating airport, instead of booking a separate appointment at an enrollment center. The interview adds only a few minutes to your normal arrival, and the program runs at more than 60 locations in the United States and abroad.¹ For applicants stuck waiting on scarce enrollment center slots, it is usually the fastest way to finish.

Who Can Use Enrollment on Arrival

Enrollment on Arrival is not a separate program you sign up for. It is a way to complete the final step of a Global Entry application, so you have to be in the middle of that process to use it.

First, submit a Global Entry application through the Trusted Traveler Programs site at ttp.dhs.gov and pay the $120 non-refundable application fee.²³ CBP then runs a background check. If you clear it, your TTP dashboard status changes to “Conditionally Approved.” That status is the trigger. You cannot walk up to a CBP officer on arrival and request an interview unless your account shows it.¹

Check the dashboard before any international trip where you plan to complete the process. If CBP needs additional review, the stretch from application to conditional approval can run 12 to 24 months, though most applicants clear faster.

What to Bring to the Airport Interview

Everything you need has to be in your carry-on. CBP asks for three categories of documents:¹

A valid passport. If you travel on more than one, bring all of them so CBP can add each to your file.
Your permanent resident card, if you are a lawful permanent resident.
Proof of residency showing the address on your application: a driver’s license with the current address, a mortgage statement, a rental payment receipt, or a utility bill.

Mismatches between these documents and the information in your application are one of the most common reasons an officer flags an interview for extra questions. If you moved since applying, update your address on the TTP site before you fly. A document that contradicts your application data can result in a denial on the spot.⁴

How the Interview Works

When your flight lands, follow the signs to CBP inspection. At the primary booth, tell the officer you are conditionally approved for Global Entry and want to complete your interview through Enrollment on Arrival. The officer verifies your status in the system and directs you to a secondary processing area.¹

In secondary, a CBP officer conducts a short interview. Expect questions about your travel history, employment, and any past legal issues that surfaced during the background check. The officer collects your fingerprints and takes a photograph for CBP’s biometric database. It is the same interview you would get at a dedicated enrollment center. The only difference is the location and the fact that you did not need an appointment.

If the officer approves you, email confirmation usually arrives within a few hours of leaving the airport. Your Global Entry membership activates at that point, so you can use Global Entry kiosks on your very next international arrival. The physical card follows by mail in two to four weeks, sent to the address on file.⁵

Check the Hours Before You Fly

Enrollment on Arrival is not available around the clock at every airport, and the hours vary widely by location.¹

A few examples show the range. Miami International runs Enrollment on Arrival from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. in one terminal and 24 hours in another. Phoenix Sky Harbor operates 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Cincinnati offers only a couple of short windows, such as 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. If your flight arrives outside those hours, you cannot complete the interview that day. Look up your specific airport on the CBP Enrollment on Arrival page before you fly. Landing during off-hours with no backup plan sends people right back into the enrollment center appointment queue.

Where the Program Is Available

CBP lists more than 60 locations, split between domestic airports and international Preclearance facilities. Nearly every major U.S. international gateway participates, including JFK, LAX, O’Hare, Miami, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Dallas-Fort Worth.¹

Preclearance locations, where you complete the interview before boarding your U.S.-bound flight, include airports in Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and others), Ireland (Dublin and Shannon), the Bahamas (Nassau), Aruba, Bermuda, and Abu Dhabi. Preclearance is especially useful because you clear U.S. immigration before departure and arrive at your U.S. airport as a domestic passenger.

The full current list is maintained on the CBP Enrollment on Arrival page. Airports occasionally join or temporarily suspend the program based on staffing and infrastructure, so check close to your travel date.

Enrolling Minors on Arrival

Children need their own Global Entry application, but the paperwork is lighter. Minors under 18 are exempt from the $120 application fee as long as a parent or legal guardian is already a Global Entry member or has a pending application.⁵ The waiver applies to applications submitted on or after October 1, 2024, and the parent’s application must be in at least “Pending Risk” or “Conditionally Approved” status.

At the interview, a minor still needs a valid passport, but CBP does not require proof of residency for minor applicants.¹ A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child through the process. Each child’s application still needs to reach conditional approval independently before the interview can happen, so submit the applications together and check each child’s dashboard status before you travel.

Renewals

Global Entry membership lasts five years, and you can submit a renewal application through the TTP site up to one year before expiration. The renewal fee is $120. CBP does not always require a new in-person interview for renewals. After you submit, your TTP account will show whether one is needed.⁵

If CBP does require a renewal interview, you go through the same conditional approval process as a new applicant, and Enrollment on Arrival becomes an option again. If no interview is required, the renewal is processed entirely online.

If You Are Denied at the Interview

A denial can happen during the background check, before you ever reach conditional approval, or at the interview itself, including at Enrollment on Arrival. Common reasons include criminal history, prior customs violations, or incomplete information on the application.

If you believe the denial was based on inaccurate or incomplete information, you can request reconsideration through the Trusted Traveler Programs site. CBP’s Trusted Traveler Ombudsman handles these requests. Your submission must include:⁶

The date and stated reason from your denial letter.
A written explanation clarifying the record or the incident.
Court disposition paperwork for any arrests or convictions, including expunged records, in PDF format.
Any additional documentation that could influence the decision.

All materials must be submitted in English. CBP does not publish a specific timeline, and in practice reconsideration can take several months. There is no fee to file, but gathering certified court documents from multiple jurisdictions can involve its own costs and delays. If you know something in your background may trigger a flag, assembling those records before your interview saves time regardless of the outcome.

1
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry
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eCFR. 8 CFR 103.7 – Fees
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions – Section: Enrollment on Arrival (EoA)
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trusted Traveler Program Denials