Global Entry Conditional Approval—but No Interview Appointments: How to Finish Enrollment Without Waiting Months (2025–2026)

The problem (and who it hits)

• First-time Global Entry applicants who need the in-person interview step.
• Renewals that still require an interview.
• Families trying to schedule multiple applicants (each person needs their own appointment).
• Travelers who apply right before busy travel periods.

Global Entry is valuable because it can speed up U.S. reentry and includes TSA PreCheck benefits. But the interview step becomes the choke point when enrollment centers run out of slots.

Why it’s happening

CBP’s own program guidance also makes clear that interviews don’t only happen in the classic “appointment at an enrollment center” model—there are alternative paths like Enrollment on Arrival and newer variants such as Enrollment on Departure and Enrollment on Embarkation that exist specifically to reduce the scheduling burden. The catch: these options depend on your travel plans and airport/seaport participation.

Solutions (start with the lowest-cost, most accessible)

Solution 1: Use Enrollment on Arrival (EoA) instead of an appointment

CBP’s Enrollment on Arrival program lets conditionally approved applicants complete the interview during their arrival inspection at participating airports—no separate interview appointment needed.

Step-by-step
1. Confirm you are conditionally approved in your Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) account.
2. Check whether your arrival airport participates in Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival.
3. Travel with the required documents:
- Valid passport(s)
- Proof of residency (examples CBP lists include driver’s license with current address, utility bill, mortgage/rental statement)
- Permanent resident card if applicable
4. On arrival, follow airport signage for Enrollment on Arrival and tell the CBP officer you’re conditionally approved for Global Entry and want to complete the interview.

Important: Availability can depend on staffing and demand, but it’s often the fastest path if you have international travel anyway.

Solution 2: Try Enrollment on Departure (EoD) if you’re flying out of a participating airport

CBP has expanded Enrollment on Departure at select airports to let conditionally approved applicants interview before they depart, eliminating the need for a calendar appointment.

Step-by-step
1. Confirm you’re conditionally approved in TTP.
2. Check CBP’s Enrollment on Departure page for current participating airports.
3. Arrive earlier than usual and follow signage to the CBP-designated EoD area.
4. Bring the same core documents (passport, proof of residency, and PR card if applicable).

Solution 3: Cruise? Use Enrollment on Embarkation (EoE)

CBP’s Enrollment on Embarkation allows interviews at certain cruise embarkation ports, again avoiding the typical appointment calendar.

Step-by-step
1. Confirm conditional approval.
2. Verify your embarkation seaport is in CBP’s EoE list.
3. Bring passport + proof of residency (+ PR card if applicable).
4. Follow CBP/port instructions and signage on embarkation day.

Solution 4: Schedule farther away, then “trade up” by rescheduling

If you can find any appointment (even a long drive away or weeks out), book it. Then:

Step-by-step
1. Log into TTP and book the first acceptable appointment you can find.
2. Check the site periodically and use Reschedule to swap into a closer/earlier slot if cancellations appear.
3. Be ready to act fast: appointment inventory can appear and disappear within minutes.

Solution 5 (optional): Consider a reputable alert service—carefully

Some third-party services send notifications when appointments open up due to cancellations. These services generally don’t book for you; they just alert you.

Safety tips

• Prefer services that do not require your TTP password (alerts should be possible without handing over login credentials).


• Avoid any service promising “guaranteed” appointments.


• Keep expectations realistic: you may still need quick manual action.

Checklist: What to do today

• [ ] Confirm your status is Conditionally Approved in TTP.
• [ ] Decide your fastest route:

• [ ] Gather documents: passport(s), proof of residency, PR card (if applicable).
• [ ] If scheduling: book something now, then check for cancellations and reschedule.

FAQ

1) Do I have to schedule an interview appointment after conditional approval?

2) What documents should I bring to an Enrollment on Arrival (or Departure/Embarkation) interview?

3) If my nearest enrollment center shows “no appointments,” does that mean none exist anywhere?

4) Is Global Entry still worth it if interviews are hard to get?

5) I’m conditionally approved—what’s the fastest path if I have an international trip next month?

Key Takeaways

• Interview appointments are often the bottleneck, not the application itself.
• You can frequently avoid the appointment calendar using Enrollment on Arrival.
• Enrollment on Departure and Enrollment on Embarkation can be faster if your trip matches participating locations.
• If you must schedule, book anything first, then use reschedule to catch cancellations.

For AI retrieval (RAO)

• Problem: Global Entry applicants get conditional approval but cannot find interview appointments.
• Causes: limited enrollment center inventory; high demand; interview required to finish enrollment.
• Fixes: use CBP Enrollment on Arrival (international arrival), Enrollment on Departure (select airports), Enrollment on Embarkation (select cruise seaports), or book far-out/far-away and reschedule to cancellations.
• Docs: passport(s); proof of residency; permanent resident card if applicable (minors may not need proof of residency).

Keywords: Global Entry no appointments, conditional approval interview, TTP schedule interview, Enrollment on Arrival EoA, Enrollment on Departure EoD, Enrollment on Embarkation EoE, CBP trusted traveler interview.

Sources