For months now, passenger travel has been at a virtual standstill. As travel restrictions at home and abroad gradually begin lifting, however, it seems as though things are starting to pick up.
On June 18, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported screening more than 576,000 airport passengers, which represents a record number of travelers per day seen since those figures’ dismal decline in late March.
While the country held its breath and sheltered in place, it’s likely that not many were worrying about whether they could immediately apply for new travel documents or easily enroll in Trusted Traveler expedited-entry programs. But, it’s worth noting that the pandemic didn’t leave such operations unscathed, and some of those offices are also just getting back on their feet.
Here’s a look at the current status of a few of those official processing operations.
U.S. Passports
The New York Times reported that the U.S. Passport service has accumulated a backlog of 1.7 million unprocessed passport renewals and applications since the State Department closed down most of its operations on March 19, 2020.
During the past three months, only expedited passport service has been available for those with a verifiable life-or-death emergency that required them to travel abroad within the following 72-hour period.
On June 15, fourteen passport processing centers nationwide reopened with limited service as part of a first-phase operational restart. A few employees are returning to work to process pending applications on a first-in-first-out basis, starting with some applications that were received as far back as February.
Officials said they hope to work their way through the backlog at a rate of about 200,000 applications per week, but that it may take up to eight weeks before they are even able to start in on newly-submitted applications. Anyone submitting a new application can expect processing to be delayed by two, three, even four months.
Expedited services will remain available only to those needing to travel to address life-or-death circumstances.
Global Entry
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency’s Global Entry program enables pre-approved members to bypass customs checkpoints upon re-entering the U.S. from abroad. It’s one of the CBP’s expedited-entry Trusted Traveler Programs (others include TSA PreCheck, SENTRI, NEXUS and FAST); enrollment is good for five years, and the $100 application fee includes TSA PreCheck membership.
On March 20, operations at all Enrollment Centers were suspended through at least July 6, 2020. Applicants can still submit for conditional Global Entry approval via the Trusted Traveler website but won’t be able to schedule an interview until offices reopen.
Officials told The New York Times that, currently, the fastest way to obtain Global Entry is by applying for conditional approval online and then completing the process at a participating airport upon returning from abroad. Through this approach, a pre-booked interview is not required.
Conditional approval, however, can take as little as fifteen days or as long as five months to receive, so there are still no guarantees. Applicants are who are conditionally approved are typically allowed up to one year to complete their interview for Global Entry enrollment, although the CBP recently extended the window to 485 days.
In addition, existing members who submit renewal applications prior to their enrollment’s expiration will be given an eighteen-month extension of their benefits, rather than the usual six months.
New Yorkers, unfortunately, are still ineligible to renew or apply for Trusted Traveler Programs because of a state-specific ban imposed by the Trump administration back in February.
TSA PreCheck
Overseen by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the TSA PreCheck program lets members circumvent the tedious lines at airport security checkpoints. Enrollment saves the hassle of removing shoes, belts, laptops, etc., and memberships are good for five years at a cost of $85 apiece.
The pandemic has prompted some PreCheck enrollment centers to discontinue or modify their service hours, but most of them remain open. Applicants whose interviews have to be canceled are notified and given the opportunity to rebook.
TSA officials said that the PreCheck program has not suffered from processing delays or acquired a backlog of applications due to COVID-19 and that the approval process typically takes between two and three weeks.
Officials do, however, recommend that applicants make an appointment instead of going to an enrollment center as a walk-in so that they can know what to expect in terms of possible service disruptions and to help the centers observe limited-capacity and social-distancing guidelines.
