Renewing Global Entry, and TSA PreCheck, for Indian Citizens
If you are an Indian citizen, living in the U.S., and frequent airports on domestic travels, or international, then you will know how convenient it is to arm yourself with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
Having been a program member since its introduction to Indian citizens in 2017 (though, my membership was activated only in 2018), I’ve enjoyed its benefits — exclusive security lines at airport security, and a 2-min (if that) immigration walk-through — for 5 years.
In 2023, I had to renew my membership, and that is precisely what I will take you through in this post: my experience in 2023/2024 applying for renewal of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck as an Indian citizen living in the U.S.
Note: this process changes every couple of years, so please refer the official sites — CBP and Consulate General of India — prior to proceeding!
If you’d like to read about my previous experiences, check these out Updating Your I-94 (post-new visa), and applying for both programs for the first time.
The documents you will need as an Indian citizen with a valid U.S. visa are:
- Valid passport — expiration at least 1 year from the date you’re applying. It might say 6 months online, but the Indian side of verification takes anywhere from 7–10 months, so make sure you’ve got at least a year’s validity on your passport.
- A valid visa (stamped) and original approved I-797 notice. A visa number is required, so you cannot renew with just an I-797.
- U.S. ID card for proof of address; Drivers’ License OR State ID is recommended.
The Process
- Start with the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) application: You simply start a new application, providing all the details asked. Verify your details, pay the fee, and save the application number.
- Visit Passport Seva and follow the steps for the situation most relevant to you, i.e. currently living in India or not. I am currently not a resident of India, and follow the “Submission from Abroad” list, which was pretty straightforward. Just make sure to select the right police jurisdiction for your Indian address.
- Schedule your visit to an Indian consulate: you will need to visit an Indian consulate closest to your current residential address abroad to have your current paperwork verified. Go to your consular website and schedule an appointment. Take all your original documents with you to the appointment, have your picture taken, pay the fee ($25 in 2024), and leave armed with an acknowledgment slip.
- Background verification (India): within 2 business days, you should receive an email titled “Initiation of Police Verification Request(s) for your PCC Application File”. A day later, my parents (whose contact I’d submitted in Passport Seva) received a call from the neighborhood police station, who scheduled a visit, and when the policeman arrived, they only had to show their own IDs as proof, and answer a few straightforward questions. I would recommend furnishing your residence with a copy of your own ID (copy of first and last pages of your passport would be enough) just in case.
And then you wait…
Eventually, at least 5 months later, when you begin to once again wonder what’s happened, you might receive some notification from the CBP — Complete the Indian risk assessment for Global Entry application.
Don’t be alarmed. It’s just a reminder. In 2023/2024, it appears that a lot of these automated emails went out (see these sub-reddits) and there is no official documentation of what to expect. However, the community, and I (who have already been through this) can assure you that it’s nothing — you can ignore the email.
Approximately a month or so later (~7.5 months from the original consular visit, i.e. Step 3 above), I received a welcoming notification from CBP that there had been a change in my GOES application status — my renewal had been completed!
Log in to the Trusted Traveler Program site, and verify your next steps.
I did not have to go in for an interview as part of this renewal process, however, have heard anecdotally that some people were asked to. I can only surmise that this might have something to do with changes in passport numbers, or visa updates.
Always keep note of your 9-digit Global Entry Member ID!
Some things to note
- Check the TTP site for the validity of your current Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
- You can still use Global Entry kiosks and TSA PreCheck as long as your current Known Traveler Number has not expired
- If your Global Entry/TSA Precheck has expired you cannot use TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
- If you travel internationally during the renewal process, there is a possibility that on your U.S. re-entry, you will have to see an officer as the kiosks might not work. This is fine, the immigration officers are aware of this situation and just have to manual update the entry
- If you had a new visa stamped in the same time frame, also easy, just see an immigration officer at the airport, on your first entry back to the U.S. and have your file updated
Despite the long wait for verification from the Indian authorities, this is still a worthwhile process to go through. I am also extremely glad that you no longer have to be in India to kick-off the verification!
Here’s to another 5 years of fast-track security lines within the U.S. and extremely quick re-entry after long (or short) hours of international travel!
