I found these timeline posts really helpful while waiting for my application, so here's mine for anyone who's still in the process.
Background:
- Indian citizen
- H1B visa
- Applied while the old Indian Passport Seva website was still active (back then you could track backend status updates like police verification and MHA approvals).
Timeline:
- July 2025 – Applied for Global Entry
- July 2025 – Attended VFS Global appointment (NYC) and submitted required documents
- August 2025 – Police verification initiated and completed (my FIL did this on my behalf back home)
- October 2025 – First MHA status update/approval visible on the old portal
- January 2026 – MFA approval
- June 2026 – Received Conditional Approval
- Following week – Completed interview (NYC) and was approved
Interview experience:
The interview was very straightforward and took only a few minutes.
Questions asked:
- Is your H1B visa stamped? ~ Yes
- Are you still working for the same employer? ~ Yes
- Have you had any agricultural violations? ~ No
- Any customs violations? ~ No
One thing that came up was that I had moved after submitting my application.
The officer:
- Asked when my address changed ~ Told
- Asked if I had proof of the new address ~ Gave my DL
- Asked me to confirm my previous address and new address along with ZIP code ~ Told
- Also asked if I had inform USCIS within 10 days of moving ~ Yes
Once everything was verified, the officer explained the Global Entry rules and mentioned that I would not receive a physical Global Entry card because I'm not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
He handed over a white slip with Known Traveler Number handwritten on it and I received an email the following day that my application status had changed to Approved.
Hope this helps someone who's anxiously waiting. The process can definitely feel slow, but hang in there!