How do I get a Sentri pass?

[elperro]

I am starting to go to Mexico more and more these days. The border wait seems like it gets longer and longer so I was considering getting a Sentri pass. Has anyone been through the application process? Do you know how long it takes to get a Sentri pass issued?

[Roberta Giesea]

Go to http:// www.cbp.gov (http://www.cbp.gov) and search Sentri Pass
All of your questions will be answered.

You need to enroll for your first appointment right away---Call: 619-690-7600 between 8 am -3pm weekdays for Otay Mesa appointment center.
It will take between 3-6 months to wait for the first appointment which you have to go to in person. Then you will wait another 3-6 months for an FBI check after they fingerprint you.....

It's worth every bit of the wait!

[elperro]

Wow! I had no idea that it would take that long. I thought at most it would take a few months. In your experience how much shorter is the wait with a SENTRI pass?

[bajageoff]

Hello Roberta!

Nice to see you in the forums! How is the new book coming along? Be sure to take the time to introduce yourself in the Introductions Forum so everyone can learn about what you do. I think you will definitely have some valuable information to share here! Talk to you soon!

[Roberta Giesea]

If you pick your times you can control the wait time
During morning commute it may take 20 minutes
But,for example, if you cross on a Sunday when the normal lines are clogged for hours in the afternoon....we can get through in 5 minutes longest time and shortest--no wait....just go through.
I'm in the process of writing an article for the Baja Times that will come out 15th Sept about the Sentri Pass....watch for it...

Roberta

[tapas]

Recently I heard that the SENTRI office in Otay Mesa is so busy that they will not call you back. It is best to get your appointment by walking in. I called the office about a month ago, never got a person on the phone like in the past, but did leave a message. A friend told me to just go in because the SENTRI office told him there won't be a call back. I went in, they helped me in less than 10 minutes.

It has also been said that the SENTRI office in Calexico is the faster way to get your pass - a few months instead of a almost year.

[Roberta Giesea]

The message on the recording currently says they are not making any more appointments right now. They're updating their system so those who have a Sentri Pass that is expired or will expire before the new system is in place may use it until the change is completed. Check with news media for the reinstatement of the appointments and then start calling again.
This is for the Otay office.....don't know if it's the same in the other offices.

[tapas]

I was in the SENTRI office yesterday and asked about renewing my pass and the officer told me the online system is working now, but he didn't know the website address! He said it was in the local paper recently, has anyone seen it?

[Roberta Giesea]

Scroll up and find my first entry--It has the website listed.

Roberta

[Fusselman]

I read folks had as recently as August learned the online application is online. I do not find the link to the new application by searching at www.cbp.gov (http://www.cbp.gov). I also am still getting the message at Otay office indicating the online system is in works. (not that the messages are kept very current.)

Can someone post the direct URL or confirm its still in works?

I was kinda surprised to see it might be available just a couple of months after they announced they were no longer taking applications...Way too efficient!

[senorita chiquita]

I was watching the CW5 night news last night, and they said there is an online application, but did not give an URL address of any sort. Although they did mention that if you have and/or aquire a SENTRI Pass you will not have to renew them for 5 years. Stay tuned into the news, I am sure you will hear more about it...even then your best bet is the SENTRI Offices....

[Fusselman]

Your can read the press release dated 10-30 at the customs/border patrol website..... look like it will be valid 5 years!

[lsundram]

Just follow these steps!


1. Log onto the CBP website at cpb.gov
2. Click on the “Travel” tab on the top right side of the screen.
3. Click on the “Frequent Traveler Programs” tab on the left side of the screen.
4. Click on “SENTRI” in the center of the screen.
5. Click the “Global Online Enrollment System”(GOES) and follow the prompts to enroll as a user.
6. Once you’ve followed the prompts to set up your account, you will have access to apply to SENTRI. Access to FAST, NEXUS and other trusted traveler programs will be available in the future.
7. Choose the program you wish to apply to, which will cue a series of screens and help functions.
8. Follow the prompts. The computer system will check for errors and require corrections to be made. When all corrections are made, your application will be accepted for review by CBP.
9. After verification that the application to SENTRI is correct and has been accepted, you may log out of the GOES system.
10. After the application has been reviewed by CBP, you can log back into the GOES system and you will find a status notification. You can then call the nearest enrollment center to schedule a final interview where fingerprints and photographs are taken. You will also be issued a PortPass card and RFID vehicle decals for each vehicle registered in the program. (Note: vehicles are also inspected as part of the interview and application process. Non-approved vehicles will not be permitted entry via the SENTRI lane.)

Good Luck, hopefully this will work for me too!

Larry

[Bajagirl]

Does anyone know if there is a process for contesting a denial of a SENTRI pass? I previously had a top secret security pass issued by the FBI, for 8 years, but have been denied a SENTRI. This is nuts! I also noted that my application said "no conveyance information provided", although I had provided all the required information about my car. Any information would be appreciated.

[gabrielrobles]

If you really need to get your Sentri pass quickly, get online, do your application.....then ask for an appointment in Brownsville, Texas.

We had our appointment at 8 am, had our docs in hand by 1 pm and back on the plane to Houston and San Diego...

If you need details, let us know...

Gabirel Robles

858 729 0013

[Ken Bell]

Whoa! I have been quoting the standard 6-12 months to even get a response to an application, but a friend applied online last week and went down to Otay Mesa for his one and only appointment today and walked out Sentri Pass in hand.

:eek:

Better go down right away before some bureaucrat figures out that the system is working and does something to gum up the system!

[John Kallis]

I have no idea about Sentri Pass. First explain about Sentri Pass and then i discuss about Sentri Pass.

[Ken Bell]

John, welcome to the group. Navigate this topic a bit and you will notice that you are on page 2 of a topic that began in 2006, and has been fairly well dealt with.

If you plan on coming to Mexico, Baja specifically, and want to cross back and forth into the US, you will soon tire of waiting in line at the border. A Sentri Pass is a special permit which allows you to enter a much shorter lane to cross after undergoing a background check by the US Federal Government.

If this applies to you, the link you need is on page one.

Good luck and bienvenidos amigo!

[Karre White]

Thanks to everyone who posted on this topic. I've been trying to find info on the SENTRI pass for days, and finally came across this thread. I got most of my info about the pass from this cite. :) Unfortunately, my situation is a bit more complicated, as I have a minor criminal record (Misdemeanor Class B).

As it turns out, my situation is not totally hopeless (as I originally presumed). I found an article that outlines what one should do if he/she has a criminal past and wants to obtain a SENTRI pass. I found it on recordgone.com (go to "Info & Education"). The title of the article is "Obtaining a Sentri Pass with a Criminal Record." Hopefully this is helpful to those in a situation similar to mine.

Good luck!

[azraelx2]

Does any one know what CBP will accept as proof of residence? I live with a family who pays the rent, leaving only one utility (phone) for me to pay. Would providing that bill with the rent receipt be enough?:confused:

[azraelx2]

Does anyone know if there is a process for contesting a denial of a SENTRI pass? I previously had a top secret security pass issued by the FBI, for 8 years, but have been denied a SENTRI. This is nuts! I also noted that my application said "no conveyance information provided", although I had provided all the required information about my car. Any information would be appreciated.
Government bureaucracy at it's best. :( I am in a similar situation, it seems that one agency (DOD or DOJ) does not share information with another (DHS).