CBP opens up Saturdays for SENTRI interviews
Membership provides quicker border crossings
The U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection is setting aside every other Saturday in August and September to interview people applying for the SENTRI trusted traveler program that allows quicker border crossings from Mexico.
People applying for membership in SENTRI can now undergo the interviews with CBP officers on Aug. 5, Aug. 19, Sept. 2 and Sept. 16 at the San Luis II port of entry in San Luis, Ariz.
SENTRI — or Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection — allows people who successfully complete the in- terviews and background checks by CBP to enter the United States from Mexico through a dedicated lane in a fraction of the time it takes other travelers using other lanes at U.S. ports of entry. SENTRI program enrollees are issued radio frequency identification cards that identify them in the CBP database as trusted travelers.
People seeking SENTRI membership must first submit applications online to CBP. After the applications are processed, they can schedule appointments with CBP for face-to-face interviews with CBP officers.
Annica Zacarias, a CBP supervisor in San Luis, said the agency is making time available for interviews on Saturdays to accommodate people who can’t get away from work on weekdays.
“This is for both new applicants and for people who want to renew” their membership in SENTRI, she said.
John Schwann, director of U.S. ports of entry in San Luis, said the Saturday interviews will help to reduce wait times for applicants.
“We are providing more opportunities for SENTRI applicants to enroll in the Trusted Traveler Program by tacking on Saturdays,” he said in a statement. “Together, we can help reduce processing times.”
The interviews can be scheduled between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. every other Saturday in August and September at CBP’s Global Enrollment Center at the San Luis II commercial port of entry. During the week, interview times are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
CBP has not determined whether Saturday interview dates will continue to be made available after September, Zacarias said.
The application process for SENTRI takes about six to eight weeks and includes a $122.25 membership fee, CBP officials said.
People can apply for SENTRI at https://goesapp.cbp.dhs.gov/goes/jsp/login.jsp;jsessionid=eVNcw6TLr8XnGXwbl9qlJaRv2Mcdtm1c8xszJpnRZWzoaXqHG94x!974848445.