NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) (WTVF) — The Nashville airport continues to expand, with new international flights to Iceland and Ireland scheduled to begin next year.
But certain travelers looking to head out of the country are dealing with a little turbulence. The federal Global Entry office in Nashville is closed. And staff with US Customs and Border Protection say there is currently no timeline for it to re-open, as they search for a new location.
Yolanda Fowler has the travel bug. And when she came home from a recent trip to Greece, she said her friends breezed through Customs, while Yolanda had to wait. And wait.
"It was a long line and I thought, 'I need to get Global Entry,'" she said.
So she signed up online, and got all her information in order. Then she realized there was a problem.
"I noticed it said the next available appointment is 365 days away!"
CBP requires an in-person interview in order to enroll in the program. And for now, the closest office is in Memphis.
"It's very disappointing," Fowler said. "Nobody wants to drive three hours and have to take a whole vacation day for a five-minute conversation."
So she got resourceful. She travels for work and would look for appointments in any city where she knew she had plans. After months, she landed an appointment in Atlanta. Within a week after that, she had her Global Entry card in hand.
"I'm just excited that it's now over," she said.
She knows not everyone has the same kind of flexibility.
"You know, I think it's really sad that Nashville, which touts BNA International Airport, and we keep bringing in all of these flights that will take you directly from Nashville to an international site, but we don't have a Global Entry office," she said.
Because the office is run by a federal agency and not the airport, BNA staff declined to comment.
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said once you apply for Global Entry, any 'conditionally approved' travelers can do their interview when they go through Customs on their way home from a trip. It's called Enrollment on Arrival.
Travelers have to flag down a CBP employee and request the short interview when they return to the U.S. While their website doesn't show the option is available in Tennessee, staff confirmed to NewsChannel 5 it is an option at any Customs location.
Fowler had seen that was an option during her months of searching for appointments.
"(But) I didn't really want to go on an international trip just to get my Global Entry interview," she said.
Now that she's in, she said she can't wait to go on her next adventure. And to friends with her who aren't enrolled, she says this:
"I'll let them know I'll wait for them, you know, when they come through," she laughed, "like they did me!"
Once enrolled in Global Entry, you automatically get TSA precheck on all domestic flights, so even if you don't travel out of the country very often, it's an option many people consider.
Here is the full statement provided by CBP
CBP New Orleans Field Office and CBP Port of Nashville are actively working with BNA Airport Authority to secure a permanent location for the Nashville Global Enrollment Center. The temporary suspension of online scheduling and office closure are due to this transition, as the office moves into a new Federal Inspection Services (FIS) Facility. During this transitionary period, conditionally approved Global Entry applicants arriving from international travel to BNA will be granted an interview with the CBP Port of Nashville. Global Entry will continue to be available to passengers upon arrival from international travel at BNA Airport. Global Entry maintenance services, such as name change requests, will temporarily be conducted at the airport terminal (1 Terminal Drive, Nashville, TN 37214) during daily business hours of 3:00pm-9:00pm. We appreciate the patience as we make these necessary adjustments to enhance the facility and better serve our community.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at rebecca.schleicher@newschannel5.com.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
