Greetings Community Southwest:
A few weeks ago, I had a business trip in Mexico that involved walking across the land border south of San Diego into Tijuana. I felt compelled to share my experiences of using a key perk of Global Entry for members who are approved for the program as U.S. citizens, LPR's, or Mexican nationals who have a valid and activated Global Entry ID card: Using the Pedestrian Global Entry/SENTRI lanes when returning to the USA by foot.
The San Ysidro Land Port of Entry and CBP Border Inspection Station is located about 45 minutes away from SAN airport via a ride aboard MTS Route 992 and the San Diego Trolley. As one walks from the trolley station to the border from the USA headed southbound, the overall ambience certainly resembles a maximum security prison; there are secured walls and security cameras everywhere. At the border, one is greeted not with shiny glass exit doors found at most airports, but windowless steel barred doors and one-way turnstiles that clank loudly as one leaves the USA and into Mexico:
Despite the rather unwelcoming appearance of departing the USA into Mexico, many folks use this port and as the busiest of its kind in the western hemisphere, it links SAN airport to Tijuana and Mexican destinations beyond. My tips on using the Global Entry perk also work for the CBX and Otay Mesa crossings too with CBX being much more inviting but my focus will be on the San Ysidro crossing.
As Global Entry members are well aware, on top of having both expedited CBP processing from an international flight and TSA PreCheck benefits, the membership card allows for expedited foot and car entry (with prior vehicle registration/approval) back into the United States via the northbound SENTRI lanes from Mexico and southbound NEXUS lanes from Canada.
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/card
The CBP clearly states that all program rules for SENTRI are to be followed when using this Global Entry benefit at a land border crossing from Mexico which I'll cover in a moment.
To be clear, the benefit does not grant NEXUS benefits for entry into Canada nor expedited processing into Mexico. However, one key means for U.S Citizens to speed up INM Passport Control processing when entering Mexico via San Ysidro (or any other land border crossing including CBX by foot) is to fill out and print the required FMM entry permit paperwork ahead of time before going through the Mexican Passport Control at the port of entry:
https://www.inm.gob.mx/fmme/publico/en/solicitud.html
I am aware the required FMM currently applies to land border crossings and not air travel into Mexico but having the paperwork ready to go can help expedite entry. Once cleared passport control, clearing Mexican customs involves placing all bags through an X-Ray machine with random pat-down searches.
My trip for business involved using this busiest land border crossing on this side of the world, the largest port in the San Diego sector. Crossing into Mexico can be accomplished in a matter of a few minutes at most times. It is coming back into the USA that makes this crossing infamous with often very excessive and long standing lines to cross the border with very few amenities if one is not a CBP-approved Trusted Traveler.
Trust me on that, waiting for hours in line to cross the border from Mexico back into the USA can make a long layover at a regular airport gate look like a first class lounge.
Whenever I'm conducting business needs down south, I always cross by foot or as a passenger with another CBP-approved Trusted Traveler member; I never drive in myself. Co-workers on the Mexico side handle local ground transport; otherwise my last resort is Uber. For this trip, I walked and a colleague on the Mexico side picked me up.
Took care of business for the day. Unlike my SW Airlines trip reports, I don't do a whole bunch of sightseeing down south as most of the day is work-related, but will share that I had a 2-course lunch with a co-worker with chips and the complimentary beverage of the day at a local restaurant. The bill for the two of us added up to $300 pesos which was only $18 USD.
When the day was over, it was time to return to the USA.
Crossing through a CBP Border Inspection Station by land differs from doing so at the airport. At the time of this writing, for US citizens, there was no mobile feature nor CBP Global Entry kiosks to pre-report a land crossing entry into the USA as a pre-screened Trusted Traveler. Processing is done when one reports to an officer at Passport Control.
So how does one use Global Entry benefits via the SENTRI pedestrian lane for expedited processing? How does one navigate around the standard screening line?
As mentioned, CBP states that all Rules and Regulations pertaining to SENTRI must be followed when using Global Entry via a SENTRI lane; however, at the time of this post, I was not able to locate any official public website that documents these rules. On a prior business trip down south, I made a special trip to the Global Entry/SENTRI Enrollment center and asked the guard who was watching the door and managing check-in's for this document and was able to get a copy of it.
Stack Exchange user "Midavalo" also posted scans of a 2018 version of this doc:
https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/169275/what-am-i-supposed-to-declare-when-driving-from-me...
So here's a run-down of the rules to use the pedestrian SENTRI lanes as a Global Entry perk. Some notes before you go...
1. You must be in possession of your valid and activated Trusted Traveler Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS border crossing card. CBP does a good job at making this point very clear.
2. The SENTRI lane cannot be used for commercial purposes: No imports of commercial goods or items that will be sold, or large quantities of items are allowed via this lane. If my company that I'm doing business with has product that needs to be imported into the USA, it goes through our company's import/export process and is shipped across separately; I'm not allowed to walk it across via SENTRI.
3. Do not bring the personal belongings of anybody else through the SENTRI lanes. All items brought across must be for your use.
4. If you don't have a vehicle registered under your Global Entry profile, you may still use the SENTRI lanes as a Pedestrian or as a passenger in an enrolled/approved vehicle; the enrolled/approved driver has to be the one behind the wheel of the vehicle and everybody in the car must have their valid/activated Trusted Traveler cards in their possession.
Heading to the Border to Return to the USA via Global Entry/SENTRI:
1. This next rule is perhaps the best of the key benefits: According to the SENTRI rules doc, "If walking, it is not necessary to wait in the line forming in Mexico, proceed to the entry gate." What that means is Global Entry members have front-of-the-line benefits for the entire queue on the Mexico side.
Thank Goodness! You want VIP? That's VIP.
I'm aware that the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and CBX crossings all have dedicated pedestrian Global Entry/SENTRI lanes which also separates the main line allowing for easy passage. The "gate" is usually the fenced physical land border line separating the USA from Mexico where CBP officers will be there on the USA side to check entry documents; at that point you'll show your Global Entry card and the officer should wave you through. Be patient with them if they are processing other travelers or if they ask you to hold.
2. Be alert of other pedestrians and officers in the area; the CBP doc says, "Be courteous." One of a bunch of signs posted on the first gate says something like, "Trusted Traveler Members...Please be patient."
3. After passing through the first gate, the scenery on the USA side should emulate a typical international arrivals corridor found at most airports...a stretch of walkway leading up toward the CBP Border Inspection Station. For the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and CBX crossing, the Global Entry/SENTRI pedestrian lane is to the right; regular queue is on the left. Keep in mind that unlike the airport, there are no restrooms or drinking fountains after the first gate until the completion of inspection; if you have to use the facilities before crossing, do so on the Mexico side. Follow the signs or directions of any officers until you reach the Passport Control booth. Some of the guards watching the line or at the entrance of the building may ask to see your Global Entry Card to pass by the standard screening queue.
Passport Control Booth:
1. Look for the Booth that is marked as SENTRI on the TV monitor or follow the directions of the CBP officers.
2. Be prepared to make a complete verbal declaration of ALL items you are bringing into the USA, regardless if they were brought into Mexico from the USA or acquired abroard. Yes, you read that right...SENTRI rules require that ALL items either acquired or brought be disclosed to the officer. "Nothing" under the SENTRI rules means nothing but yourself. CBP wants to know exactly what's in your bag or backpack. The agent will usually ask, "Are you bringing back anything?" in lieu of "Anything to declare?". If my backpack has my laptop, I'll tell them that I'm brining back my personal laptop. All these disclosures are done verbally.
3. At the Passport Control booth, present your Global Entry card as your entry document. The officer will take your picture. Have your Passport Book, Passport Card, or Border Crossing Card available in case these are asked for identity verification purposes. At that point, the officer will ask if you're bringing back anything. Again, you'll be disclosing ALL items in your possession regardless of origin, not just items that were acquired abroad.
4. Based on my experience, most SENTRI admittance interviews have expedited processing which last about 30-45 seconds and are normally 1-3 questions long including the declaration question but can span up to 1-2 minutes with multiple questions. As a US Citizen returning from Mexico, I'll sometimes get asked of what my purpose of travel is (which needs to be specific and beyond just saying "business" or "personal"), how long I was in Mexico and where I was, where I'm headed to, my place/location of employment or residence, and/or frequency of crossings.
The officer may conduct at random or at their discretion a quick visual inspection of any bags or may refer persons to the Secondary Inspection room for additional questioning, warrant checks, or pat-down inspections. Much like going through TSA, expedited screening via SENTRI is not guaranteed. Once cleared, the officer will hand back your Global Entry card and welcome you back.
Customs / X-Ray Check Process:
As most of the inspections and questioning are done at the Passport Control booth, the X-Ray machine portion of the process should be pretty streamlined for all travelers; thus, there is no separate line for Global Entry/SENTRI in this area. Much like going through a TSA checkpoint, all bags will go through the X-Ray machine for final inspection.
Like TSA, the officer can at their discretion or at random pull any bag for a secondary visual inspection in the X-Ray area. Once cleared, you'll be free to exit the station. Welcome to the USA!
Summing Up
I would have to say that Global Entry/SENTRI is by far the quickest way to cross this border.
Most of my crossings returning home have been anywhere from 5-15 minutes plus the walk time whereas the regular lane can drift into one or even several hours. As mentioned and as you can tell by the photos on the Mexico side, the waiting conditions are less than primitive.
To be fair, there's a multitude of food and beverage vendors, shops, and paid restrooms but the overall wait conditions combined with the graffiti and long lines to cross can make any long wait inside of an air conditioned airport terminal look like a paradise:
That's a prime reason SoCalFlyer97 has Global Entry.
I'm aware that there are some who are not eligible to be Trusted Travelers. There appears to be another solution: If you're not eligible for this benefit, have travel plans in Mexico which involve a land border crossing, and the standard screening lane has an excessive wait, I am aware that one of the major Mexican bus providers called Mexicoach offers hourly cross-border departures at the San Ysidro crossing aboard their buses for a modest fare. It feeds into a special Bus Passenger Lane, crosses the border, and drops the passengers off into a special area that feeds to a dedicated pedestrian Passport Control Booth at the Port of Entry as an alternative; however, I cannot vouch for it nor its timing as I've never used it and you'll need to time their departure schedules with your arrival at the border crossing.
But if you're eligible for Global Entry, travel internationally, but don't have it and have yet to file your application...as the federal government's slogan asks, "What are you waiting for?"
Safe Travels
SoCalFlyer97
