Lakewood Township has announced that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will host in-person interviews for its Global Entry Program in Lakewood on Tuesday, August 18. The interviews will take place during the morning hours at the Lakewood Municipal Building and mark the first time Global Entry interviews have been offered in Ocean County. It is also among the few times the interviews have been held in New Jersey outside of Newark Liberty International Airport.

Because interview appointments are limited, Lakewood officials will select participants through a lottery open only to Lakewood residents who have already received conditional approval from CBP. Residents interested in participating must obtain conditional approval and submit their lottery application by July 31.

To enter the lottery, applicants should email [email protected] with their full name, address, date of birth, email address, and their Global Entry conditional approval PASSID, which can be found in their Global Entry account or approval email.

“I would like to thank the CBP, along with other government officials and community leaders, for working together to make this unique opportunity a reality in Lakewood,” said Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein. “We look forward to enabling local residents to join Global Entry in a convenient manner, with the potential for additional local events in the future as well.”

Residents can apply for Global Entry conditional approval through the official government website at https://globalentry.gov/. CBP advises applicants to avoid third-party websites and ensure all information is entered accurately, as even minor errors can affect eligibility.

Although receiving conditional approval is required to enter the Lakewood lottery, it does not guarantee an interview slot. Applicants who are not selected may still schedule an interview year-round at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The Global Entry application fee is $120 for adults. Children under 18 may apply free of charge if a parent or legal guardian is already a Global Entry member or has a pending application. Every traveler, regardless of age, must have a separate application and background check.

Global Entry provides expedited passport control when returning to the United States at participating airports and automatically includes TSA PreCheck, allowing members to use expedited airport security screening for domestic flights at no additional cost.

For more information about Global Entry, visit https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry or watch the official informational video linked on the CBP website.