TTPRADARThe short answer
CBP publishes one clear instruction for Global Entry applicants who need help because of a disability: tell the interviewing officer immediately and ask for a reasonable modification or auxiliary aid or service. That is the confirmed part.
The rest of the picture is thinner. We found no official CBP or DHS text on wheelchair use at the Global Entry kiosk or portal, on standing for the photo or fingerprints, on airline wheelchair assistance, or on how a cast or temporary injury affects anything. Where that is the case below, we say so rather than guess.
Asking for an accommodation at the interview
First-time enrollment requires an in-person interview. CBP says it can be done at an enrollment center, or on arrival or departure without scheduling at an enrollment center.
The wording on CBP's Enrollment on Arrival page is direct: if you need assistance for the interview because of a disability, immediately inform the interviewing CBP officer of your need for a reasonable modification or auxiliary aid or service to participate. The page does not describe a separate way to request this before the interview.
If no accommodation is available
For Enrollment on Arrival, CBP says that if an effective accommodation is not readily available, the interview may be scheduled for a later date.
That statement covers Enrollment on Arrival only. We found no official text on rescheduling a regular enrollment center interview after an injury, so if you have an interview appointment booked and a broken ankle, contact the center or CBP before you turn up. You can browse the enrollment centers we monitor to find the one you are using.
Arrival processing for members who cannot stand or walk far
This is where the official record runs out. CBP's pages do not say whether a wheelchair user can use a Global Entry kiosk or portal, whether standing is required for the photo or fingerprints, or whether a member who cannot stand is sent to an officer.
What CBP does say is that Global Entry members may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States. The page does not link that to disability, injury or wheelchair use, and it does not say when a member is sent to an officer. Do not read more into it than that.
A member with a cast or a temporary injury is in the same position. Nothing we retrieved says an injury changes your membership or triggers a referral, and nothing says it does not. If you are unsure, ask a CBP officer at your arrival airport.
Airline wheelchair assistance and Global Entry
We found no official source on how airline wheelchair assistance interacts with Global Entry processing. That includes what the airline handles versus what CBP handles, and what to tell the airline in advance. We did not check airline policies or TSA pages for this article.
What to do before you travel
- Interviewing: tell the officer about your need at the start, not partway through, and ask for the accommodation by name.
- Arriving: ask your airline about its assistance process, and ask CBP at your arrival airport how a member who cannot stand is handled. We cannot confirm either answer.
- Traveling with others: check with an officer before assuming how a companion will be processed.
- Rescheduling: if your interview is on arrival and no accommodation is available, the interview may be moved to a later date.
Our FAQ covers the general mechanics of the program. For anything about your specific situation, CBP is the authority, and it is worth asking before the trip rather than at the front of the line.