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Anyone Ever Get Turned Down for Global Entry?

Anyone Ever Get Turned Down for Global Entry?

Old Jul 16, 2013, 2:02 pm
  #226  
 
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Originally Posted by topcat_dcx
Coming back to this forum after a long time now...

A few years back, I applied for GE and was denied. Either had to do with my nationality (Pakistan) or the fact that I had traffic violations on my record (speeding etc) which I cant remember if I checked Yes or No to.

Fast forward to now.... Over the last 2 years, i have traveled a lot for work (passport completely filled). Almost always went through really fast in CBP process (with just a few cases taking longer in the last 20+ trips). A few times got Pre-Check beeps too... Last change: I will become a US citizen next week.

With that history:
1) Should I even apply for GE with the prior rejection? Have there been cases of approvals after a prior rejection?
2) Should I apply now (as PK citizen) or after becoming a US citizen?

tx
I would wait until your US citizenship is official. I have to think that would help you -- otherwise what's significantly different than two years ago other than a travel record where you haven't done anything?
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Old Jul 17, 2013, 8:56 pm
  #227  
 
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A friend of mine is applying for global entry and his interview is in a couple days. He's unemployed. I read though the forums here and noticed a couple reports of unemployed people being denied Global Entry. Is this still the case?

Thanks!
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Old Jul 18, 2013, 9:09 am
  #228  
 
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Originally Posted by Xero
A friend of mine is applying for global entry and his interview is in a couple days. He's unemployed. I read though the forums here and noticed a couple reports of unemployed people being denied Global Entry. Is this still the case?
No one knows for sure. My guess, however -- and it's purely a guess -- is that there's some sort of algorithm involved that provides a score, akin to your credit score. One might get points for stable employment, for being a US citizen, for never having had a run-in with the law, for living in one place for a length of time, even for being married. Anything to show stability.

Certain things appear to be automatic dealbreakers, like attempting to evade a Customs law.

So in a nutshell, my best guess is that employment history might have some bearing on how they score an applicant. But again, this is pure speculation. I have no idea how they'd score someone who was, for example, independently wealthy.
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Old Jul 20, 2013, 10:31 am
  #229  
 
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Originally Posted by Eric Westby
No one knows for sure. My guess, however -- and it's purely a guess -- is that there's some sort of algorithm involved that provides a score, akin to your credit score. One might get points for stable employment, for being a US citizen, for never having had a run-in with the law, for living in one place for a length of time, even for being married. Anything to show stability.

Certain things appear to be automatic dealbreakers, like attempting to evade a Customs law.

So in a nutshell, my best guess is that employment history might have some bearing on how they score an applicant. But again, this is pure speculation. I have no idea how they'd score someone who was, for example, independently wealthy.
I just got Global Entry. I have moved around jobs a lot and have had a fair amount of short term positions. They asked me where I work now but didn't seem too interested. I am a college student so that may have had an impact. I would think that if your friend has a good explanation, and no other issues that they would be able to get it. By the way I had one speeding ticket which they didn't care about either.

Good luck to your friend!
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Old Jul 20, 2013, 12:57 pm
  #230  
 
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Background check?

I'm curious about one aspect of the background check: does Global Entry run your record once they've received your on-line application, leading to conditional approval (or not)?

Or does the investigation begin AFTER the face to face interview?

Thanks.
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Old Jul 20, 2013, 1:11 pm
  #231  
 
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Originally Posted by my83mlb
I'm curious about one aspect of the background check: does Global Entry run your record once they've received your on-line application, leading to conditional approval (or not)?

Or does the investigation begin AFTER the face to face interview?
The investigation begins before the interview. The interview occurs near the end of the process. Several people in this thread and elsewhere report the interviewer bringing up past episodes with law enforcement and customs which would have required a background check to uncover.
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Old Jul 20, 2013, 3:36 pm
  #232  
 
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Originally Posted by my83mlb
Or does the investigation begin AFTER the face to face interview?
Based on my experience and several others posting to the forum, it appears that there is ongoing profiling that occurs after the interview, and continues after approval. I am ok with the concept of an opt-in profiling program. But it is quite disturbing when you know you have complied with all the rules and regulations and live a clean life, but GE won't tell you why they mysteriously drop you from the program.
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Old Jul 20, 2013, 4:02 pm
  #233  
 
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Originally Posted by flyingpolarbear
Based on my experience and several others posting to the forum, it appears that there is ongoing profiling that occurs after the interview, and continues after approval. I am ok with the concept of an opt-in profiling program. But it is quite disturbing when you know you have complied with all the rules and regulations and live a clean life, but GE won't tell you why they mysteriously drop you from the program.
Absolutely -- it goes without saying that the interview isn't just a rubber stamp. I understood the question to be whether or not any checking occurs prior to the interview as well, which of course it does.
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 6:28 pm
  #234  
 
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Eric,

Have you received anything back from the Ombudsman? Also how did you contact them? Did you send an email or a letter?

I had my interview today and i just received my denial over email.

I was given the same generic "Failure to meet the strict standards of the Trusted Traveler Program." reason.

I have never been arrested or had any problems with customs so I am baffled to why I was denied. I thought the interview went fine. The only think I thought was weird was after he asked me where I travel for work, which i replied london and spain, he asked about afghanistan. I said no and i figure he was joking because i have a big beard. FWIW, ive never been to the middle east and the only countries I have been too are england, france, and japan.

Im really nervous im going to get the same generic response from my appeal and im left paranoid that something bad is mistakenly coming up in my background check and I will never know what it is.
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 6:38 pm
  #235  
 
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Perhaps we're both victims of mistaken identity.

I tried with a paper letter, then also sent an email a few weeks later when I found the appropriate address. Never got any response through either channel. Not exactly transparent.

I'm traveling abroad to Turkey, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria in the next few weeks. We'll see if I have a decent reception from CBP when I get back! Fingers crossed.
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 6:56 pm
  #236  
 
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now i want to have a background check run on myself to see what might comes up.

how extensive are the background checks for something like this? Do they do things as simple as googling my name (steve riskus)? If they do that they will get some pretty interesting results in relation to 9/11 conspiracy nonsense (i witnessed the pentagon crash and have been dragged through the mud since) which im now wondering could be the problem.
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 8:23 pm
  #237  
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Originally Posted by riskus
now i want to have a background check run on myself to see what might comes up.

how extensive are the background checks for something like this? Do they do things as simple as googling my name (steve riskus)? If they do that they will get some pretty interesting results in relation to 9/11 conspiracy nonsense (i witnessed the pentagon crash and have been dragged through the mud since) which im now wondering could be the problem.
Barring anything else you're nt telling us that would likely be the cause.
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 10:09 pm
  #238  
 
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Originally Posted by Xyzzy
Barring anything else you're nt telling us that would likely be the cause.
Given that Mr. Riskus and I are among the only ones here willing to disclose our real names, the posts questioning our integrity seem churlish.

I can only speak for myself, but I assure you that I was honest when describing my situation. Never even been pulled over for speeding, never touched a drug in my life, never been arrested for anything else. And never been stopped at customs.

I'm pretty much an open book. That's why the lack of transparency in the process is disappointing.

Last edited by RandomBaritone; Oct 3, 2013 at 10:15 pm
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Old Oct 3, 2013, 10:13 pm
  #239  
 
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Originally Posted by riskus
now i want to have a background check run on myself to see what might comes up.

how extensive are the background checks for something like this?
I don't think a garden-variety background check is what's being conducted for GE; for example, I easily qualified for Clear, and I'm assuming I'll also qualify for the standalone version of Pre-check that's being rolled out later this fall.

From what others have said, CBP appears to use a system more akin to a credit score.
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Old Oct 4, 2013, 7:19 am
  #240  
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Originally Posted by Eric Westby
I don't think a garden-variety background check is what's being conducted for GE; for example, I easily qualified for Clear, and I'm assuming I'll also qualify for the standalone version of Pre-check that's being rolled out later this fall.

From what others have said, CBP appears to use a system more akin to a credit score.
CBP's ATS scoring? If I had to hazard a guess, then I'd guess that much of whatever is used as part of generating CBP ATS scores is also used to determine GE approval/denial and maintenance/revocation. ATS scores are not permanent fixtures -- perhaps not even for dead people.

You should be able to get some sense of how CBP operates by looking at what the PIA for ATS mentions or otherwise indicates:

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/p...ia_cbp_ats.pdf
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