Anyone Ever Get Turned Down for Global Entry?
 

I recently got Global Entry. I assume all they did was a criminal/customs check, and I was accepted.

The website says that Global Entry is for "pre-approved low risk travelers". Does that mean that anyone without a criminal record/customs violation record is "low-risk"?

Anyone aware of any specific instances of a denied application? If so, what was the (apparent) reason for the denial?

No. If you have ties to a 'scary' country (think Arab, Muslim, etc), then you might be turned down even with no criminal record. There was a story somewhere of a Pakistani national LPR who had trouble, I believe.

I lived in Saudi Arabia for 3 years as a teenager (oil brat) & had no problems getting approved. In fact, I don't think the topic even came up during my interview.

Yes. Do a search in the forum. Various convictions within 10 years will result in a denial.

A work colleague of mine applied for SENTRI a year or two ago. At his interview he was told he would be denied because 2 years earlier his wife had been arrested with a van load of illegal aliens at the San Ysidro Border crossing. He was utterly dumbfounded by that information and argued it was incorrect. Problem is, it was correct. Apparently in-laws bailed his wife out of jail, and while living in the same house as one big happy family, she went through court, got probation, paid fines and so on and so forth while completely concealing the arrest and the entire incident from her husband until it came up in HIS SENTRI interview. He has never had the slightest legal trouble in his life but was in fact formally denied based on his wifes shenanigans that he wasn't even aware of.

You gotta make sure you know who you're married too!

That must have been one awkward dinner conversation that night...

I recently did the NEXUS online application and face-to-face interview with both U.S. & Canadian officials at YVR while on a trip up there last Thursday and the NEXUS card was in today's mail.

Getting a NEXUS card should not be a real issue as long as you have no criminal history and that sort of thing.

Since I have not worked in quite a few years, the Canadian official was concerned with how I support myself. Thankfully, I just happened to have some of my quarterly statements with me. After she scanned over them, especially the "bottom line" her concerns about my wanting to work in Canada were put to rest.

Oddly enough, going through U.S. Immigrations at YVR on my way home to LAS, the immigrations officer wanted to know what I did for a living. My reply was that I am "gainfully unemployed". That was a first for me in all the times crossing international borders over the years.

Is having a job a requirement to travel from and back to the U.S. these days?

My reason for the card is quick immigrations for my frequent trips to Canada to see my significant other and maybe in time to buy a seasonal apartment to escape the hot summers here.

No. But the officers frequently ask your profession as a way of evaluating your reaction and body language. (If you had something to hide, you might hesitate, and if you were making it up, you might not be able to give details such as the name/address of your employer.)

As a US Citizen, you can choose to remain silent as long as you present acceptable, legitimate proof of identity and citizenship, and as long as you complete a written declaration (or use an entry kiosk successfully). Of course, if you refuse to cooperate with questioning, the officers can choose to detain you for a very thorough search of your belongings and person, with no warrant needed.



Just a suggestion: don't advertise the bit about the significant other. Canada really doesn't like it when Americans go there to visit girlfriends and such, because they assume you will want to stay and get a job so you can be with the girlfriend. I find that they often ask "who are you meeting in Canada?" or "who do you know here?"

So, don't volunteer that part. Of course, if they ask you directly, tell the truth, but do so using as few words as possible. (Anything you say to a LEO can be used against you in legal proceedings.)

SO confusing....
 

but to move forward...please confine comments to responses to the question "ever been turned down for global entry?" Discussion, esp of the relative professionalism of border agents does not belong in this thread

thanks

squeakr

co Mod TSS Practical

Well, an older thread but the OP asked if anyone gets turned down.

Well I did! I'm 55 years old, an average guy and fly a few times a year internationally and thought it would be a good thing to have just to speed up things at customs. So I filled out the online application and carefully listed the countries I have visited and submitted the application. I waited only a few days and got the preliminary approval and made an appointment to go to IAH for my interview. I watched the video and sat down and the agent asked, "Have you ever been arrested?" "No", I answered. "Are you sure?" he asked. I thought for a minute of the few traffic stops in my lifetime of driving but really drew a blank. "I sure don't remember it if I was!" I said. "Well, your record says you were arrested in 1973 when you were 17 years old." he replied.

Wow, it hit me like knock in the head but I had been arrested and it was so long ago and settled that I really had put it out of my mind altogether! I was 17 and was active in learning photography and our high school had a darkroom and an after school non credit course but the teacher with the key was always hard to find. Then one day a friend said he had a copy of a key that would get me in there if I wanted it and I thought it would be great so I took it. Turned out unbeknownst to me that it was the master key to the school and some others had it and were stealing things at night. So when they got arrested they named me and I got arrested under the charge of "Receiving Stolen Property". But the detective questioned me at length and determined I really was unaware of what was going on so I went before a judge in Dekalb County, Georgia and the Judge listened to the detective and he said, "Dead Docket, case closed." I went home and got yelled at by my parents and never looked back or had any other interaction with the police!

Come to find out that Dead Docket is only done in Georgia's justice system and basically says they don't have enough evidence to proceed so no sentence is given and no plea bargain is made and it is just dead.... but the arrest is still on your record.

The CBA was very nice but told me I would have to have the court write a letter or something explaining this was basically an old closed case and of no interest to the court. I now live in Texas and can't get anyone in Georgia to help via email or phone and one can only imagine where or if the original records exist. The agent gave me 30 days but I had to travel overseas for most of that so I just let it go.

What I don't know and forgot to ask is if I had told them on my application about the arrest in my youth if it would have garnered me a denial...

Making innocent people pay for the crimes of a relative is a very uncivilized approach of dealing with people, yet that's still US DHS in action, as denials for such have repeatedly taken place. Heard about it again today.

I think there’s a big difference between crimes of one’s relatives, and crimes of one’s spouse. As the spouse can exert far more control over someone than virtually anyone else. For example: “Hey honey, I need you to smuggle some illegals into the US for me… Or else I’ll divorce you, take all your money, and keep the kids”.

There is a web page on how to handle denials - apparently you can make an appointment to speak with a supervisor, and there is an Ombudsman that in DC that you can write to as well. I of course have no idea whether it is possible in reality to get a reversal of the decision through this process. I also see that you are also supposed to receive the denial in writing. Here's the link: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...ication-denied

There is no way the court would/could write a letter saying it was "not interested." You might have better luck getting a letter from the DA, or even getting a local attorney in Georgia to write a letter (yes, you would likely have to pay for that.)

Also, it appears that there is a procedure in Georgia for expunging arrest records - http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/channel_mo...866875,00.html . Perhaps an expungement would satisfy CBP.

After your day in court you were not convicted. Thus, I think if you had told the truth, you would not have been denied, but it might have taken several weeks to be approved.

Global Entry requires members to be honest; the CBP is trusting you to tell the truth to the kiosk upon each entry. So the application was your first test, and from the CBP's perspective you failed it, even if it was a memory lapse.

While I am not as old as you and I've never been arrested, I recall every detention by a LEO whether just a speeding ticket or a LEO accusing me of theft. I'm sure I would remember an arrest.