Jul 21, 2016, 1:52 pm
Last edit by: TWA884
When Do I Need My Global Entry Card?
The circumstances under which a GE card is required/not required or useful varies to some degree. Certain travelers (e.g. those who are not Canadian or US Citizens, but are in another country's frequent traveler program and the US extends GE to them) do not have Global Entry cards. YMMV slightly with some of the below.
Scenarios when a GE card is absolutely required:
- When crossing into the US from a foreign country (Mexico/Canada) via land and you want to use the NEXUS/SENTRI/Ready Lane lanes to enter the US, or returning to the United States by sea (if the destination in the United States doesn't have GE kiosks, e.g. some commercial cruise terminals).
- You must show your GE or NEXUS cards to gain access to CATSA Trusted Traveler screening line at Canadian airports. (There are very limited reports of individuals using the now defunct CBP sticker on the inside of the back cover of their passport or logging into GOES on their smartphone to gain access to the line). Even if you clear using a non-TT line (premier or regular security line) you can walk over to the GE kiosks after clearing security (at YUL and YVR. May not be possible at at YYZ). GE kiosks at Canadian pre-clearance airports accept both passports and NEXUS cards.
- There are reports of YYZ US CBP personnel expecting a GE card from those not eligible to them, but being satisfied by the user giving their Trusted Traveler Number (a.k.a. PASSID from GOES) in lieu of the card.
- At cruise port where it does not have kiosks like Terminal 25 of Port Everglades, Florida, GE card is required to gain access to the GE lane.
Scenarios under which a GE/NEXUS card can be useful, but is not necessarily required:
- When approaching GE lanes at certain airports, sometimes CBP or airport staff will ask to see the card to allow access to the GE kiosk area. If you don't have a card or don't have the card on you, you may want to try stating that you are enrolled in GE; if you have the defunct sticker in your passport, you can show that.
- The GE card is useful at TSA Checkpoints domestically as an ID to match against the boarding pass. GE card is REAL ID compliant.
- The GE card may be acceptable by CBSA for entry into Canada provided member is US citizen.
- Use as a primary ID when you don't want your driver's license barcode/magswipe scanned and stored in a database (at a gated community, many retail stores, etc.) - although acceptance can vary because it is not the most commonly used ID.
- Secondary proof of age/identification when the validity of a driver's license is in doubt
The GE card is normally not required (with the previously mentioned caveats) when using GE kiosks at US airports, since the airport kiosk reads the passport and user's fingerprints and cannot read the GE card.
The Global Entry Card
Sep 30, 2016, 9:14 am
#361
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I'm not sure I understand this as there is no one stationed post-security to ask for a card. Once you gather your stuff, you walk out to the left, to pre-clearance. And there are no checkers at the entrance to the Pre-clearance hall. One just walks in, goes directly to the GE kiosks or just gets in line to see an officer. There isn't anyone lurking about asking to see cards.
Now, it seems like the GE card demand at YVR is about CATSA expedited screening. The demand for the card at YVR wasn't always about that.
Last edited by GUWonder; Sep 30, 2016 at 9:20 am
Sep 30, 2016, 9:55 am
#362
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CATSA do however officially advertise that benefit:
http://www.catsa.gc.ca/trusted-travellers
(I've emailed them about it and they told me tough luck, but it's all a bit naff of them to officially claim that all GE members are eligible.)
http://www.catsa.gc.ca/trusted-travellers
(I've emailed them about it and they told me tough luck, but it's all a bit naff of them to officially claim that all GE members are eligible.)
Sep 30, 2016, 2:10 pm
#363
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CATSA do however officially advertise that benefit:
http://www.catsa.gc.ca/trusted-travellers
(I've emailed them about it and they told me tough luck, but it's all a bit naff of them to officially claim that all GE members are eligible.)
http://www.catsa.gc.ca/trusted-travellers
(I've emailed them about it and they told me tough luck, but it's all a bit naff of them to officially claim that all GE members are eligible.)
I agree they should make clearer where the card is required and why (and acknowledge that not all GE members get a card) but we should be very thankful they don't limit access to NEXUS only, lest they decide that allowing GE members is too much of a mess.
And FWIW, I think they would be more than happy to allow all GE members (regardless of citizenship) into the expedited line, if there was a feasible mechanism to verify their membership. The problem is that there's no reliable way besides presenting the card.
Sep 30, 2016, 3:26 pm
#364
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Yes, but GE is a program run entirely by US CBP/DHS and CBP never made any promise or claim that GE would give that benefit. It is solely by the generosity of CATSA, an entirely separate organization, to grant GE members access to these NEXUS lanes as a bonus perk.
I agree they should make clearer where the card is required and why (and acknowledge that not all GE members get a card) but we should be very thankful they don't limit access to NEXUS only, lest they decide that allowing GE members is too much of a mess.
And FWIW, I think they would be more than happy to allow all GE members (regardless of citizenship) into the expedited line, if there was a feasible mechanism to verify their membership. The problem is that there's no reliable way besides presenting the card.
I agree they should make clearer where the card is required and why (and acknowledge that not all GE members get a card) but we should be very thankful they don't limit access to NEXUS only, lest they decide that allowing GE members is too much of a mess.
And FWIW, I think they would be more than happy to allow all GE members (regardless of citizenship) into the expedited line, if there was a feasible mechanism to verify their membership. The problem is that there's no reliable way besides presenting the card.
- Showing GE confirmation letter (potentially fakeable, but a card is too)
- Move GE kiosks before security - let's GE members positively identify themselves using a GE receipt (kiosks won't accept non-GE members): that creates the risk of people losing their receipts, but we are trusted travellers after all so they can trust us not to lose the receipt.
- Ask CBP to start issuing the stickers again.
- Ask CBP to issue non-RFID-activated GE cards (possibly with special markings/text on the card to clarify that they are not eligible for land crossings).
(Note: the old setup of security after CBP isn't too helpful - if you're foreign and use GE you'd usually get a second receipt, in place of a passport stamp, that you can show to CATSA, however if you get X'd you only get the primary receipt which is collected by CATSA, plus the usual passport stamp.)
Frankly I don't really care if they restrict the lane to Nexus seeing as that would make no difference to me. At the moment, eligibility for expedited screening for GE members seems to be based on US citizenship/LPR status which doesn't strike me as particularly fair...
Sep 30, 2016, 4:47 pm
#365
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There are multiple ways I can think of, although some of them would require coordinating with CBP:
- Showing GE confirmation letter (potentially fakeable, but a card is too)
- Move GE kiosks before security - let's GE members positively identify themselves using a GE receipt (kiosks won't accept non-GE members): that creates the risk of people losing their receipts, but we are trusted travellers after all so they can trust us not to lose the receipt.
- Ask CBP to start issuing the stickers again.
- Ask CBP to issue non-RFID-activated GE cards (possibly with special markings/text on the card to clarify that they are not eligible for land crossings).
(Note: the old setup of security after CBP isn't too helpful - if you're foreign and use GE you'd usually get a second receipt, in place of a passport stamp, that you can show to CATSA, however if you get X'd you only get the primary receipt which is collected by CATSA, plus the usual passport stamp.)
Frankly I don't really care if they restrict the lane to Nexus seeing as that would make no difference to me. At the moment, eligibility for expedited screening for GE members seems to be based on US citizenship/LPR status which doesn't strike me as particularly fair...
- Showing GE confirmation letter (potentially fakeable, but a card is too)
- Move GE kiosks before security - let's GE members positively identify themselves using a GE receipt (kiosks won't accept non-GE members): that creates the risk of people losing their receipts, but we are trusted travellers after all so they can trust us not to lose the receipt.
- Ask CBP to start issuing the stickers again.
- Ask CBP to issue non-RFID-activated GE cards (possibly with special markings/text on the card to clarify that they are not eligible for land crossings).
(Note: the old setup of security after CBP isn't too helpful - if you're foreign and use GE you'd usually get a second receipt, in place of a passport stamp, that you can show to CATSA, however if you get X'd you only get the primary receipt which is collected by CATSA, plus the usual passport stamp.)
Frankly I don't really care if they restrict the lane to Nexus seeing as that would make no difference to me. At the moment, eligibility for expedited screening for GE members seems to be based on US citizenship/LPR status which doesn't strike me as particularly fair...
Of course the easiest thing would be for CBP to issue real GE cards to everyone, but I would also lobby for UK citizens to be able to apply for NEXUS, if traveling to Canada is frequent enough for it to matter (unless, of course, you won't get a NEXUS card as well)
I don't think tilting at CATSA will get anywhere, other than maybe making the rules clearer, there is little they can do on their own.
I doubt that any of the other solutions would happen. There's no way CBP will allow the kiosks out of the preclearance area, and issuing special cards/stickers for this rather niche case of non-US citizen GE members flying out of canada seems unlikely given the extra expense to do so. The entire existence of GE cards is already solving the niche problem of giving expedited land crossing to US citizen GE members.
Sep 30, 2016, 5:08 pm
#366
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I don't see a cost issue here: all GE members pay the same fees, so there's no huge issue with regards to the cost of a card (they just need to print some extra text on it, and not put any data on the chip when issuing the card). Likewise with stickers: we're already paying the fees, and CBP get to save the money used for printing and mailing a card, handing out stickers at interview time would be incredibly cheap (the stickers are nothing special).
I realise we're a niche case (and GE is already a niche concept), but these are extremely low effort changes.
I realise we're a niche case (and GE is already a niche concept), but these are extremely low effort changes.
Oct 1, 2016, 5:51 am
#367
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OK, thanks all. I flew in from Canada two years ago (already having GE, but no card) and didn't have any problem there--I don't remember if there was a Canadian "precheck" lane or not, but since my initial airport entry was at the very compact YYT, I doubt it would have mattered either way. I haven't driven into the US from Canada for almost 20 years, so a Nexus/GE lane didn't enter my head!
Sorry, what do you mean by that? The only thing I've ever done is walk up to the GE kiosks/GE customs exit lane, no card required; are there other privileges that I don't know about? (Besides PreCheck, but that's generally already on my BP since the airlines have my TT number. The only time it's not evident is when I am flying BA from the US to LHR--would the TSA people accept a GE card as evidence that I can go through the PreCheck lane?)
Sorry, what do you mean by that? The only thing I've ever done is walk up to the GE kiosks/GE customs exit lane, no card required; are there other privileges that I don't know about? (Besides PreCheck, but that's generally already on my BP since the airlines have my TT number. The only time it's not evident is when I am flying BA from the US to LHR--would the TSA people accept a GE card as evidence that I can go through the PreCheck lane?)
BA doesn't participate in Precheck so their BPs will never give you access to PreCheck. Showing the card does nothing toward getting PreCheck. Unless your BP says you get it, you don't.
Oct 1, 2016, 4:54 pm
#368
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Thanks everyone. OP here and all went just as explained. CATSA Fast Lane line is to the left of the normal line and marked as NEXUS/GE. My flight was Monday morning so I bypassed a decent lineup. After security you are dumped out in an area where you could use either GE or Normal US CBP lines, stay left for GE.
Thanks again everyone.
Thanks again everyone.
Oct 1, 2016, 6:00 pm
#369
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Moderator's Action:
Posts discussing GE members' use of CATSA Trusted Traveller screening lines in Canada were moved to the following thread:
TWA884
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TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Oct 19, 2016, 5:46 pm
#370
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You also need the card to use the GE/NEXUS "precheck lane" through canadian airport security, which is wholly independent of the TSA precheck program and also has nothing to do with the GE/NEXUS kiosks you use to pass through US CBP immigration and customs.
There are also (rare) anecdotes about needing to show the card to access the GE kiosks at certain airports.
I carry my GE card around everywhere. It is useful as a second ID, I have used it at airport security in Canada, and you never know when you'll change pland and come back to the US via land/sea crossing.
There are also (rare) anecdotes about needing to show the card to access the GE kiosks at certain airports.
I carry my GE card around everywhere. It is useful as a second ID, I have used it at airport security in Canada, and you never know when you'll change pland and come back to the US via land/sea crossing.
Oct 19, 2016, 6:01 pm
#371
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Moderator's Note: Please let's get back on topic
Please let's get back on topic, that is: "Under what circumstances is a Global Entry card required?"
If you wish to discuss using the Global Entry card as an ID, please do so in this thread:
Thank you,
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
If you wish to discuss using the Global Entry card as an ID, please do so in this thread:
Thank you,
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Oct 23, 2016, 12:24 pm
#373
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Feb 28, 2017, 7:01 am
#374
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Global entry at YYZ
Discussion of Global Entry at Toronto airport was archived at the following link on the USA Flyertalk Board, for future reference:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/usa/1...uired-yyz.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/usa/1...uired-yyz.html
Feb 28, 2017, 9:20 am
#375
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I use mine all the time as photo ID when required. Only ran across one time where it was "challenged" and even then they relented (bank rule requiring ID for cash transaction, where they couldn't decide how to "code" the card).