Originally Posted by
SAT Lawyer
I interviewed for and was approved for Global Entry at IAH last month. They didn't have any stickers. Is the sticker important? Should I swing by a different Global Entry office the next time I am nearby and try to pick one up?
You need to get a sticker and you need to swing by a Global Entry office. No appointment necessary, a copy of your approval letter is strongly recommended to get a sticker. Allow an hour for this process as the CBP re-verifies your status.
Why you one: when you get an X at the kiosk, you are supposed to raise your hand, holding your X receipt and passport with the sticker clearly visible to the CBP agent in the nearest passport control booth. He will then give you head of the line privileges. It is also useful when the kiosks are down, and you don't have an X receipt to get head of line privileges.
90% of the time you won't need a sticker.