Dealing with CBP and GE can be very frustrating! I initially applied in January and was conditionally approved and went to have my interview and the CBP officer had some questions about an arrest I had 38 years ago when I was 17. I explained the details as best I could but he said he needed more information from the court or police record and gave me 30 days to comply.

I explained that I was leaving for the UK for a month and doubted I would be able to get the information he needed in time but he said he could only give me 30 days and to come in and talk to a supervisor if I got the paperwork. Upon returning I got a letter from CBP at my GOES log in page saying I had been turned down for not complying in the time frame specified. So I wrote to the CPB Ombudsman with details and also persued getting the documents that I had originally been asked for. This was a real pain in the neck as the records were so old but I finally got what I a detailed copy of my arrest record and that the charges were deferred for lack of evidence.

Having not heard anything from the Ombudsman since I wrote him I logged into my GOES account only to see that I now had a brand new conditional letter of approval. So I tried to schedule an interview here at IAH and the soonest available appt. is in mid September when I will be away in Australia for 6 weeks and unable to make any kind of appointment until I get back.

I went to the office to speak to someone, especially a supervisor as I had initially been told to do and the CBP agents were of no help at all and could not be bothered. They said they were booked up and not allowing any walk-ins even after I explained my situation that I leave for Australia in 8 days and won't be back until mid October, well after the 30 day timeline that my letter of conditional approval gives me. The agent shrugged his shoulders obviously not caring if I get disqualified for time reasons again.

Going to try on Monday to go by and track down someone in charge but this is getting to be too much trouble!