Originally Posted by
televisor
I'm on a J-1, so I'll report back what happens when I use GE (never used it yet). (J-1 has a DS-2019 instead of I-20, but they're pretty similar - I believe both need "travel validation"?)
I've had an X once when using the APC kiosks - i.e. before I had GE, and while on an ESTA. I believe I was on a direct flight that time. The CBP agent didn't treat me any differently than usual. I had declared food at the kiosk, and they only asked about food + the usual why/how-long I'm here for.
Just to report back: I'm consistently getting the X with my J1. I have a feeling they just want to verify we're carrying the accompanying forms every single time (yay bureaucracy...). I might email CBP to confirm that suspicion (the officers who process me seem too grumpy to bother asking).
That said GE is still a huge benefit since I skip all the queues and there's usually no wait for the manual processing when you get the X.
Note: the manual processing includes a fingerprinting and photography session every time (even though the kiosk has already done that). But no questioning, most of the time is spent with the officer copying numbers from the visa and form.