Actually, probably yes, if you managed to read (and quote) the entire post while understanding it in context.

A "criminal background" most frequently exists even in the absence of arrests/charges/prosecutions/convictions. Don't you realize that not all criminal activity results in prosecution of all actual violators of most any given criminal statute?

Every person who is free to move about of their own means should be lawfully entitled to the benefits of this "trusted traveler" nonsense, regardless of "criminal background" or not. Post-sentence completion "punishment" is unnecessary and unwelcome extrajudicial administrative punishment and an affront to decent appreciation for liberty and freedom for all free persons.

Well, I created an account to talk about this with my user information obfuscated. I'll explain my situation and my experience.

In 1993, I was involved in some activities. Those activities have affected my life and altered its trajectory. I take ownership of my actions and have done quite well in spite of it. I was convicted of theft in 1994 after cooperating with authorities. During sentencing, I spoke to the judge and mentioned my mistake and he offered me a couple options. I asked for the harsher punishment. I was sentenced to a misdemeanor and given 2 years of community service. The judge agreed and said he didn't expect to see me in a court again. And, with the exception of traffic courts, I've a boy scout.

I have been traveling since 1996. No issues, long travel history.

I used my platinum card to apply for the GE program, knowing it wouldn't cost me any money out of pocket. In the last couple years, I've been to the Bahamas, Canada and most recently to Mexico on a cruise with my children.

Canada and Mexico were in the last two months.

I applied at the end of July and was conditionally approved within 2 days. I did enter my conviction information when asked.

I couldn't find an appointment until October but kept checking and finally found an appointment for Monday. The interview was quite easy. He asked if I had been co Canada and Mexico recently. Then he asked if I had ever been convicted of a crime. I told him yes and simply said that I was convicted of a misdemeanor.

My fingerprints and picture were taken. I was given a paper explaining how to use the system and was told I would receive notice of approval in 24-48 hours and my card in 7 days or so. I checked and checked. The system reflected "Interview Scheduled". I read on other posts about that being a sign of rejection.

I was saddened but understand how my past could be a problem, even though I live a good, clean life now.

I was just approved at the 3 day mark. I received notice I am in the program.

So those who've had some issues in their lived in the past shouldn't give up. It is possible to get in.

Congratulations!

I had my interview today for GE. 22 years ago when I was 18, I was arrested for a felony possession charge that was later dismissed. An order of non-disclosure was also issued sealing the record from the public, but not law enforcement. Since this is not considered a conviction, I did not list it on my application. This is the only hiccup I ever had in my life and went on to go to college and become successful.

The Customs agent was very nice and she started out with taking my picture and fingerprints and then we talked while I could tell she was waiting for the background results. When she asked if I had ever been arrested, I explained that I had but it was never a conviction and also brought certified copies of all the court paperwork since I knew it would come up in the interview.

In the end she told me I would be approved and that it would probably take about 3 days before I get the approval email because she would need to send in the court paperwork I had given her. She also explained how the program and kiosk worked and told me I would receive my card in about 10 day.

I was happy that it sounded like I was accepted, but when I got home I logged into my GOES account and it states that my application has been denied for the status. It states, "Your application for the Trusted Traveler Program has been denied. If you need additional information regarding the denial, please contact a Trusted Traveler enrollment center."

I have not received an email of any kind saying that I was denied so I am just wondering if this is what is entered as a temporary status until the court documents are reviewed and then I am approved. Has anyone experienced this? I would be disappointed if she told me that I would be approved and then actually deny me.

Sounds as if she got overruled when she sent in the paperwork.

Why not wait until you get the "official" letter and then call in. It's just as easy for someone to have typed "was convicted of..." as "was not convicted..." So maybe it's an error you can get fixed.

Take it one step at a time.

Has anyone been rejected for GE due to error in application and then subsequently approved for GE? 5 yrs ago when I applied for GE, I mistakenly wrote in "No" under the arrests column when I did have traffic fines/misdemeanors (got confusing advice about what to write). Now that my business travels are coming down, I am thinking of reapplying for GE. Would it even fly or just be auto-rejected because of the previous rejection?

I need help...and nobody listens at GE
 

I've got GE and my wife has been denied twice. According to the rejection, something was confiscated from her bag 9 years ago as we were connecting at JFK. We don't know what it was and it must have shown up on an x-ray scan...because we vaguely remember it being mentioned to us later ...but we were never detained. I've appealed to the ombudsman and heard nothing... We re-applied after waiting almost a year. Each time she was scheduled for an interview and told at the interview she was denied. We don't know or remember what was confiscated and don't seem to be able to talk to anybody about it.
We travel together internationally and it would make both of our lives a lot easier if we could both use GOES. Has anybody ever had any luck talking to someone at GOES. The airport interviewers say it is out of their hands. I'm out of ideas.

You said that you've appealed to the Ombudsman. Let that process work itself through. It may take 6-9 months, but it will result in a decision, perhaps not the one which you want.

Unfortunately for your wife, the underlying incident is exactly what GE shortcuts, so it's almost worse than something seemingly more serious.

In the meantime, the two of you should spend some serious time thinking through the JFK incident. It was serious enough for CBP to file a report on it (I presume that the bag was checked under your wife's name so she takes the GE hit), so you really need to do all that you can to recall the details. It matters if it was a slice of salami vs a kilo of something controlled.

She waited for the Ombudsman process for almost a year before...after hearing nothing... she re-applied and was granted another personal interview. The incident was on the order of salami and was definitely not some controlled substance. She'd just like the chance to have some form of dialogue. She's probably re-entered the country a dozen times since 2004 and always without incident or challenge.

And there lies her problem. She applied, was denied, sought review from the Ombudsman, and then reapplied before she had a resolution from the Ombudsman. Her status was denied, so she was denied again.

Back to the Ombudsman she goes. This time, do not reapply until you have a resolution.

The problem really is that you need to generally have the whitest of white records to have or keep GE. They are really strict.

They can't be that strict: they approved me.

I find it kind of odd that she remembers having something confiscated but doesn't know what it was. Also, isn't she having a dialogue with someone eat each interview? They are telling her that there is a record of something being seized from her, they are telling her that she is being denied, and they are presumably telling her that she is being denied because she has a documented history of once attempting to enter the country with an impermissible item.

If I had a bad grade on my school record and I applied to Harvard twice and they rejected me twice, I would probably stop applying to Harvard.

Didn't she have to pay another $100 fee for the 2nd application?
Even if she now gets "cleared" by the Ombudsman, would she have to (now) pay a 3rd $100 fee?
As a US citizen, she is allowed to reenter the US, and the past incident did not set off "flags" with CBP; GE may be more fussy.

^This. Certainly you or your wife knows the story in its entirety. If one party wants to take it to the grave or has certain recollection deficiencies, that sounds more like a personal problem, not a global entry problem. But I hear the Ombudsman offers free marriage counseling ;)

There really is little or nothing odd about not remembering what was confiscated. I once had Australia confiscate something from me after I made them aware that I wasn't sure if they wanted to confiscate whatever it is I had but which I doubted would be permissible absent some kind of special inspection or certification process. I still don't recall exactly what it was that I turned in that time, but it was something that could be legally consumed in the US and on the flight over but would be a potential hazard to the Australian Ag. industry.

I'm in the process of filling out the GOES application for GE and am stuck (like everybody) on the "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense?" question.

I can't seem to find a clear answer on whether we should list traffic violations here. I have received tickets for two different things, both over 5 years ago. One was for "failure to control vehicle" when my car slid off the road on ice and the other was for speeding like 12 over on the interstate. I just "plead guilty" to both and paid the through the mail. Do these need to be disclosed?

I have to say this thread is entertaining. Even talking to my local security focal will have your head spinning as to what will or will not get your credentials issued or revoked, for US citizens. All I can say is it depends on people involved in the specific situation, interviewer and interviewee.

I was never in the military but have worked on or around both civilian and military aircraft my entire career. Funny thing is I still had to sign up for the Global Entry program to get access to the Pre-TSA line even though I hold a DOD clearance level. I find it somewhat remarkable that just because you travel for a living you become trusted to do no bad. I suspect (no proof) the airline industry has the biggest influence on what changes are made to please the flying public. Especially when it comes to things like Pre-TSA, Global Entry, or similar programs used to control the influx of people entering or leaving a country at the airport. Now my Delta boarding pass tells me ahead of time I get to walk around with the elites when I enter the airport security line.

Don’t get angry if you get denied the glory of acting like an elitist at the airport, in time it will change. Hopefully back to the somewhat carefree days of air travel in the past when you had a much higher chance of sitting on board an aircraft about to be hijacked or skyjacked as they sometimes call it (especially for the international traveler).

Back in the mid 1980’s I remember your family could actually wait with you in the gate area and watch your plane as it is pushed away, or in some cases power back from the gate. The airline passengers were treated great most of the time. Check-in counter and security lines seemed like a breeze to use. Although I remember seeing signs in the St. Louis airport security lane reminding people to not even joke about bombs on airplanes. Yes sir, the good ole days.

I thought you could get pre-check by showing a CAC?

To qualify for PreCheck, the CAC holder must also be an active duty service member.

Minor traffic infractions generally aren't "criminal" and therefore don't have to be disclosed. Speeding 12 over certainly isn't criminal and failure to control vehicle doesn't sound criminal. Speeding 30+ over, reckless driving, DUI, etc are generally criminal.

Most States require at least some court appearance for a criminal conviction, but that isn't a hard and fast rule.

Are very minor damage (e.g. lightly scraped bumper type) hit-and-runs with a parked vehicle (as that accounts for the overwhelming majority of hit-and-runs according to insurance companies) -- that involve a court appearance -- considered "criminal" by DHS when the police never made an arrest but identified suspects with the charges pursued in courts by prosecutors where the cases end up as a civil compromise of sort?

Street parking in NYC or Chicago comes with a lot of these kind of minor fender-benders.

I would call that surrendered, not confiscated.

You are trying to tell me that such forgotten thing wasn't confiscated? Do you happen to recall what they did with that which they took? I recall no return of the stuff. I recall no intention to surrender when making the inquiry.

Did I not read it right? You said you told them about it. When you tell them about it and they take it it's a very different situation than when they find it and take it.

Making an inquiry about something is rather distinct from an intent to voluntarily surrender that about which an inquiry may be made. I don't recall what I turned in, but I turned it in only because they said they needed to confiscate it.

I would recommend you do check yes and disclose this. I am fairly sure I was declined for that same reason as I had speeding tickets and did not say "Yes" on the form. In my naturalization, I did say "Yes" on that question.

Unless they were criminal convictions, that is very unlikely.

Anybody who answers what are individual state law questions without looking at a copy of the citation/ticket and the specific statute, is not helping you at all. What their Aunt Tilly did back 25 years ago really doesn't matter.

If you are in doubt, err on the side of disclosure. CBP actually doesn't need the answers from you to determine the underlying question of conviction. Those records are available to CBP. What the questions do is permit CBP to assess your truthfulness.

Doubtful. The fact that someone indicates that absent an arrest or conviction for criminal activity the matter isn't relevant is helpful -- it suggests to the person to look into whether or not what they did was of a criminal nature or not in determining what needs to be disclosed and what need not be disclosed at time of application and/or interview.

Some truthful applicant-provided disclosures that are unnecessary may result in the CBP denying Global Entry. It's good that some people are asking questions here and seeking answers before they apply and/or interview.

I have a criminal conviction that was expunged from 9 years ago. How should I proceed at the interview? Is honestly really the best policy. I've had a recent background check with my new employer and nothing showed up on it. So will it for the interview?

If it was properly expunged, it shouldn't show up. If it was not properly expunged, it should show up. It is unlikely (but possible) that it was properly expunged.

Honesty is the best policy, but that doesn't mean the outcome will be the one you want. If you don't disclose a conviction that they have a record of, you hurt your application. If you let them know about a conviction that they didn't previously know about, you might hurt your application. What to do? One thing you can do is check your record with the FBI.

One more note-- if the conviction was for drugs, they will probably reject you if they find out about it. If it is something minor, you will probably be OK.

In ALL cases, your conviction, even if expunged, will show up in a law enforcement background check. You will doom yourself to rejection if you fail to report this record. Sorry.

Is the fact that I had some salami confiscated coming from Italy a customs violation? I had said "yes, I am bringing food" on the form...

thanks

If you declared the item then it should not be a violation.

you were not given a fine, warning, or other paperwork were you?

CBP can find out things that happened decades ago. The New York Times reported that CBP asked a Global Entry applicant about an interview he had with a police detective about a theft from a school in 1974 when he was 17. Not an arrest, not a conviction, just an interview that was moved to Georgia's "dead docket". CBP denied his application.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/bu...seid=auto&_r=0

Disclose everything. It's not a question if CBP will find out, it's when they'll find out.

It seems he was arrested per the article:

As others have noted just disclose and discuss in the interview. If they do find it after you did not disclose you will most likely be denied on the spot.

I've been in positions with both the US gov't, foreign gov'ts, int'l orgs, and private companies to oversee background check departments and agencies. Plenty of people think things are expunged, or dropped, or "will no longer show up" but most of the time they are wrong.

They are always told up front, disclose everything because honesty is what the agencies are looking for not perfect pasts. Sadly the instant undisclosed record hit always causes them to get denied. CBP has access to similar databases...

Assuming you declared the food verbally to a USCBP person you will not be in violation if it is illegal and confiscated.

Anyone know how long a reply from the Ombudsman can take? I've read posts of applicants who've been denied waiting six months or more for a decision on their appeal. Some folks say they never hear back, period. Can this be true?

Yes, it can even take many months only to be denied it still.