What are the chances of being declined for GE? It asks for countries visited in the last 5 years. Mine include (among others):

UAE
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Qatar
Yemen
Uganda
Rwanda
DR Congo
Tunisia
Jordan
Sudan
North Korea
China
India

Plus I have lived in 6 countries and for 7 months of this time did not have an address (I was traveling overland and did not have a real home anywhere). Since it asks for an address for all this time, I don't know what to put - the hotels? I can't remember them all!

Well, to say the least, I think they'll vet you pretty good before getting to the face-to-face interview stage.

I would try enrolling via GOES (the online application system). I would then contact the GOES support folks, they were very helpful (and courteous) to me about an application question.

If you get to the face-to-face interview stage, I would come prepared with a lot of documentation on what you do, including paystubs (maybe a W2 or 1099 form, whichever applies), and perhaps some literature on what you do and the reasons you went into those countries.

Good luck.

You should apply for NEXUS instead, save $50 and get better access to Canada. The agents, at least the ones in NY/Ontario, seem to have had the Canadian rub off on them from their colleagues.

As for the GOES system itself, I had a misunderstanding about how to post my address and they fixed it manually on the computer at the enrollment center. I would give my best estimate for that time and explain the situation to the guy at the desk.

On the issue of being declined, countries traveled to (unless you did something illegal like travel to Cuba without a license) shouldn't factor into this at all. While CBP agents generally act like racist thugs, the GE enrollment process itself shouldn't create a problem. I think more of an issue would come at your interview. That is another reason to go for NEXUS. The CBP interviewer generally tends to focus a lot more on basic customs issues and isn't as likely to badger you like someone doing a GE interview.

Your handle is very apropos! Questions:

1. What do you do (can you share)?
2. Are you a Citizen or PR?
3. How grilled are you by CBP when you enter the USA right now?
4. How many pages do you have in your passport?!?

More:

• LessO2 gives good advice about asking for support; your situation is uncommon, but very likely not unique among their applicant pool. They can tell you how to handle the address issue, though I would not give then your country list and ask them if approval will be a problem; I'd just ask them how to handle the gap in your address history when you fill out the application. (Contact them before you submit you application, of course).
• A lot of those are on CBP's "scary counrty" list, but that doesn't mean a rejection unless they have some criteria that if you have visited a certain country in the last 5 years, you are an automatic reject which is possible, but hopefully not.
• I am not sure that their vetting process is actually that intense at all; I think they may just do standard searches of lists (NCIC, INTERPOL, TIDE, etc), but LessO2 or especially Firebug4 might have more information.
• In my very lay opinion, that travel list doesn't fit the travel profile of a "terrorist" which I would think would be limited to less countries and longer periods of time in certain countries not on your list, but this is a lay opinion.
• I would *not* apply for NEXUS because you stand a chance of rejection from Canada.

Good luck!

I visited the following countries over the past 5 years and was not turned down for Global Entry:

Cote d'Ivoire
Senegal
Mali
Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Ghana
DR Congo
Central African Republic
Chad
Cameroon
Rwanda
Kenya
Burundi
Dubai
Jordan
Tunisia
Morocco
Lebanon
India

I did not include European and South American countries which may be viewed as less "controversial".

I am American. I almost never go to Canada (last visit was in 1999 I think). I get hassled at CBP almost every time about my various Arab stamps and why I lived in the UAE.

GE would just be nice to be able to possibly avoid this a bit. Will the interview have to be in the US (since I'd need to make a trip there to deal with it)? Or can it be at an Embassy?

Understandable.

In the U.S., at an airport with GE already there (not Embassies). Go to Globalentry.gov for locations. You can do it at any GE location (with an appointment), not just the U.S. city your reside.

Well my application is pending since 4/2 (it still says pending review!!!)

I've only travelled to India/Singapore/France/Canada/Germany/ UK

I think its lost somewhere in the CBP maze.

Any one what number I should call to follow up? I am thinking about contacting my senator (Richard Lugar- Indiana) constituent services if I dont hear by 6/2.

I mean pending review? I'd say it should be under review to say the least...

Looks like I am not able to apply. One has to have lived in the USA for the past 3 years. I left the US in 2002 and until 2009, had no US home.

Since 2009 I have had a (rented) US home, but I am only there for 3-4 months a year. The rest the time I am overseas (about 4 months in my overseas home and 4 months travelling).

They said I could not apply.

Oh, well. Sorry.

Are you serious? Nowhere did I see this residency requirement for Global Entry in their materials--did they tell you this via private communication? Did I miss something on the official website? I'm in the same position and several days ago, sent in my application through GOES (currently its "pending review"). I used my foreign address(es) which have been pretty stable for the past several years. But I could have used a US address instead had I known. I will be extremely angry if they are willing to take my $100 for a GE application and then ding me for not meeting a non-publicized rule or regulation.

Did you ever think to get a second US Passport? That might cut down on your Arab-stamp-scrutiny syndrome. Just fill out a form and say you are going to Israel and don't want to go there with your current protfolio and they'll give you a second valid passport book (you don't actually have to go to Israel, though it is a nice place to visit). You can use that passport whenever you enter non-Arab countries and avoid the 3rd degree.

Yes. I called them to ask about my address situation since I don't really have a "primary" address (4mo US, 4mo Europe, 4mo elsewhere). I was told that if I have not lived in the US for 3 years I was not elligible (not sure if just an address counts... I've only had my US address for 18mo).

From 2002 to 2009 I only had a US po box... that does not count I guess.

If I use that to enter the US though, it will not have my foreign residence permit in it (from the country that I list on my US CBP form). Only the US hassles me (and I suppose Israel would too).

Actually India hassled me a bit... asking me a bunch of different ways if I had been to Pakistan (no).

When did they 3 years start? I had just moved back to the states after living in Germany/Netherlands and for a short time Italy and they didn't bat any eyelid. I live overseas part time now and it is never a problem. How odd.
Of course I applied on the very front end so maybe that had something to do with it? Have rules changed?

Ciao,
FH

Why does CBP need to see that?