Peregrine415

Had my interview at Boston Logan airport yesterday. This is my second time renewing my GE. Officer went through/verified my info, had chit chat, picture taken, fingerprinted and that was it. The officer informed me not to renew and pay for Precheck since my GE renewal also includes Precheck. 20 minutes and I was done. When I arrived home half an hour later, I received the approval via email. Having been interviewed in the same location twice, I will say that CPB officers at BOS airport office are very nice.

JeanineF

So I think maybe I had the most surreal Global Entry interview ever. I showed up for my appointment and interview which I felt should have been super easy. I have never been arrested, have only had speeding tickets, I have been fingerprinted for insurance licensing, etc. I’m answering questions and the officer starts asking about my husband, wants me to confirm name and address. Then states, ‘Well, he’s popped up for cocaine and meth smuggling in 2002.” ...? We’ve been together since 1997 and I’m pretty sure I would know if he ever went to prison! PLUS, he’s had his passport renewed since 2002, and has crossed the US/Canada border several times since then. I ask if there was a conviction or anything and the officer tells me that they can’t disclose that. I left the office baffled and 100% sure that I would NOT be approved as a trusted traveler. lol Within an hour, I checked my dashboard and I was approved. It was bizarre. We pulled all criminal records in my husbands name to see if there’s something that was wrongly attached to him somehow and there wasn't. I think the officer was just messing with me to see how I reacted. So. Weird.

greglvnv

He probably just did a simple name check and someone with your husband’s name was a match. If this became an issue in the future, he would need to apply for a redress number.

Listerone

Same thing's happened to me...not on my NEXUS application/interview but in other situations. I have a *very* common name (not quite as common as "John Smith",but almost). I guess computer keyboard operators can make mistakes...one errant finger and you're wanted for murder in six states.

returnoftheyeti

TWA884

Please discuss this topic in the following threads:
Thank you,

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

harryca

Went for my appointment yesterday. Read on yelp that for SFO, use parking lot G. I could not find parking lot G easily so used parking A. It is probably a difference of 100 yards in terms of walk: works as well as parking G. Not a big deal and a walk is always good for the health.

Every few minutes a lady comes out with a clipboard to check in people waiting. Checked in, went in, a quick 5 minute interview, fingerprinting and photo. Officer said they will check my fingerprints and if everything is ok (no arrests or convictions), I will be approved in a couple of days and get card in a week or 2. Halfway to the parking lot, which could not be more than 2-3 minutes, I got the email from TTP about status change. Later checked and it was Approved !!

The clipboard lady BTW refused to allow a husband of the interviewee who wanted to tag along, and checked me in a good half hour before my scheduled time as I reached early. They do not allow walk-ins but they do not care if you are that early. And while waiting for her (or him I guess some other day), you are sitting / waiting in a regular airport corridor, there is no special waiting area for global entry.

Sorry mods did not see an interview thread, although I did check 2 pages and saw interview for Germany and others, and paperwork thread but no thread just for interview experience.

1268 is after mods archived the older posts in their yearly or archive threads. When I logged in first, I used to track page number and one day I see the page numbers just reduced by 100 or so.

84fiero

My experience at the DAY enrollment center was pretty good. Didn't have to wait long and I was approved. There was only one thing that threw me in the limited questions the agent asked, which was "Have you ever had any problems when coming back into the US?

Well, I've never been cited, fined, threatened with a fine, or given any verbal/written warnings. No undeclared items or anything. So I said "No." She said "Are you sure?" and looked down at her computer screen. I thought as hard as I could and said "Well I've never had any fine or violation, I don't recall any issues." Then she said "What about an arrival in such-and-such time at IAD?"

So I knew the trip she was referring to. We bought a springbok pelt - tanned, not raw - back from South Africa. So I declared it on the APC kiosk and to the CBP agent, who then sent us to secondary for inspection. After inspection I was of course permitted to bring it in, as expected.

Anyway so I explained exactly what happened and apologized that I had thought she was asking about violations or fines. I started sweating it a bit. She said OK but seemed to think I was confused about ag inspection, as she went on to explain that even though it was an item for ag inspection, it still counts since CBP does inspections for various regulatory areas. I just said "Oh, OK."

I didn't argue the point, since I was approved, but to me that particular event with the pelt wasn't a "problem"...I properly declared a declarable item, it was inspected, and passed inspection. So I followed the required process. If she had asked if I had to have items inspected I would have answered yes.

Which has me wondering how that event was noted in my record back in 2017. Was it entered as my having not declared the item? Guess it doesn't matter since I was approved but just curious - not that I'll ever know though.

Majuki

Thanks for the data point. Since you mentioned APC use before, I assume this was an initial enrollment and not a renewal?

Michael N

I applied on 6/30 and obtained my CA on 1/17. My interview is scheduled for May 4. I checked today and I saw that I could go to a further Chicago site (O'Hare) and have the interview ten days earlier but I didn't think the extra distance to be worthwhile. I am only asked to bring my passport and driver's license and so I'm assuming that they've completed all of the various background checks already and this is more a formality (and to obtain my fingerprints and take a photo). Yes, it was a long wait, but I'm fortunate that I didn't have any travel plans during this period. I very much appreciated all of the comments that I read here during this period. Thanks.

Often1

I would assume nothing. The interview may be a formality or it may not.

If there are any remotely potentially relevant documents, bring them with you, but keep them in your briefcase. If asked to document something, then offer that relevant document.

Example would be an arrest and prosecution which ended through one form of expungement / early termination / dismissal or whatever. If the various databases -- which are far from complete -- do not properly document the termination of the case, you may be asked for those. Presuming that you have them, bringing them with makes sense.

TWA884

Hello @Michael N,

Congratulations on receiving your conditional approval!

For indexing and future search purposes, I moved your post to a more relevant thread from the one discussing whether updated GE cards are issued upon renewal.

You may find additional helpful information in the following threads:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Michael N

@Often1: thanks for the info and I will bring - in my backpack (not briefcase) add'l info.......just in case. This date has been a long time coming (I stunned myself and, again following the advice of various posts on this site, checked for cancellations and I'm going in for my interview this Friday! Actually, I took a down-staircase which led to four rescheduled appts (two in March, one in February, and then I was stunned Monday morning to see the January one!?!) and now, I hope, this "ordeal" is almost over. But I will now definitely bring in those additional docs - THANKS!

usimmi

Global Entry Interview at Chicago (ORD) / Downtown Experience

Hello Everyone - I finally had my interview done last week on 09/15. I had a strange experience.

My interview was scheduled at the ORD Airport on 09/15 around 10:15. I went in and the guy at the reception informed me to wait. After waiting about 30mins, they called in one person (there were about 10 people ahead of me). The person went in and after 15 mins came back saying its still not working. Everyone in the room started talking then, the computers have been down since 9AM that morning and all of the 10 people ahead of me were waiting since then. Thek kept calling the same person every 15 mins in efforts to fix the issue and after the third attempt it was successful. Unfortunately the next 2 people who went in didnt have any success and I had to wait about 4.5 hours as they kept telling that the systems were not working.

By this time, they sent back a lot of other incoming people saying that the systems were not working and to reschedule. For the people who were waiting all these hours including me they eventually told to come back any day (walk-in without appointment) later or wait till they solve it. By then people were getting agitated with the issue and how they were handling it.

FInally, I went ahead and asked that I came in after driving for about 5 hours (from IA) and its really tough to come back and face the same issue. There were 2 more people like me coming in after driving for a couple of hours and for all was us they gave an option to go to the downtown center and get it done and the officer mentioned that the she is going to email our names to them.

I immediately rushed to the downtown center around 1:45PM as that center closes at 3PM. After reaching there and waiting for about 30 mins, they eventually called me in, took the fingerprints and approved my application.

The only thing that the officer mentioned was that I would receive a card, for which I said since I am not a US Citizen, would I get it? As the TTP site mentioned so. She responded that I would still get a card in a couple weeks and they wouldnt send it only to people outside the country. I highly doubt it, will keep you all posted if I get one.

TWA884

The above post was copied by the moderator from the Global Entry for Citizens of India thread.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator