Global Entry Denial and Recourse
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,093
There are foreign intelligence agencies that have teams of people that do nothing but figure out what the USG is buying. Some of these people know way more about the capabilities of the USG than even some of the most highly-regarded career politicians and bureaucrats in the US. There is a saying in certain circles: "if you want to know what the US is doing, find out in China".
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: you name it, i have it
Posts: 102
I'm In!!
Yes, effective this morning, I am a proud member of the Global Entry Community - and I have my fellow Flyertalk members to thank!!
I wrote my letter to the Ombudsman - waited patiently - received a notice to schedule an interview - which I just passed - took some photos - was given my number and was told I would receive my card shortly. YEAH!!!
THANK YOU AGAIN for all of the GREAT advice and guidance!!
I wrote my letter to the Ombudsman - waited patiently - received a notice to schedule an interview - which I just passed - took some photos - was given my number and was told I would receive my card shortly. YEAH!!!
THANK YOU AGAIN for all of the GREAT advice and guidance!!
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Somewhere between here and there...
Programs: WWF, Appalachian Mountain Club
Posts: 11,595
Yes, effective this morning, I am a proud member of the Global Entry Community - and I have my fellow Flyertalk members to thank!!
I wrote my letter to the Ombudsman - waited patiently - received a notice to schedule an interview - which I just passed - took some photos - was given my number and was told I would receive my card shortly. YEAH!!!
THANK YOU AGAIN for all of the GREAT advice and guidance!!
I wrote my letter to the Ombudsman - waited patiently - received a notice to schedule an interview - which I just passed - took some photos - was given my number and was told I would receive my card shortly. YEAH!!!
THANK YOU AGAIN for all of the GREAT advice and guidance!!
#34
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
Global Entry Denial Recourse
I've recently begun flying a lot more for work, and I have an international vacation coming up, so I decided to splurge and apply for Global Entry. While I knew it wouldn't matter much for my work travel, which is mostly domestic, I figured it'd help me qualify for TSA Pre-Check more consistently.
I submitted my application, paid my $100, was conditionally approved, and had my interview, which was not at all what I was expecting. While others being interviewed were asked perfunctory questions and then dismissed within a few minutes, my (very young) interviewer kept asking questions seemingly designed to "trip me up" and elicit inconsistencies. I flew El Al once in college, and had the same sort of questions asked of me, so I figured that was all it was ... but it was still odd to note that I seemed to be getting a much deeper level of interview than others. All interviews took place in public, in the single open office that the SFO Global Entry staff use.
Ten days pass, and I receive an email today saying that I've been denied because I "do not meet the strict standards of the program."
I'm floored! Absolutely floored! A few stats about me: I'm 44 years old, an American citizen born in the US, and have Premier Silver status on United. I traveled extensively abroad as a professional singer when I was younger, though not to any countries that would raise eyebrows among border officials. I'm Caucasian, and I've never been in the slightest legal trouble -- heck, I've never even been pulled over by a cop while driving.
The letter I received lists the following as likely reasons why some are denied:
* Providing false or incomplete information on the application;
* Convictions for any criminal offense or pending criminal charges to include outstanding warrants;
* Violations of any customs, immigration, or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;
* Inadmissibility to the United States under immigration laws;
* Receipt of a criminal pardon from any country; or
* Other circumstances that indicate to CBP that you have not qualified as "low risk."
I suppose my denial is based on the nebulous final bullet.
The *only* remotely unusual thing about me is that I'm gay. I mentioned my partner in passing during the interview because the interviewer asked who my travel companions were during a recent trip abroad. In fact after I mentioned him, the interviewer began asking me all sorts of questions about him. He even called my mobile number after the interview to confirm my partner's name, in order to "flag" the application, which was made weeks after mine. At the time I assumed he meant to flag it in the positive sense, but now I am simply bewildered as to why he would ask such a thing.
Have others on this forum been similarly denied without explanation? Can anyone shed any light on what might have gone awry, either at my interview or elsewhere in the process? I don't think I seemed remotely nervous or evasive, though I am a naturally fidgety person.
Thanks for any help.
Cheers,
Eric.
I submitted my application, paid my $100, was conditionally approved, and had my interview, which was not at all what I was expecting. While others being interviewed were asked perfunctory questions and then dismissed within a few minutes, my (very young) interviewer kept asking questions seemingly designed to "trip me up" and elicit inconsistencies. I flew El Al once in college, and had the same sort of questions asked of me, so I figured that was all it was ... but it was still odd to note that I seemed to be getting a much deeper level of interview than others. All interviews took place in public, in the single open office that the SFO Global Entry staff use.
Ten days pass, and I receive an email today saying that I've been denied because I "do not meet the strict standards of the program."
I'm floored! Absolutely floored! A few stats about me: I'm 44 years old, an American citizen born in the US, and have Premier Silver status on United. I traveled extensively abroad as a professional singer when I was younger, though not to any countries that would raise eyebrows among border officials. I'm Caucasian, and I've never been in the slightest legal trouble -- heck, I've never even been pulled over by a cop while driving.
The letter I received lists the following as likely reasons why some are denied:
* Providing false or incomplete information on the application;
* Convictions for any criminal offense or pending criminal charges to include outstanding warrants;
* Violations of any customs, immigration, or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;
* Inadmissibility to the United States under immigration laws;
* Receipt of a criminal pardon from any country; or
* Other circumstances that indicate to CBP that you have not qualified as "low risk."
I suppose my denial is based on the nebulous final bullet.
The *only* remotely unusual thing about me is that I'm gay. I mentioned my partner in passing during the interview because the interviewer asked who my travel companions were during a recent trip abroad. In fact after I mentioned him, the interviewer began asking me all sorts of questions about him. He even called my mobile number after the interview to confirm my partner's name, in order to "flag" the application, which was made weeks after mine. At the time I assumed he meant to flag it in the positive sense, but now I am simply bewildered as to why he would ask such a thing.
Have others on this forum been similarly denied without explanation? Can anyone shed any light on what might have gone awry, either at my interview or elsewhere in the process? I don't think I seemed remotely nervous or evasive, though I am a naturally fidgety person.
Thanks for any help.
Cheers,
Eric.
Last edited by RandomBaritone; May 22, 2013 at 3:20 pm
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,507
Did you forget to list a destination? Previous address?
Did your partner get a follow up call or anything?
I doubt that your orientation had anything to do with it, but who knows what goes on behind the scenes. There are other threads in this forum and the Policy forum about denials, as well as revocations.
You can appeal to the Ombudsman in the meantime.
Did your partner get a follow up call or anything?
I doubt that your orientation had anything to do with it, but who knows what goes on behind the scenes. There are other threads in this forum and the Policy forum about denials, as well as revocations.
You can appeal to the Ombudsman in the meantime.
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,261
1. The fact that you are caucasian is neither here nor there.
2. The fact that you are gay is neither here nor there.
3. Don't torture yourself over the "why". It could be anything and from the sound of the path your interview took, it sounds as though threre was some detail which did not match up with government records.
4. You can appeal to the ombudsman and should make it short and sweet, namely that there is nothing in your background which ought to concern CBP one bit. And, further, if there is any detail which does concern CBP, you are ready, willing & able to clear anything up.
2. The fact that you are gay is neither here nor there.
3. Don't torture yourself over the "why". It could be anything and from the sound of the path your interview took, it sounds as though threre was some detail which did not match up with government records.
4. You can appeal to the ombudsman and should make it short and sweet, namely that there is nothing in your background which ought to concern CBP one bit. And, further, if there is any detail which does concern CBP, you are ready, willing & able to clear anything up.
Last edited by Often1; May 22, 2013 at 4:03 pm
#37
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: MKE
Programs: DL-MM-Diamond HH-Diamond
Posts: 3,218
If you did not let all the countries you had visited when asked then you could be denied. I had forgotten that I went to Italy when completing my application and during my interview they asked if I was sure I listed everything. Afterwards he told me had I left something out I be denied.
To imply its because you are gay is really ridiculous. I know several openly gay people that have GE.
To imply its because you are gay is really ridiculous. I know several openly gay people that have GE.
#38
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
That's great that you know several openly gay people.
My partner hasn't had his interview yet. He'd find it hilarious if he were approved and I were denied, given that I travel 20x more than he does. Then again, he's an Episcopal priest, so when he shows up at his interview in his clerical attire, they won't be able to turn him down.
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 13, 2019 at 11:56 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member
#39
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM
Posts: 2,080
They ask for five years of travel history. Have you really only been outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico once in the last five years? That would certainly make yours a very unusual GE application.
#40
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
Surely that wouldn't flag my application for denial, though? How does that make me more of a risk?
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,093
The fact of the matter is that GlobalEntry has seen a huge increase in demand from domestic-only/primarily-domestic frequent flyers due to the domestic situation with the PreCheck nonsense.
The spike in, and likely growing demand for, "domestic" PreCheck "benefit" enrollment is in part a reason why DHS/TSA is looking to contract out the background checking for it to private companies, perhaps even a company affiliated with former DHS head Chertoff.
#43
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rockin' the Bakken
Programs: Several
Posts: 978
I really thought I would have a tough time getting approved with my lack of international travel, but that didn't seem to be the case.
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
If you did not let all the countries you had visited when asked then you could be denied. I had forgotten that I went to Italy when completing my application and during my interview they asked if I was sure I listed everything. Afterwards he told me had I left something out I be denied.
To imply its because you are gay is really ridiculous. I know several openly gay people that have GE.
To imply its because you are gay is really ridiculous. I know several openly gay people that have GE.
#45
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
And again just so we're clear, I mentioned in my interview at least twice that I had visited dozens of countries in my teens, 20s, and 30s. The interviewer asked for absolutely no details on those trips. It would make zero sense if a failure to disclose that travel were somehow at the heart of my denial, since there was no place for me to disclose it.