N45H

The problem here is how misinformed the people at the GE interview stations are. I also got told to put my visa page on the machine and have it scanned. Well I believed them, because they are doing this every day.

I am an L1 visa holder as well. So i had to enter the US again and rushed to the GE booth. All excited about trying it out. ANd got the same answer of the machine, something about document not recognized. First i thought, well i didnt put it on right and lets try it again. OK second time same thing and I was already getting angry, because now I would be at the very end of the regular passport control line and it looked like at least another plane arrived at the same time as mine.
For the fun of it I tried my regular passport photo id page and voia la i was in. The machine printed a little receipt and that was it.
Also strange that there was nobody around at the GE booth I could ask. CBP told me so much wrong stuff when traveling to or through the US. They dont even know how and when to use the ESTA...

matt85

I'm suspecting I'm making a rookie mistake here but not sure which.
Got approved for Global Entry a month ago, have been using TSA Pre extensively since then so I know it's active. Now I had my first entry from an international flight and used the Global Entry kiosk.
I'm a non-US citizen, and the lady at the interview told me to scan my visa, not my passport info page. Did that, and I could see my visa #, name and other info popping up at the kiosk.
Then it proceeded to taking the picture, so I saw the camera view. But seconds later, the kiosk shows that there was an error with my travel document and I should proceed to a passport agent.
I tried it three times with the same result, and somebody was using this kiosk before me successfully, so I don't think the machine was broken.
The agent processed me normally, meaning I had to fill out the paper customs form and all. That's of course not ideal given that I'm GE member.
what confuses me is that the document data showed up fine first, before seconds later erroring out.

Any idea what's the cause of this?

Thanks!

TWA884

What type of visa do you have?

Take a look at the following thread:
It may be the same for other visa holders. Apparently, non US citizens/lawful permanent residents need to go through the regular entry process the first time that they enter the US after being approved for Global Entry. Afterwards, they can use the GE kiosks.

Some members advise to scan the passport photo page in the GE kiosk, not the visa page.

matt85

I'm indeed on an L1. That thread sounds promising, exactly what I was looking for, thank you! I'm wondering if my manual processing with written customs form at the GE agent stations (LAX) counts now as the initial "regular" attempt, so next time I should attempt using the kiosk again.

Very interesting that some folks recommend to scan the bio page and not the visa. At the interview I was explicitly told that this usually doesn't work and I should use the visa page. And, when I tried it recognized all the visa information so it definitely at least supports visa data. Except that fatal error afterwards of course.

TWA884

For indexing and future search purposes, I'll go ahead and merge your question into that thread.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

matt85

In case it helps anybody with a similar issue, here's my follow-up how it played out. As mentioned, I had been activated for GE, but using the GE kiosk failed at LAX and I had to go the manual line.
Yesterday I again arrived internationally (RDU) and tried my second time with the GE kiosk. Scanned passport page, was prompted which visa to use for entry, and it worked! Definitely don't sweat it if the first time on L visa fails, seems to be a "normal" hiccup.

PoincianaKings

Digging this thread up as it seems most relevant.

I am a UK national about to apply for GE for myself (L1), my wife (L2), son (L2) and daughter (US national). I want to check that it is worthwhile given there is talk that it doesn't really work for UK nationals holding L1/L2s.

Can I just check the procedure on arrival. It seems that, despite what the CBP officials say at interview, you:

1. Insert your passport (NOT your L1/L2) into the machine;
2. It takes you through the standard questions;
3. Takes your photo;
4. Asks you to select your visa type;
5. You are either approved- in which case you get a receipt- and leave or rejected and go to see an official;
6. If approved you get no stamp in your passport but I94 (which in reality is the key doc) is updated.

There is talk on this thread that you need your visa added to your TTP profile but can't do that until your first entry into the US following GE approval. Is that right?

I take it that despite having an I-797 no one actually checks that? My L1 says that entry is only granted once they have reviewed the I-797 and each time I have entered the US on my L1 the agent has asked to see it.

destone

This is an old thread but sharing my experience for others in similar shoes.

I’m a UK national, and got approved for GE in Dec 2017. Did my interview upon landing in Seattle. At the time, I was visiting on ESTA.

Fast forward to 2019, I became an L1 visa holder. Upon landing at LAX, I had to see the GE office (after clearing the border but before leaving the secure area) so that they would add the L1 to my GE profile. It was a rather cumbersome process that took 30 mins.

Ever since the GE kiosk recognizes my L1.

My wife had to do the same with her L2.

Slightly off-topic: the new kiosks (since Aug 2020) with facial recognition don’t seem to ever work for me. I always get a crossed over slip and need to see an officer.

zanderblue

@destone so did you go straight to regular kiosk to get landed in US and then get referred or did you use GE kiosk and get directed to GE office to get your visa validated?

thanks

destone

At the time I already had GE and so I gone to the GE kiosk. At the time, the GE kiosk was running an older version of the software and so I saw the screen that it only offered me ESTA but not my L1. I canceled the kiosk operation and saw the officer at the desk supervising the GE kiosks, who admitted me manually on L1. I told him I had to have my GE profile updated so that this wouldn't repeat in the future. I was told to see this GE person at the other desk (at this point I was already admitted manually on the L1). And so the sole job for the GE officer was to update his computer (he didn't touch my passport) so that I'd be all set for future trips.

Since I got my Green Card and the process was the same (updating L1 to GC).

zanderblue

Thought it worthwhile to add a datapoint to this.
Status was GE approved by EoA whilst travelling under ESTA.
Then granted B1/B2 visa several months later and subsequently travelled to US.
Arrived at T7 at JFK and used GE kiosk. Immediately identified and slip of paper delivered from kiosk. No option to select visa or cancel. It may be a vagary of location but all GE entrants were channeled to separate line to be seen by a CBP agent. When I saw him I explained that I had recently got visa and wished to be landed using it. He had to go off and talk to another agent, presumably to get permission, but he did stamp passport with 180 days allowed.
I did ask him about process and he advised that GE was using our ESTA status and he was unable to update it. I then asked if I could see the agent dealing with EoA, but apparently he was not available. This was early afternoon on a weekday.
I guess I’ll need to try and get GE profile updated at EoA on a later trip; unless anyone can advise differently??

mnbp

You can visit any CBP GE enrollment office to make this change. No appointment needed (and appointments for these kinds of updates are not possible to make anyway).
1st Use of Global Entry with a B1/2 Visa?

everywhere

Any experiences doing this in NYC (or at EWR)? Many thanks in advance.