ani90

Neither can I. Maybe Moderators can open a new thread if this is off topic but there seem to me three key questions, the answers of which remain blurred

1. Where and when to declare
2. How to declare
3. What to declare

Answers to all three are very clear in GE entry without facial recognition but not so with facial recognition.

Repooc17

JFK T1 arrival on JL4. CBP officer asked everyone with their receipt from facial recognition kiosk if they had brought back anything for declaration. I didn't check any luggage as per usual, so the follow-up question never came up.

TWA884

Where and when to declare, and how to make the declaration when using a Global Entry kiosk with facial recognition technology and which does not ask the declaration questions are the subjects of what this thread is all about.

For clarity, I've edited the thread title.

To discuss what to declare, we have a rather extensive thread:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

drewguy

That was the old system at IAD,SFO, and several other places. But CBP decided to make it a one-stop shop at immigration. Regardless of whether using GE and whether it's GE 2.0 (face) if you have something to declare it would be to the agent taking your slip, including if you had something declarable in checked luggage ("sir, I have a whole ham in my suitcase"). Indeed, last summer I returned with some wine (>2 bottles) and declared it, even though I had yet to claim it at the carousel. The only concern I had was if I was stopped at exit (IAD) and asked if I had declared - to which I could say "yes" but not sure the agent at immigration could verify.

If they wanted to inspect further they could pull your bag off the carousel. And if they think you've failed to declare they could intercept your bag and ask further questions.

bostontraveler

Has anyone written to CBP to ask for a response?
Not that it ensures anything but I do know “TPG” Brian and can askif his team can inquire.

televisor

That reminds me: at IAD midfield last month, the customs exit did have a sign for people with a special (red?) pouch to turn right and go into an office. Presumably the primary officer would have given those pouches to people, for people who had declared items - or at least declared items needing checking?

(Unless those pouches were for secondary, but IME the usual policy for secondary is to escort people there - the only exception I've had was a year or two back at SFO when they still had someone checking receipts/customs forms for ALL passengers between immigration and customs: on that occasion the primary officer put some red marking on my GE receipt, and I was told to self-report to secondary, people who were admitted got different markings on their customs forms/GE receipts allowing them to proceed to the baggage claim.)

skydve1

I used the new system for the first time on Dec 16th at JFK. I was coming back from CAN via HEL.
I got some Fazer chocolates while in Helsinki, and I always declare 'dairy' when I bring them back for my friends and family (typically via ORD), and when the CBP officer asks what I have , they wave me through when I tell him chocolate.
At JFK, it just took my photo and spit out the receipt without questions. The CBP officer asked if I had anything to declare, and I told him "Chocolate from Finland", and he said "Welcome home" and sent me on my way.

I flew CAN-HEL-ORD in October, and ORD still had the v1 systems which ask the questions.

CountZero

Same. I've been back through IAD (home airport for int'l flights) 4 or 5 times since the wider rollout of the facial recognition GE machines and haven't seen the kiosks use facial recognition once yet. Still asks me for my passport, prints, and answers to the declaration questions.

nrr

When I used the GE terminal on 12/28 there is a new opening screen, it allows one to center their face in the camera and then "snap" your picture. BUT at T4 after receiving your slip, you still must queue for an agent to compare you with your pp photo making the "new" interface irrelevant.

Neil Satra

Landed at EWR on a UA flight from BOM on Jan 3, with a tight 40 min connection window due to a slow first leg. Was using GE for the first time, so ran up to the kiosk with passport and boarding pass in hand. A CBP officer was standing right there at the kiosks, telling people to put their passports away, which I was confused by based on the instructions during the GE onboarding, but did anyway. I'm 5' 8", the camera was already at a reasonable height, so I hit take photo. 3 seconds later, the receipt was in my hand, containing my name, flight number and photo, without any data entry from me. I was confused, but grateful to make my connection. The officer who had been standing there glanced at my receipt and waved me through without any questions. After collecting my bags, I got to the customs line which was just an officer sitting at the booth taking people's kiosk receipts (the new admission kiosks for the non-GE folks), and I was surprised to see a second (empty) line on the right for GE folks going to the same officer, who confirmed if I was global entry (a lot of people were incorrectly getting in this line), took my receipt and waved me through.

Amazing process, and so quick, global entry has already been worth all the signup hassle just from the time saved on this one trip. Alas I was still not able to make my connection due to United's extremely slow delivery of my bags (despite priority tags), ah well.

There was no point where I was asked about having food or any other contraband.

After reading this forum thread, I checked my I94 online to check if the right visa category was used (I'm an Indian citizen with a valid tourist visa and work visa, and should be entering on my work visa), and they indeed picked the wrong one without any input from me, so I'll now have to follow up with my immigration lawyer to see how I can correct it without having to visit the CBP in person.

stimpy

I was at JFK T4 yesterday and this was still the case. I didn't even know they had facial recog now, so was a bit surprised. Yesterday was a zoo at JFK with the Global Entry queue so long and messy that dozens of machines were not being used because no one could see they were available through the crowds. Everyone got their slip then walked back out to the queue to have their pass scanned by the agent. The officer did ask me if I was bringing in food, etc.

nbanks44

Long time GE member.

Jan 7th arrival at JFK T7 GE kiosk type 2.0.

Please be aware that I came across a machine that did not print a matching receipt.

Photo was fast but the issued receipt didn't match me!

It was for someone else and there were a few stray receipts placed on top of the same kiosk. Very strange.

Tried a second time but got a "too recent attempt" message on the screen

I can only assume my presumably correct matching was stuck in the machine and I possibly had been issued the receipt of the person before me!

Wonder how they reacted to not having a receipt to present to the GE officer.

Anyway, nobody to speak to, so quickly went to the regular line which was unusually short and a very pleasant officer after taking my picture in the usual but old way, could see that the Kiosk in question had indeed recorded and correctly identified me.

Something to watch out for.

Has anyone else had this experience?

TWA884

Hello @nbanks44,

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

A similar printing malfunction, albeit with a non-facial recognition technology kiosk, was reported in the Issues With Global Entry thread:

squeakr

We came back from LHR on Sunday evening, and GE 2.0 worked great for both of us. We were through in about 58 seconds.

samosa

Any idea if 2.0 resolves the issue with fingerprints for kids? Aka does it work for kids without biometrics ?