chugger1

Cool, thank you.

JY1024

After I was approved and got my first sticker, the CBP officer put it on the inside back cover of my passport. I recently renewed my passport, so I had to bring it into a GE Enrollment center for them to give me a new sticker. This time, the officer put it on the outside (like the one in FriendlySkies' picture.

(On a side note: Just passed through ORD yesterday. Again, very glad to have GE. Our flight arrived just after other widebody based on the number of people in line. Went straight to the kiosks on the side wall and got my slip within 30 seconds. Headed straight for the exit where the officer took my slip, asked to see my passport to check for the sticker, then sent me along my way. ^)

kebosabi

Does anyone know what the purpose of the CBP sticker is for? I mean sure it's probably meant to show that you've went through the process, but heck this sticker isn't really all that special like it's made with tamper-proof holograms and such. I have a visa issued by Laos that's much more fraud proof than this.

I think anyone could just go to Kinkos and get a similar type of sticker made with something like "yeah, I want some set of stickers that read 'CBP' which stands for Charlie's Bicycle Program"

drewguy

I believe it's for quick verification of whether you are in fact in the program. I could imagine someone who's not using the kiosk, getting the X, going to the head of the line, and getting preferential service without actually enrolling.

Clearly the sticker is not itself any kind of security device. That, or it's an extremely good one.

GoingAway

That would make sense if the guy in the immigration booth uses it, but why would customs care?

chollie

I don't know if someone not GE trying to use the kiosk would get as far as getting the 'X'. I do remember once in ATL when the kiosk was having trouble with the initial passport read. No cards were being kicked out then.

Supposedly the sticker is quick verification if the kiosk is down and you have to jump to the front of a line. However...I wasn't even given a sticker when I signed up. I finally got a sticker when I had a daytime layover in ATL last fall. Two months later I came through ORD for the first time and the quy at the customs podium took my kiosk card and passport and demanded to see my sticker! I don't know how he thought I could get a kiosk card without being GE. I guess if I hadn't had the sticker, he would have sent me to the back of the customs line.

FlyingDiver

It took about three days for the letter (Conditional Approval Notification) to show up in my GOES inbox after I got the email. No idea why.

We just went to IAH today for the "interview". No issues at all, and we got the white sticker on the inside back cover of our passports. It took about 6 working days from online application to notice of approval.

joe

kebosabi

Must be the same ORD customs guy I went through coming back from NRT a few days ago. I was wondering what this guy is so picky about running through the pages to check if I had a CBP sticker on the back page of my passport. Immigration I'd understand, but customs?

And like I said, it's not like this sticker is made out of space age material or anything.

nrr

On 2/22/11, after 10 previous trips, I got the big "X" after trying to use the GE terminal at JFK T8 (AA). I questioned the agent and he thought it might have something to with my fingerprints (I think one of my fingers was not completely on the glass). After answering the several questions {all NO}, the terminal spit out my slip with the "X"--this time it did NOT ask me to verify my flight.
Hoping that this won't happen again, have others experienced similar problems (re fingerprints)?
Could one make a second attempt?

FriendlySkies

I've only used GE four times, and have not gotten the "X". Perhaps trip #10 will give me one?

In all seriousness, I always make sure that my fingers are pretty far up on the scanner. I usually make sure the top of my pinky finger is above the green lines on the side of the reader.

Could the finger print scanner have been dirty? I've never seen them clean the scanner after every use , so maybe your print mixed with the person who used the kiosk before you?

CBP also says that using GE does not exempt you from a random screening. Perhaps it was "your time"?

chugger1

Just received the printable letter in my inbox today. Interesting because I received my notice of conditional approval yesterday. I made the appointment for my interview for 3/8. If there were available time slots for today I would have gone, yet wouldn't have had the letter, however, the website yesterday said to make the appointment. Go figure.

wilp888

Happened to me last year in ORD. I knew it was my fingerprints because there was some sort of error message on the screen but it flashed really quick and I couldn't really see what it was. I took the "X" receipt to the nearest CBP officer and he asked me if I knew why I got the "X" so apparently there is no code on the receipt to indicate the problem. Anyway he asked me a couple of questions about cash, food, etc. and then told me I could go. I received an email a few days later asking for feedback about my experience. I provided the feedback and this was part of the reply I received from the Program Manager:

"Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the Global Entry program. We apologize for the difficulties that you encountered while using the Global Entry kiosks to enter the United States on February 22, 2010. On this date the kiosk failed to grant you passage, because your fingerprints were not properly recognized; the images captured by the scanner on this date were of poor quality.
We endeavor to improve the quality of the program and are examining alternate means of verifying the identity of program members. In the interim, please ensure that your four fingers are properly placed on the fingerprint scanner when the images are captured. This will allow the scanner to obtain a more accurate image of your fingerprints. We are also making modifications to the system to allow for a second attempt at fingerprint capture, should the first attempt fail."

You may receive a similar email.

chollie

I usually have to press really hard for the scanner to recognize my fingerprints. One agent suggested it was because my skin might be particularly dry (true).

Based on what some posters are reporting, I'm beginning to wonder if there are different types of kiosks. I've always encountered little boxes for each finger. Sometimes one finger (usually my baby finger) generates a little message above the square that says something like 'can not read', so I have to press harder.

When I couldn't get either kiosk to register my fingertips at all (LAX), I tried multiple times - I kept getting general messages (something like 'unable to read'), but there was a counter at the top that was counting down the seconds allowed, presumably for retries. Interestingly (to me, as an IT person), there didn't seem to be a problem with me timing out/multiple tries first on one kiosk, then on the other. I just finally gave up and went to the head of the nearest line

What was curious about that was that I had no card, with or without an 'X'. I just explained that I was GE and the scanner wouldn't register my fingerprints. The agent asked a couple questions and I was good to go. He did not see my 'CBP' sticker and he didn't ask about it.

(When I got my CBP sticker at ATL, they put it on the outside back of my passport. I usually have my passport in a simple clear plastic passport folder, with the front cover pulled free. The back outside is covered with all those little 'security/initial' stickers you pick up overseas, so in order to see the CBP sticker on the back of the passport itself, you have to remove the passport from the plastic jacket.

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin

I also have the same problem with my pinky. I was told by the CBP officer to use my left hand to hold down my fingers to get a better read. I do that now and it seems to work.

ESpen36

Yes, I find I have to press really hard in order for the kiosk to report "Excellent" quality for all four fingertips. I hadn't thought of using my other hand to help press, but it's not a bad idea on a particularly stubborn machine.

They definitely should recalibrate the machines to allow for a second attempt. They also might slow down the time limit. I speed through the kiosk procedures because I've done them so many times, but newcomers might want to stop and read the text on each screen, and the counter might run out. I don't know why there is a time limit anyhow.