If an "X" prints out on your receipt, proceed to the side of the nearest CBP officer. Make sure that your passport with the CBP sticker and the receipt with the "X" are visible. When he is done processing the current passenger, he will wave you over, in front of everybody else..

It may seem kind of awkward to cut the line, especially if there are a number of people. However, you had the sense to sign up for Global Entry, and they either didn't know about it or chose not to, so don't worry about it...

Agree 100% in terms of IAD. Just used GE for the first time at IAD with a connection to LA. It felt so good to bypass the ocean of pax waiting to be processed at both immigration and customs.

uavking, may I ask if there is a separate GE line for customs at LAX T7, like the one in IAD? if not, did you get to cut in the front of the custom's line or waited like everyone else?

It didn't appear that there was a separate lane at LAX. With GE, though, I was able to beat the entire rest of my a/c (UA SYD-LAX), including F and C, to customs, to the extent that the two gals manning the desks were caught off guard. ^

Would have been painless at SFO this weekend, but for the fact that I had sealed duty-free candy, and since it was my first time, I didn't want to push it, so declared food and got the X. The immigrations officer working the crew/diplomat line waved me over immediately and basically told me that candy didn't count, so she marked my card such that I didn't have to go through secondary, and was on my way.

Greg

Washington Post article on Trusted Traveler Program
 

"Last month, DHS announced that Global Entry will become permanent, with more airports expected to add kiosks in coming years" Lets hope they come to Denver!!:D

Used at LAX for the 1st time today. Got a big X. Went to the counter, he scanned my passport, said go on thru. Went to where they take the pass, said go back, they didnt stamp it. So I tell him that, the officer says, lets go to the machine. Machine says too recent to do another scan. He sends me to secondary, they told him to stamp my X paper. He stamps it and walks me to and thru where they collect the passes. What a hassle. My buddy who was in C w me, got thru alot quicker and beat me to the lounge. I m sure it will get better.

I was caught in a fairly long customs line at LAX. There was indeed a sign pointing out one lane as the Global Entry lane, but the line seemed filed with everyone - has to have been, since there was no line for the Kiosks, these people HAD to have come from the general crowd. There was no clear way to bypass the line, since it was roped off, Disneyland style. Interestingly, when it came my turn I was quizzed for the first time ever since having Global Entry along the lines of "what did you buy in Duty Free at Narita."

At ORD, my usual pointof entry, there is not only no separate line but I've never waited more than 30 second, even before I was Global Entry. They've never asked me any questions either.

:) thanks. although i do wish they have a GE lane at the customs. it gives me nightmares just to think about the customs line at LAX. :p

You must have the looks of a typical American tourist. Immigration and Customs are separate entities. They have the right to question you GE or not.

Cheers....

--J

Understood that they have the right to question, it just seemed like the process was lots more stringent at LAX - pretty much everyone being asked questions - than that it is at ORD where they generally wave everyone through. Quite a difference.

The agent at LAX even took my little receipt and cross checked it with some sort of printed list that she had squirreled away under other paperwork - I have no idea what it was.

Chances are the agent was cross checking you name against someone wanted by Customs. Happened to me a couple of times. No big deal.

--J

Anyone know how long it taking for applications to be processed recently? Are we talking days, a week, or month timefame?

It really depends on your record, and CBP. For my application, it took a week to be accepted. I applied on Thursday, and I found out the next Thursday that I was ready to schedule an interview... It shouldn't take more than a week of two...

Super Fast!
 

From the time I had my interview (Nexus) to card in hand was 4 days! Then applied for G.E. Got an approval e-mail back in 20 minutes...now that's my idea of good response time (-;

As an FYI, I did have the Clear card as well as hold multiple state CCW/CHL permits. So it's safe to say that Big Brother knows who I am...