Global Entry Program

Introduction

Global Entry Membership is an expedited self-service where you can declare items faster and have more efficiently than standard long lines (long wait times for customs clearance). It is a risk-based program to facilitate benefits and perks to only travelers with pre-approved membership status through kiosks at the major airports in the US after their international flights.

Tips: If you only took only one international trip annually, you can still enroll in a Global Entry, which processes through customs and declaration faster by using expedited lanes than regular passengers. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, but it is not guaranteed you will get a TSA PreCheck (subject to change). You may be subject to full-body scanning with other regular passengers. You will be required to follow regular security screening at the airport security checkpoint.

History

Before Global Entry was to introduce, the previous program was similar to Global Entry was INSPASS, which runs identical with additional entry based on passengers database, including a scan of all incoming passengers for the watch list. The previous INSPASS was discontinued in 2002 when the Department of Homeland Security took over to replacement with the current program called Global Entry.

How it Works

Global Entry is a comprehensive traveler’s perks in which there are kiosks at certain international airports (depending on where you landed from international flights). Once you landed at the airport in the US, you will see the Global Entry Kiosks and CBP officers will redirect to the next available kiosk where you will have all the essential documents with you.

• You will swipe your passport and scan your fingerprints into kiosks to verify as you. This identification is in the Trusted Traveler Program database who you are.
• You will fill out electronic customs declaration cards, including any imported goods into the US. Yep, food.
• You will ask questions about any goods declaration. Do not lie about the number/amount of goods and money you purchase abroad. Try your best to estimate the number of goods imported.
  • Note: You must declare all goods (including food) you brought abroad. Failure to declare any imported items will result in suspension and termination of the membership.
• It is essential to know all the rules about custom and agricultural laws abroad.
• Familiarize program rules (terms and conditions).
• Once you are done using the kiosk (depending on your status when it assigns you to see CBP agent), you can process to the baggage claim.

Eligibility

According to the website: www.cbp.gov, there are reasons why an applicant gets rejected:

• Provide false or incomplete information on the application (mislead any portion of application);
• Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants (to include driving under the influence), yep, these includes expunged records;
• Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;
• Are the subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state or local law enforcement agency (a wanted person);
• Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation; or
• Cannot satisfy CBP of your low-risk status.
• Have an immoral character, bribe or attempted to bring any illegal or pirated goods or forbidden items into country. I added as an one great example of a person who commit crimes related to counterfeiting, distributing, buying, or selling any illegal/pirated goods anywhere. 

Please, review this eligibility of above to make sure you do not have any of the following reasons.

Note to the new Global Entry Applicants:

If this is the first time, you must create an account at http://www.cbp.gov to get started.

Fact: In October 2017, the GOES merged into http://www.cbp.gov, which previous applicants are no longer use GOES account to sign in to the website. Again, a new account must be activated before processing.

Before you enroll in any types of program, make sure you are in fact eligible before you process. See eligibility for above and read through programs rules and regulations. Please, make sure you understand it.

Once you create an account, you can start an application and make sure you must fill out your personal information below:

• Personal Info
• Contact Info
• Citizenship Info
• Drivers Licenses – check yes to only an applicants who have a valid, driver’s license, not a state IDs. 
• Current Address, including previous address (history) – Last 5 years
• Current employment – Last 5 years
  • Student
  • Employed
  • Self-Employed
  • Unemployed
  • Military
  • Other
• Travel History – Last 5 years 

Important Part: Additional questions about your rigorous background check, criminal, and immigration violations (must answer truthfully).

• Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense in the United States or any other country?
• Have you ever received a waiver of inadmissibility to the U.S. from a U.S. government agency?
• Have you ever been found in violation of customs laws?
• Have you ever been found in violation of immigration laws?

If you answered “yes” to any question above, you are unfortunately not eligible.

Keep in mind that all of the required fields must fill out completely and truthfully. Double or triple check to make sure all of the information, including employment status, are correct before you submit your application. You are not able to change to any portion of the application once submitted.

After the submitted, you are required to pay 100 US dollars (yep, even kids) and 100 for renewal. There is a particular exception for credit cardholders.

You will not be able to refund 100 dollars if your application is rejected/denied.

If you believe you make a mistake on any portion of the application, you are required to wait until your application being processed. You will let your CBP officer that you make a mistake on any part of the application.

There are only two outcomes on the status on the account: Conditionally Approved or Denied.

Conditionally Approved:

You will receive another inbox on the account that said: “Approved Notification.”

You are required to schedule to meet with a CBP officer, which is usually at the major airports. For example, my hometown is located in Philadelphia, and the interview is located at Philadelphia International Airport, Terminal A West. If you don’t schedule within 365 days from the application submission, your application is no longer valid. Try to schedule an interview as soon as possible.

Denied:

You will receive another inbox on the account that said: “Application Denied.”

You will read the letter from the inbox, explain the reason for the application denial. Also, you will not be able to schedule an interview because you have received this letter, explaining the reason for the program denials.

If you believe there is an error, you can request information through the website at https://ttp.cbp.dhs.gov/.

According to the website, you require the following:

Reconsideration Requests and attachments to the Ombudsman should be in English and must include the following details:

1. Date of denial and denial reason(s) from this letter
2. Summary of information to further clarify a record or explain an incident or arrest;
3. Court disposition documentation in PDF format for all arrests or convictions, even if expunged; and/or
4. Other supporting documentation you feel may influence the Ombudsman’s decision. Supported formats: PDF, DOCX, DOC, PNG, JPEG, and GIF.

I am still glad that my membership is still in good standing because I have not broken any customs or agricultural violations and my recently was my trip abroad with some goodies and gifts from travel friends. I declare everything I brought home from Hong Kong and Taiwan and CBP officer have to check for my luggage for any illegal and undeclared items/goods to be confiscated on behalf. Fortunately, the line was short and steady with seriously working CBP officers are in charge of travelers who broke the program’s rules.

Interview

The day before an interview (I can’t remember – 12 years ago since it was remembered at Philadelphia International Airport), I highly encouraged you to groom yourself as the CBP officer will take a photo of you once you successfully finish a brief interview.

Typically, an officer will ask you the following questions (varies):

• Why did you sign up for Global Entry?
• Have you ever been arrested and committed to crime?
• Have you ever been in violation of custom declaration and agricultural violations?
• What is your employment status?
• What do you do for a living?
• How many countries have you visited?

The interview is very brief; you don’t have to get prepared. CBP officer will notice your nervousness and can be a sign of a “high-risk traveler.” Applicants, relax! Take a deep breath before you come to an interview. This is not a typical job interview (had many job interviews (peer) last year as Specialist).

After a brief interview, an officer will take a photo and have fingerprints. Refusal to have fingerprints will guarantee your application being denied. Do not refuse.

Next, an officer will take you to the arriving terminal to instruct an applicant on how to use global entry kiosks. If in doubt, ask the officer. Do not tell jokes because CBP officers work hard to keep customs and import/export as well as immigrants being under control.

Summary

While Global Entry Membership is a privilege, not every US citizens are in enrolled and are qualified. Most travelers have frequent flyer elites without having a global entry membership. To sum, most high-status travelers also don’t have special government programs such as Global Entry or Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation Membership (for business travelers), so there is nothing to worry about if you didn’t get qualified. Consequently, to keep membership active and in good standing, all preexisting members must earn hard-earned trust with the government and comply with custom declaration rules. I hope you will understand and limitations of Global Entry and its special privileges.