Good afternoon,
While completing my Global Entry application, I came across a question regarding the passport section.
I am a U.S. citizen born abroad (CRBA). I only have a U.S. passport, as I have never applied for a Mexican passport.
At the moment, I live in Mexico, so I plan to register my Mexican vehicle and provide my Mexican driver’s license in my application.
Can I proceed with my Global Entry application using only my U.S. passport, or do I also need to obtain a Mexican passport before applying?
Thank you for your time and assistance.

Was first one to get to customs off the plane this morning. I and the unrelated person behind me were asked if we were GE, had to place our stuff through the scanner and give the officer our passports. At the end he noted down the number on a scrap of paper and handed them back to us.

Just wondering what the need was to jot down our passport numbers?

I enrolled in tsa precheck many years ago and used it normally. A year later I had applied and received global entry.

During my interview the officer instructed me to not use my old tsa precheck number and to use my new global entry number for tsa precheck.

Since then, every time I try to use my global entry number on my tickets it does not come up as valid for tsa precheck. Instead I just use my old tsa precheck number.

Does anyone have a similar experience or advice? My concern is that when my older tsa precheck expires I won’t be able to use any precheck benefits.

I submitted my Global Entry application on June 10th. It has been over 3 weeks and I still haven’t gotten conditionally approved. My status has been “Pending Review” since I submitted the application. Is that normal? If so, how long does it usually take to get conditionally approved.

Hallo, I'm a 24year old U.S. Army. I have a background in logistics and operations, a Business degree, speak six different languages and grew up across eleven countries.

I'm building toward a career at the intersection of international economics, political risk, and emerging market advisory. Long term I'm interested in roles in market entry consulting, investment due diligence, or security cooperation.

I asking for genuine insights from people who are already operating in this space or relevant to it.

You are welcome to DM or coment. Thanks you every much.

What does your actual day to day work look like in this field?

What credential, experience, or relationship mattered most for getting your first serious role?

What do you wish someone had told you earlier about how this industry actually works?

Happy to share more about my background if relevant.

Thanks in advance.

Im (25F) a citizen born abroad in Yemen so im not naturalized/immigrant status. I have lived in the US my whole life. I have a clean record other than a traffic ticket in 2021.

I have only been to these countries with my boyfriend: France, Italy, Monaco, Jamaica, and St Vincent the last couple years internationally. I applied end of May and im still awaiting some sort of response. My adopted white American boyfriend applied a couple days ago and within 24 hours got an interview.

He joked but said that it might be because of yemen.. can anyone share any insight?

Edit: I’m genuinely not making it a race thing or anything I just got curious if my origin vs his triggered something in the system for my app

Also I cannot see comments 😭 idk what is going on with my post

Sent in my application for GE about a month ago. Going out of the country next month for the first time. I didn’t mention a dui that happened in high school like 16 years ago that was expunged because I didn’t think it’d be an issue, but now I’m skeptical because it’s still been “pending” for a month now.

Did I screw myself there? After reading a lot of these experiences I’m not holding my breath for having it approved before my trip next month.

Hello,

I am applying to global entry I am 24 for contexts , my parents went through their interview process and got it but they both were questioned about me, when I was 17 going into college I made the dumb decision to order a fake id to my house and the government stopped the package but they were told it had something to do with identification cards. It’s been years I honestly never used the id because I didn’t go out until I was 21. I am trying to apply but I’m scared I’ll be rejected and I won’t be able to get global entry for life what is the process what should I do? I don’t want to lie and say I didn’t have one but I do need global entry since the rest of my family has it. But I’m scared I’ll NEVER be able to get it.

I’ve used the app with no issues at least 5 times with kids included. Just went through LAX with my family and they wouldn’t even look at the app to check my receipt, the officer yelled at us that everyone needed to line up at a kiosk and when I tried to show him my receipt on my phone he again yelled at me again that it didn’t matter if I used the app, everyone needs to go to a kiosk for a photo. Then he yelled at us again we took the baby out of her stroller to get a photo, that we couldn’t use the kiosk for kids. Even though he had already waved the older two children through. Is this typical now? Is getting a receipt in the app no longer the norm? Some kids can use the kiosk but not others? LAX is not my home airport so I’m not sure if this is an anomaly.

Hey everyone, looking for some insight on a weird situation with a Global Entry application.
My husband went in, and at the end, the officer handed him a physical letter explicitly asking us to submit/upload court documents regarding a past record.

However, when we check the online portal, his status officially shows as Approved. There is also a letter of approval.

Has anyone else experienced this contradiction? If the online status already says fully approved, do we still need to scramble to upload these court documents, or does the online approval mean it's officially a done deal and the officer just handed out a standard template letter?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: it was approved

Hey everyone,

I just got my global entry but I'm so confused on how to book an international flight. Would love some insight from anyone who has dealt with this

My situation:

• Foreign Passport: Lists two surnames (Paternal + Maternal)
  • Ex. Adam Smith Jones
• Green Card & Global Entry / KTN: Only lists my paternal surname
  • Ex. Adam Smith

It's driving me crazy. Airlines tell me I must book international flights using my exact passport name (both surnames) or I won't be allowed to board. However, CBP/TSA guidelines state that to get TSA PreCheck/Global Entry on my boarding pass, the ticket name must match my Global Entry profile exactly (which only has the single paternal surname). I also called and they said the booking has to match the name on the Global Entry profile (single surname).

Has anyone dealt with this? How do you handle your bookings?

1. Domestic flights: Book with my single surname using my Green Card which matches my Global Entry profile and drivers license
2. For international flights tho, do you put both surnames in the "Last Name" field and just accept that you won't get TSA PreCheck on the way out of the US or Global Entry on the way in? OR do you book with your Green Card name (single surname)?

Appreciate any insights/help

Note: I've never changed my name. When I was given my green card I was told that the US mainly does paternal surname so the lady took out the maternal one.

Just got my Global Entry, process was easy and fast. Applied for Global Entry on Monday, I had the interview by Wednesday and the next day got approved. I know my record is squeaky clean, I imagine that help a lot in order to receive the approval that fast.

I'm writing not to brag about the time it took me, but to inform people and give hope. When I was informing myself about the timeline I read this forum and read a lot of horror stories, so I decided to post a positive one.

I recently got approved for Global Entry after completing my Interview on Arrival in Canada. During the interview, I asked the CBP officer about my two vehicles, since I had already registered them when I submitted my application. He told me I should receive either an email confirming they’re approved or decals along with my physical Global Entry card.

Today, I received my physical card, but there was no email, letter, or anything regarding my vehicles.

For those of you who’ve already gone through this process, are my vehicles automatically good to use in the SENTRI lanes now that I have my Global Entry card, or was the CBP officer correct that I should still expect an email, decals, or some other confirmation before using them?

I just got conditional approval today for myself. I applied on 4/16/26 with a disclosed DUI.

My wife will now apply today. She has no record whatsoever.

What are the turnaround times lately on a squeaky clean applicant-USC?

Just realized that I accidentally copied over incorrect info from my passport, specifically sex. I know I f*cked up, but how bad is this? Is my application gonna remain in a purgatory of manual review for up to 24 months? What are my options (i.e., could I contact CBP requesting to withdraw my GE app and resubmit a correct application, and hope for conditional approval within the typical 2 week timeframe)? I know I’d have to pay $120 again but I’d rather do that than wait forever since I do have upcoming international travel.

I stated that I haven't been to a country outside the US, Canada or Mexico since 2021, but forgot that I went somewhere in 2022. Will this affect my application? I completely forgot, for some reason I though it was two years before that. I feel like an idiot!

Should I call? If i get denied, what can I do?

Just a data point for anyone in a similar situation.
I am an LPR with an overstay and worked while out of status (f1 then AOS). I disclosed it on my application. I applied on 6/17 and got conditionally approved on 6/18. There happened to be an interview appointment available near me on 6/29 (the only one available for months). My appointment only took about 3 minutes. They asked my address, DOB, if I go by any other names and just to explain my overstay. The officer said he’d approve my application by the end of the day and I’ll receive my card in the mail soon. I checked the CPB website around 11pm that evening and it was approved. I haven’t gotten the card yet but the website shows the TTN and my expiration date and when I can renew.

Be truthful and disclose everything even if you’re not sure.

Good luck!

My wife did her application the same time as me and our kids over 11 months ago. We have been out of the country 3 times since she put it in and it’s still not been checked. The only thing I can think of is she applied under a different last name years ago and never went for the interview. Is there anything we can do?

Since getting my Global Entry in 2022, I’ve never been able to get TSA Pre✔️ on my boarding passes.

I’ve added my Known Traveler # to my accounts and make sure it’s input correctly whenever booking a flight. For some reason though, it never goes through. I’ve made sure that my passport is attached to the account and verified all information, but nothing seems to correct it.

What am I doing wrong? Are the ere steps I’m missing?

Additionally, I just completed my divorce and am in the process of changing my name back to my maiden name. I’ve handled my SS card, DL (real ID), and will be doing my passport and GE this summer.
Any tips for how to make this as quick and painless a process as possible?

TIA.

Background: I spent time on the DHS side supporting CBP, TSA, and State. None of this is legal advice and I don't speak for any agency — it's just a plain-language way to think through what CBP actually weighs. Add your own situation in the comments and this is not legal advice.

The one thing to internalize: a Trusted Traveler membership is a discretionary privilege, not a right. CBP checks you against criminal, law-enforcement, customs, immigration, agriculture, and terrorism databases, and the regulation (8 CFR 235.12) lets them deny anyone they decide isn't "low-risk," at their sole discretion. Everything below is about anticipating what that review turns up.

I've tagged each item with how much weight it tends to carry. These are my own rough labels for self-assessment — CBP does not publish a scoring system, and decisions are discretionary.

• [Baseline] routine, rarely a problem on its own
• [Look] could slow you down or need documentation
• [Serious] commonly tied to denials — gather records, maybe talk to counsel
• [Stop] the patterns that most reliably end an application

1. Identity & documents

• [Baseline] Name, DOB, place of birth exactly as they appear on the passport you'll use?
• [Baseline] Valid machine-readable passport (and green card if you're an LPR)?
• [Look] Ever used other names, maiden names, or spellings on official docs — can you account for each?
• [Look] Can you cover your last 5 years of address history with no gaps? Gaps and inconsistencies are the single most common thing that drags out vetting.

2. Picking the right program for your status

• [Baseline] Global Entry: US citizens/nationals/LPRs plus select partner-country nationals.
• [Baseline] NEXUS: US & Canadian citizens/LPRs, and Mexican Viajero Confiable members.
• [Baseline] SENTRI: no citizenship requirement, built for the southern land border.
• [Baseline] FAST: commercial truck drivers (US/Canada/Mexico).
• [Look] Mexican nationals using GE tech also have to carry a valid US visa.

3. Criminal history (the big one)

• [Stop] Felony conviction, US or any country — the clearest disqualifier. Old ones still get denied.
• [Stop] Any drug trafficking / importation / distribution involvement — treated as essentially automatic, felony or misdemeanor, any age, because the program hands you expedited customs clearance.
• [Serious] Crime involving moral turpitude (fraud, theft, robbery, serious assault) — listed as disqualifying.
• [Serious] Weapons offense, or any nexus to terrorism or a watchlisted person.
• [Serious] DUI/DWI — not automatically fatal, but heavily weighed and recency matters a lot. (CBP's SENTRI page calls out DUI specifically.)
• [Look] Misdemeanors, dismissed charges, arrests without conviction.
• [Serious] Anything expunged or sealed? CBP isn't bound by state expungement and can still see federal records — disclose it anyway (see #6).

4. Pending matters & investigations

• [Stop] Pending charges, an open case, or an outstanding warrant anywhere.
• [Stop] Being the subject of an active investigation by any law-enforcement agency, any country.
• [Serious] Probation/parole, unpaid fines, or unresolved court obligations.

5. Customs / immigration / agriculture violations

• [Stop] Ever found in violation of customs, immigration, or agriculture law in any country — explicitly listed, and people badly underestimate it.
• [Serious] Ever paid a port-of-entry fine or had goods seized — undeclared items, over-limit currency, prohibited ag products, counterfeits. Even small penalties surface.
• [Serious] Any overstays, removals, deportations, or admissibility issues.
• [Look] Are you admissible, including if you hold a waiver of inadmissibility or parole docs? (SENTRI flags this directly.)

6. Truthfulness — a separate disqualifier on its own

• [Stop] Every answer complete and truthful? False or incomplete info is its own disqualifier and can be a federal offense, separate from whatever you were trying to avoid disclosing.
• [Serious] Tempted to leave off something old or minor? Don't. CBP treats an omission the same as a false statement. A disclosed old charge can still be approved; a concealed one usually can't, and it can bar you from all TTPs.
• [Look] Have the disposition paperwork ready (court records, final outcome) before you apply — you'll want it at the interview or for a reconsideration request.

7. National security / watchlist proximity (the implicit stuff)

• [Stop] Any reason to think you're on a watchlist or tied to someone who is?
• [Serious] Anything in your record that pattern-matches the security concerns CBP screens for? You can't see those databases, but you can be honest with yourself about your own history.
• [Look] Repeated secondary-inspection referrals, or a prior TTP denial/revocation — note the prior outcomes.

8. Keeping the membership (it's continuous for all 5 years)

• [Serious] Keep your info current — new name, passport, visa. (Mexican members especially: not updating can break your I-94 and PreCheck benefits.)
• [Serious] A new arrest or conviction during membership can trigger revocation.
• [Look] Follow the kiosk/declaration rules exactly — lane misuse or a false declaration is a terms violation.

9. If you get denied or revoked

CBP often won't give a detailed reason. Three avenues: talk to a supervisor at an enrollment center (appointment), email the CBP Trusted Traveler Ombudsman (sometimes reachable through the TTP portal), or file through DHS TRIP (the redress program) if you think it's a misidentification or watchlist mixup. Practical order of operations: if you suspect a specific record is the cause, resolve or document that first, then appeal. For an actual conviction or admissibility question, that's where you have to consult an immigration attorney.

Quick gut-check

• All [Baseline]/[Look], fully disclosed, docs in hand: most people here get approved within a few weeks. Apply.
• One [Serious]: apply, but gather your disposition records first; consider a consult if it's a conviction.
• Any [Stop]: talk to legal professional before applying.

Bottom line — disclose everything, document everything, pick the program that fits your status, and remember CBP's discretion is broad and ongoing. Most people with clean records and honest applications are fine.

General info for discussion, not legal advice. Verify current rules at ttp.dhs.gov and cbp.gov.