The Global Entry disqualifying factors are any criminal arrest or conviction in any country, customs or immigration or agriculture violations, false or incomplete answers on the application, active law enforcement investigations, outstanding warrants, placement on a federal watchlist, a denied firearm purchase, and inadmissibility to the United States under immigration law. Customs and Border Protection also keeps a catch-all: it can deny anyone who fails to satisfy the agency of “low-risk” status, even without hitting a specific factor on the list. The $120 application fee is non-refundable whether you’re approved or denied, so it pays to know where you stand before you apply.
Why CBP’s Discretion Matters
The federal regulation governing Global Entry says an applicant is ineligible if CBP “at its sole discretion, determines that the individual presents a potential risk for terrorism, criminality (such as smuggling), or is otherwise not a low-risk traveler.”1eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program Every disqualifying factor in the regulation is written as “may not qualify,” never “will not qualify.”
Two things follow. Matching a listed factor doesn’t automatically mean denial; an officer can weigh circumstances and approve you anyway. And CBP can deny you even without a matching factor, under the catch-all covering anyone who “cannot satisfy CBP of his or her low-risk status or meet other program requirements.”1eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program Most denials, though, trace back to one of the specific factors below.
Criminal Arrests and Convictions
Criminal history is the most common reason people get denied. The regulation disqualifies anyone who “has been arrested for, or convicted of, any criminal offense or has pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants in any country.”2eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program – Section (b)(2) Disqualifying Factors Note the word “arrested.” A conviction isn’t required. An arrest that was later dismissed, reduced, or ended in acquittal still shows up in your background check and still counts.
The regulation contains no time limit. A misdemeanor from 25 years ago gets the same scrutiny as one from last year. Some applicants have reported approval despite old, minor offenses, but that reflects CBP’s discretion rather than any formal safe-harbor rule. CBP’s eligibility page does not reference a “ten-year rule” or any similar time-based exception.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eligibility for Global Entry
DUI and Drug Offenses
Driving under the influence catches the most people off guard. CBP explicitly lists “driving under the influence” as a parenthetical example within the criminal conviction factor on its eligibility page.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eligibility for Global Entry A single first-offense misdemeanor DUI, even from years ago, is enough to deny.
Marijuana matters even where your state has legalized it. CBP enforces federal law, under which possession and use remain crimes. A marijuana conviction, or even marijuana residue found on you at the border, can result in denial or revocation. CBP has publicly reminded Global Entry members that possession remains illegal under federal law and will trigger enforcement action and termination of membership privileges.
Expunged and Dismissed Cases
An expunged or dismissed case doesn’t vanish from CBP’s view. Federal background databases retain records even after a state court seals or dismisses a case. CBP tells applicants who request reconsideration to submit “court disposition documentation in PDF format for all arrests or convictions, even if expunged.”4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trusted Traveler Program Denials If anything sits in your past, bring the court documents to your interview. Failing to disclose an incident because you believe the record is sealed typically results in denial for incomplete information on top of the underlying issue.
Customs, Immigration, and Agriculture Violations
Any violation of customs, immigration, or agriculture regulations in any country can disqualify you.1eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program That covers failing to declare goods bought abroad, bringing prohibited food items such as certain fruits or meats through a port of entry, or exceeding your duty-free allowance without reporting it. Intent isn’t required. An honest mistake about what counts as declarable still gets recorded, and the record follows you into the application.
Immigration violations draw equally close attention. Overstaying a visa, working without authorization, or violating any condition of admission all appear in the databases CBP reviews.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eligibility for Global Entry A prior overstay doesn’t guarantee denial, but it creates a steep climb.
False or Incomplete Application Information
Providing false or incomplete information is listed as the very first disqualifying factor in the regulation.2eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program – Section (b)(2) Disqualifying Factors CBP treats omissions the same as deliberate lies. Leaving off an old arrest because you assumed it wouldn’t matter, or skipping previous addresses because you can’t recall dates, signals either carelessness or concealment. Neither helps.
CBP cross-checks your answers against law enforcement databases, immigration records, and other federal systems, and discrepancies get flagged. If you catch a mistake after submitting but before your interview, you can’t fix it online. Tell the interviewing officer in person and correct it on the record.5U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Frequently Asked Questions – Trusted Traveler Programs Proactive correction reads far better than an officer finding the error during the background check.
Active Investigations and Outstanding Warrants
Being the subject of an investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency is an independent disqualifying factor, separate from arrests and convictions.1eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program You don’t need to have been charged with anything. If your name is in an active investigation file, CBP can’t verify low-risk status. Outstanding warrants, including bench warrants for missed court appearances, also trigger denial. Applications submitted during an active investigation are typically held in suspension until the matter resolves.
Federal Watchlist Placement
Anyone known or suspected of involvement in terrorism or related activity is ineligible.1eCFR. 8 CFR 235.12 – Global Entry Program The FBI’s Threat Screening Center maintains the federal terrorism watchlist, which CBP uses when screening international travelers arriving in the United States. Placement is based on specific intelligence criteria, not race, ethnicity, or religion. For security reasons, the government does not confirm or deny whether any individual appears on the watchlist.
Being sent to secondary screening at an airport does not necessarily mean you’re on a watchlist; secondary referrals happen for many routine reasons. But if you are on it, Global Entry approval is effectively impossible. Unlike a criminal conviction, where CBP retains some discretion, the terrorism-related disqualifier sits outside the normal balancing.
Inadmissibility Under Immigration Law
If you are inadmissible to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, you cannot receive Global Entry. The grounds of inadmissibility at 8 U.S.C. § 1182 are extensive and include certain communicable diseases, security threats, prior immigration fraud, and previous removal orders.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens
What surprises many applicants: even an approved waiver of inadmissibility or parole document doesn’t rescue eligibility. The regulation specifically includes “applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole” among the disqualifying factors.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eligibility for Global Entry A waiver lets you enter the country. It doesn’t make you low-risk in CBP’s eyes for trusted traveler purposes. There are no known exceptions.
Denied Firearm Purchase
A denied firearm purchase is a standalone disqualifier that doesn’t appear in the regulation text but is listed on CBP’s own eligibility page.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions A NICS denial usually means something in your record, such as a prior criminal history, domestic violence conviction, or mental health adjudication, that would independently disqualify you. Even if the underlying reason was later resolved or found to be an error, the denial itself may still surface in CBP’s review.
A Threshold Boundary: Who Can Apply
None of the factors above matter if you’re not eligible to apply in the first place. Global Entry is open to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and citizens of countries with a reciprocal agreement with CBP. The current partner list includes Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, India, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eligibility for Global Entry Some partner-country applicants must complete a separate screening through their own customs authority before the CBP application begins. If your country isn’t on the list, you cannot apply regardless of how clean your record is.
Before You Pay the Fee
Run an honest inventory of your record before spending $120 on a non-refundable application. Pull your own criminal background check if you’re not sure what’s there. People are routinely surprised by arrests they’d forgotten or records they assumed were cleared. Gather court disposition documents for anything that turns up, including cases you believe were expunged. Think back to border crossings where you received a fine, had items confiscated, or were sent to secondary inspection, and consider whether any customs, immigration, or agriculture violation might be in your file.
If any of the factors above apply to you, you’re not automatically barred. CBP has discretion. But going in unprepared is what turns discretionary cases into denials.
If You’re Denied
CBP delivers the denial and its reason through your Trusted Traveler Programs account. The $120 fee is not refunded.8U.S. Customs and Border Protection. How to Apply for Global Entry If you believe the decision was based on inaccurate or incomplete information, you can file a reconsideration request through the TTP website. Your account dashboard displays a “Request Reconsideration” button when you’re eligible to file. The request goes to CBP’s Ombudsman, must be in English, and should include the denial date and reason from your letter, a written explanation, and court disposition documents for any arrests or convictions, even expunged ones.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trusted Traveler Program Denials CBP does not publish a specific deadline for filing.
Documentation carries the reconsideration. If your denial rested on an old arrest that was dismissed, the court records showing the dismissal give the Ombudsman something concrete to act on. A written explanation with no supporting paperwork rarely moves the outcome.