Does CBP's Global Entry make return to US any easier?

[poh 125]

Hi All

For those that hold GC and use Global Entry after visiting Vietnam,  would you share your experience on your return trip to US?  Did it help going through CBP and Customs any easier?  

On my return trip from Vietnam, my foreign wife and I got the royal treatment from Customs and CBP.      They were very critical of what was brought back from Vietnam.  Customs check every nook and cranny of our carry-on and checked luggage.  

Would getting a Global Entry make it less of a hassle on return leg of the trip?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by poh

[Liam2021 583]

Nothing to worry, that is normal since you just back from VN because they know most people bring back all kind of things( fish,meat....).

[geowrian 22,337]

I sure hope GE makes the process simpler...otherwise my wife and I wasted a bunch of money.

 

In all seriousness, yes it does make going through immigration easier and quicker. And TSA Precheck is nice too.

That said, you still go through normal customs.

[Just Paul 4,595]

15 minutes ago, poh said:

Would getting a Global Entry make it less of a hassle on return leg of the trip?

From the standpoint of CBP it will greatly speed things up.  From the standpoint of customs, you are still subject to a search of the luggage especially of you visited a farm or so on.

[poh 125]

Maybe I am wrong but folks from other countries (Korea, Japan, Philippines, etc.) were on my same flight , it seems we were only ones that got picked on.

 Perhaps folks flying back from Vietnam has built a bad reputation for the Customs to be so tough on those originating from Vietnam?

Maybe this is a coincidence but on my prior trip, as I landed in US and was leaving the baggage claims with my stuff, Customs asked me where I came from, I told him I just left Korea which was a  5 hr layover from Vietnam.  The Customs just let me pass.  This last trip, I said Korea but he asked "Any other country before that?"  Well ,I was thinking that I am dealing with a federal officer so  I better say the truth and not get caught with a lie.  I answered "Vietnam".  That's when he directed me to their inspection area and got the royal treatment.  If it was Vietnam I can just pay the "fee" and get going.  We were very tired from the long flight and last thing we needed was a thorough inspection of our luggage.

Edited September 19, 2019 by poh

[WandY 430]

On 9/19/2019 at 5:22 PM, poh said:

 If it was Vietnam I can just pay the "fee" and get going.  We were very tired from the long flight and last thing we needed was a thorough inspection of our luggage.

Yes, and that's one reason why Vietnam is an environmental hell-hole. Thank God the "coffee money" bribery system is nearly non-existent in the U.S. Everyone is tired from the long flight, but the first thing you needed was a thorough inspection of your luggage. There are many agricultural and environmental hazards brought into the U.S. every year - illegally and accidentally. Sorry your exhaustion is an inconvenient part of global travel, but I fully accept the inspection process as a part of keeping our country safe from the stupid things people stuff into their luggage. I've traveled numerous times between the U.S. and Vietnam and could write a book on the flagrant disregard many Asians (and others, including Americans) have for our import rules. Drugs, animals/animal parts, and agriculturally sensitive insects and seeds are stuffed into U.S.-bound luggage each and every day. Inspections are necessary.

[Ku Mưa 29]

On 9/19/2019 at 5:57 PM, poh said:

Hi All

For those that hold GC and use Global Entry after visiting Vietnam,  would you share your experience on your return trip to US?  Did it help going through CBP and Customs any easier?  

On my return trip from Vietnam, my foreign wife and I got the royal treatment from Customs and CBP.      They were very critical of what was brought back from Vietnam.  Customs check every nook and cranny of our carry-on and checked luggage.  

Would getting a Global Entry make it less of a hassle on return leg of the trip?

 

 

 

 

 

i did not bring anything from Vietnam when i came back to US because in US we got everything from Vietnam. They just asked me 1 question why did i go there. i said "Because of Tet's holiday". That's it. i did not have any trouble from CBP.

[visafrompa 9]

On 9/19/2019 at 6:04 PM, geowrian said:

I sure hope GE makes the process simpler...otherwise my wife and I wasted a bunch of money.

 

In all seriousness, yes it does make going through immigration easier and quicker. And TSA Precheck is nice too.

That said, you still go through normal customs.

 

No, you really don't.

 

I've used GE a dozen times in the last two years and once you get your paper/photo from the GE kiosk you simply walk down the GE marked lines and are done.  If anything you'll have basically head of the line privileges.  At every POE I've gone through (SF, LAX, DFW, PHL, EWR) its literally walk in front of several plane loads of people and done.  I would have missed about 6 connections (Delta schedules 1 hour for a connection from DFW to PHL... lol going through immigration/baggage claim and customs in 1 hour without GE.

 

If you have a HSBC CC they credit $100 to your GE fee, several other CCs do it, but HSBC is no annual fee.

[geowrian 22,337]

29 minutes ago, visafrompa said:

 

No, you really don't.

 

I've used GE a dozen times in the last two years and once you get your paper/photo from the GE kiosk you simply walk down the GE marked lines and are done.  If anything you'll have basically head of the line privileges.  At every POE I've gone through (SF, LAX, DFW, PHL, EWR) its literally walk in front of several plane loads of people and done.  I would have missed about 6 connections (Delta schedules 1 hour for a connection from DFW to PHL... lol going through immigration/baggage claim and customs in 1 hour without GE.

 

If you have a HSBC CC they credit $100 to your GE fee, several other CCs do it, but HSBC is no annual fee.

To make sure we're on the same page, customs is where they review what you are bringing into the country.

There's the immigration counters where people wait in lines, then baggage claim, then customs. GE holders have a dedicated path for immigration (via the kiosks), then are either directed directly to baggage pickup or to an interview with a CBP officer. Form there they follow the same path as everybody else.

Did I miss something? I certainly could be wrong, but I've never noticed anything different for GE when it comes to customs.

 

Edit: Or was the comment about it not being simpler/faster? Because I just disagree with...I've been in immigration lines for just under 2 hours, and some people have had it worse.

Edited October 13, 2019 by geowrian

[SmallTownPA 72]

On 10/12/2019 at 9:08 PM, geowrian said:

To make sure we're on the same page, customs is where they review what you are bringing into the country.

There's the immigration counters where people wait in lines, then baggage claim, then customs. GE holders have a dedicated path for immigration (via the kiosks), then are either directed directly to baggage pickup or to an interview with a CBP officer. Form there they follow the same path as everybody else.

Did I miss something? I certainly could be wrong, but I've never noticed anything different for GE when it comes to customs.

 

Edit: Or was the comment about it not being simpler/faster? Because I just disagree with...I've been in immigration lines for just under 2 hours, and some people have had it worse.

 

I just went through DFW and you get a special CREW/Global Entry lane just to the left of the main line.  Hand the Customs guy your GE paper and done.  It if takes a minute something is wrong.  They will stop the main line to let CREW/GE folks past.  Ditto for every other airport.

 

Customs is just not a big deal.  Well, unless the dog alerts on you, you're selected for a random search or you claim something and they want to look.

 

Like I said, GE/PreCheck is well worth the cost if you travel.  I've had 12+ flights in 2 years and I have never, ever waited more than 5 minutes EXCEPT for the a-holes in Montreal.  They were hassling ALL the USC.  Made me take off my shoes and didn't give head of the line for GE (there were about 6 of us).  When I commented to the agent why he didn't apologize for the delay he just smirked.   I've not flown via Air Canada since.  YYZ is not that bad, but I won't connect through Montreal again.

Edited October 25, 2019 by SmallTownPA

[hungryfornoa 21]

I have flying with GE (as a greencard holder) for the last few years and I have never been subject to inspection by custom.

 

Used to have to keep the GE slip after immigration kiosk where CBP officer will check the slip but let you hold on to it when you go to grab your luggage, and then show it to the customs officer when you exit with your luggage on the GE specific line. Not any more at JFK. Now the GE slip is collected by CBP officer and there's no special line for GE holders at customs. Every once in a while, they will ask me what's in the bag and I'll say clothes and chocolates/candy (which it normally is) and they'd let me go. But I don't believe it was due to having GE.