CRIMINAL HISTORY AND LOW-RISK STATUS
CBP evaluates criminal history when deciding whether an applicant qualifies as a low-risk Global Entry traveler. An arrest, conviction, pending criminal charge or outstanding warrant can affect eligibility even when the event does not independently make the traveler inadmissible to the United States.
Current CBP Global Entry guidance states that criminal arrests, convictions, pending charges and outstanding warrants can affect program eligibility.
An offense does not have to create an INA criminal inadmissibility ground before CBP can consider it for Global Entry eligibility.
CBP’s current Global Entry eligibility page expressly includes criminal arrests as a potential reason an applicant may not qualify.
That Trusted Traveler rule should be distinguished from immigration grounds that require a conviction or other specific legal elements.
Current CBP guidance also lists pending criminal charges and outstanding warrants among potential eligibility problems.
CBP’s current reconsideration guidance instructs applicants challenging a denial to submit court disposition documentation for arrests or convictions even if the matter was expunged.
Do not assume that an expunged record may simply be omitted from a Trusted Traveler application or reconsideration.
CBP states that Trusted Traveler applicants undergo background checks against criminal, law-enforcement, customs, immigration, agriculture and terrorism-related indices, as well as biometric fingerprint checks and an interview.
Trusted Traveler denial does not answer whether the offense creates immigration inadmissibility. That question requires separate analysis under the immigration laws.
Yes. CBP expressly lists arrests as a potential Trusted Traveler eligibility issue.
CBP uses discretionary low-risk standards, so the precise record and circumstances matter. The current eligibility guidance does not state that every historical arrest automatically produces permanent denial.
Yes. CBP’s current reconsideration guidance specifically directs applicants to provide court dispositions for arrests or convictions even when expunged.
These CBP materials provide the principal Trusted Traveler Program eligibility and reconsideration framework discussed on this page.
The Trusted Traveler analysis should use the actual disposition rather than assumptions based only on an arrest label or online background report.