Applying to Global Entry with an existing OWI - my experience
Full disclosure: I am not a lawyer, and you should understand this is just one individual's experience. Your results may vary. This is not legal advice nor do I disclose this to be accurate. Bases covered.
I applied to Global Entry with an OWI on my record and had an extremely transparent interview. Essentially what I was told was an OWI did not immediately disqualify me for global entry. I had applied and gotten the pre-approval letter in the mail and had made it to the interview stage. After being honest about my past (a previous OWI that was negotiated down to a misdemeanor and other incidents) the officer told me how it shakes out:
2 misdemeanors within a 10 year time frame was grounds for immediate denial.
This means that I needed to look at the court records strictly to understand my charges. If my first offense was negotiated down to a misdemeanor but not removed from my record, it counts. It also depends on how each state views an OWI or a DUI. Some states are more lenient than others, and may not even qualify the charge as a misdemeanor. Check your court documents.
Is this an automatic rejection? No, here's why: you will get a denial letter in the mail with a phone number and a place to appeal via letter. The phone number leads to the supervisors office which they can't really overturn anything. But here's what you can do...
Write a letter to the appeals office stating your case and why you feel there was either 1) a mistake or 2) a plea of character. The person to which your appealing may confirm your application if you appeal to reason and you show good character. This is discretionary, but it's a shot. Was your offenses in the 70's? Far apart? Have you been volunteering since? Are you making the world a better place?
It was extremely hard to find this info online and I wanted to post this as a resource for anyone questioning the process. I encourage anyone to apply to the program if they think they should.
And no, with an OWI I cannot go to Canada even for a "stop" to a further destination. Toronto customs gets you right after you get off the plane.
Submitted August 30, 2017 at 03:27AM by Vanderpool http://ift.tt/2vD7Rbt
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