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Denied or revoked: the official routes, and which one is yours
Pick what happened to you: the tool gives the free official route and what to send.
Denied, revoked or stuck in screening: where to go
Route
Request reconsideration in your TTP account
| What to send: CBP sends the reason in writing. The request goes to the CBP Ombudsman, in English, with the denial date and reason, a summary and court documents in PDF for any arrest, even expunged. |
Free official routes only; no paid service can speed up a CBP or TSA review.
A denial is not the end of the road, but each case has its own route, and none of them is paid. When CBP denies or revokes Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI, it sends the reason in writing. If you believe the decision rests on inaccurate or incomplete information, you request reconsideration through your Trusted Traveler Programs account; the request goes to the CBP Ombudsman, in English, with the date and reasons of the denial, a summary that clarifies the record, and court documents in PDF for any arrest or conviction, even expunged. A TSA PreCheck denial follows TSA's letter, which explains the reason and how to correct a record. DHS TRIP is something else: the single point of contact for travelers who are denied or delayed at boarding, repeatedly sent to secondary screening, or delayed at the border. It gives a seven-digit Redress Control Number to add to future bookings. It does not reverse a program denial. The tool above sends you to the right one.
Global Entry: the dates CBP’s figures give
80% of applications approved by
November 11, 2026
| Some take up to | October 28, 2027 or longer |
| Card, if approved by the 2-week mark | by December 9, 2026 |
CBP figure: 80% approved within 2 weeks, some 12 months or more. Approval here means conditional approval, before the interview.
Fees and rules read on tsa.gov and cbp.gov by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Which route for which problem
| Situation | Route | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI denied or revoked | reconsideration request in your TTP account | CBP Ombudsman |
| TSA PreCheck denied | follow the letter from TSA | TSA |
| Disqualified from PreCheck after a security violation | reconsideration or redress, per TSA’s letter | TSA |
| PreCheck suspended during a records review | wait, usually under 30 days, up to 90 | TSA |
| Boarding delayed, repeated extra screening, border delays | DHS TRIP inquiry, Redress Control Number | DHS TRIP |
| KTN in the booking, no indicator | check membership, then name, birth date, airline | airline, then TSA |
All these routes are free. No company can file them faster or with better odds; a lawyer can help with a complex record, but no one can buy access to the Ombudsman's decision.
Writing a reconsideration request
CBP sets the content. The request, and every attachment, is in English. It gives the date and reasons of the denial from the letter, a short summary that explains the incident or arrest, court disposition documents in PDF for every arrest or conviction, even when expunged, and any other document that may weigh on the decision. CBP accepts PDF, DOCX, DOC, PNG, JPEG and GIF files.
- Address the reason given, not the program in general.
- Attach the final court disposition, not only the charge.
- Explain a customs penalty factually: what was declared, what was not, what was paid.
DHS TRIP and the Redress Control Number
DHS TRIP is the Department of Homeland Security's single point of contact for difficulties during travel screening: you cannot print a boarding pass, you are denied or delayed boarding, you are delayed entering or leaving the country, or you are sent to extra screening again and again. You apply online through the DHS TRIP portal with a login.gov account. The system assigns a seven-digit Redress Control Number, used to track the inquiry and, once it is closed, to add to airline reservations in the Redress field.
The Redress number and the Known Traveler Number are different fields with different purposes. One refers to a closed redress inquiry; the other to a trusted traveler membership. You may need both.
While you wait
A reconsideration takes time and CBP publishes no duration. In the meantime you travel through the standard lanes. If you hold a renewal application filed before expiry, the tool below shows what CBP's review figures mean in dates.
Global Entry: the dates CBP’s figures give
80% of applications approved by
November 11, 2026
| Some take up to | October 28, 2027 or longer |
| Card, if approved by the 2-week mark | by December 9, 2026 |
CBP figure: 80% approved within 2 weeks, some 12 months or more. Approval here means conditional approval, before the interview.
When the problem is PreCheck only
TSA distinguishes two procedures for PreCheck. Reconsideration applies to members disqualified after a violation of security rules who ask TSA to review the length of the disqualification. Redress applies to members disqualified by mistake, for example after being confused with another person. TSA's letter says which one applies to you.
Keep a copy of every letter and of your request: if you apply again later, the same record will be reviewed.