TTPRADARThe short answer
A referral is not a revocation. CBP's Global Entry page says that although the program is meant to speed you through, members can still be selected for further examination when entering the United States.
So a trip to an officer after the kiosk is something the program allows for. Your membership is a separate matter, and CBP ties that to violations.
Referral is not revocation
Its Global Entry page says that any violation of the program's terms and conditions results in appropriate enforcement action and termination of membership privileges.
That is the line to keep in mind. CBP describes loss of membership as the result of violating the terms. It does not describe it as the result of being selected for examination.
Why the kiosk sends you out
There are two reasons the official sources document, and one they do not.
Your declarations
The kiosk is where you make your customs declaration. Under the original kiosk design, described in a 2009 Federal Register notice, you answered customs questions on a touch-screen. If you declared commercial goods, more than $10,000 in monetary instruments, or restricted or prohibited items, the kiosk redirected you to the head of the primary inspection line.
That is a referral you cause yourself. Declare something that needs an officer and you get an officer.
Selection for further examination
The same notice says officers can examine participants further at any time during the arrival process. CBP's current Global Entry page repeats the general point: selection for further examination is possible.
Random or targeted
You will see claims online that referrals split neatly into random and targeted, and that a mark on the receipt tells you which one you got. CBP's public pages do not confirm either. They do not explain how referrals are chosen, so this article does not guess. If a forum post tells you what your slip means, treat it as a traveler's theory.
What the kiosk receipt is for
On the legacy kiosk, the 2009 notice says the receipt had to be given, together with your passport or LPR card, to the CBP officer at the exit control area. Hold on to it until you have handed it over.
One caution. That description comes from a 2009 notice. Today's Global Entry process may use portals or the mobile app rather than the old kiosk and paper slip, and the current flow could not be verified from an official source. Follow the prompts and signs at your airport, and ask the officer if the process looks different from what you expected.
What to do afterward
- Answer the officer's questions plainly and accurately. Declarations are made on your own account, so keep them correct.
- Keep your documents together. Passport or LPR card, plus the receipt if you were given one.
- Do not read a pattern into one event. CBP says selection for further examination is part of the program, so a single referral is not by itself a sign of a membership problem.
If it keeps happening
The angle people usually want here is a formal inquiry route, such as DHS TRIP or the CBP INFO Center. No citable official source on those procedures was available for this article, so it does not describe them. The same goes for what officers can inspect, including electronic devices, and how rights differ between citizens and green card holders.
For those questions, go to CBP directly. The Trusted Traveler Programs FAQ is the official site to check, and the CBP Global Entry page sets out the terms of membership.
For more plain-English explainers on the program, see the Global Entry guide library.