Argh! - Any US Immigration Experts Here?

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not had time to read all of this but coincidentally I was talking to someone (white, German and English speaking) at the weekend who denied entry to the US about 6 years ago. The reason was that they were making frequent and long trips to see a boyfriend and on one trip she was flagged up to immigration who then grilled her about these visits, work etc and turned her away...and that was that. She had done nothing wrong but could not prove she was not going to do anything wrong. It seemed the onus was on her to prove her innocence.

She wanted to go to the states 5 years later and had to get a visa due to being refused entry. If you want to be sure of getting in go to the US embassy. She now has a visa for 10 years.

 

[Ernest]

With all that hassle why do people bother ?

 

[Birdie Boy]

I go about three times a year on the ESTA and have never had any problems, a couple of times I have been asked random questions, last time I was asked what was nearer Brighton, Portsmouth or Southampton? But they are just doing their jobs!

If you are polite and courteous to them they are normally the same with you!

Nearer to what? Could be a trick question if they mean from the USA!

I went a couple of years ago and due to a cock up with the travel agency, the tour operator did not have the ESTA's for me and my family. They said I could go over to the desk and get another one at around £25 each plus cost of visa, I declined and said I would do it there and then on my phone. Did mine first and got denied entry!!! Decided to do the rest of the family and I was struggling on the phone so asked for the nearest internet pc. Whilst I was doing the family's visa, I got a hand on my shoulder and a 6'4 American with a deep voice said "Mr Birdie Boy"? Yes, I replied and he asked why I had responded yes to one of the questions. Eventually it turned out I had stated that I had a communal disease! I was trying to rush through the ESTA's for the others and he asked me to stop but the desk manager and I explained we need this because the gate was now about to close. Any way after a few minutes of showing my phone and it was a mistake and they let me in. It was a dodgy couple of minutes thinking the family were off and I couldn't go!

 

[martyn20]

With all that hassle why do people bother ?

I love Florida, Mickey Mouse lives there you know!

 

[AZ Gull]

If ever there was a story to back up my belief that a majority of Americans are both arrogant and stupid this is it !!!!! I have ZERO desire to visit their country given the horrendous stories like this and when there's so many more friendly and welcoming countries in the world to go to.

The closest I've got was the island of St Thomas. Our flight from Antigua had to land on another island just so the Americans could search every bit of our luggage before re-boarding and going to out destination. I've never met such a bunch of unintelligent, humourless, neckless dicktwats in my whole life !!!!!

Oh, the irony.

 

[So.CalGull]

If ever there was a story to back up my belief that a majority of Americans are both arrogant and stupid this is it !!!!! I have ZERO desire to visit their country given the horrendous stories like this and when there's so many more friendly and welcoming countries in the world to go to.

The closest I've got was the island of St Thomas. Our flight from Antigua had to land on another island just so the Americans could search every bit of our luggage before re-boarding and going to out destination. I've never met such a bunch of unintelligent, humourless, neckless dicktwats in my whole life !!!!!

Horrendous stories such as what? Taking an hour or so to get through another countrys border with correct paperwork is not all that dramatic.

The arrogance that just because we are English and we should be allowed through with out any issues is somewhat hypocritical to say the least. The Border control has on average 1 million visitors a month coming through airports alone each month. That is a shit load of people to check, process and deal with, sometimes you will get a grumpy one. That is life.

Try traveling on a passport from South Africa or Asia, the hoops these visitors have to jump through to even get out of their countries is scary.

To judge a country on a few second hand situations and to cast a view on people you have not spent time with is sad. Funny but sad.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

With all that hassle why do people bother ?

indeed, I don't want to go that badly. I read somewhere else that a visa for a weekend break in Moscow is £115, again, they can shove it up their arse.

In answer to the OP it's a no brainer, this will be on your mind until you go, your Gatwick experience and flight will be shit, just cough up and you'll sleep better

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

A few years ago we flew back to the UK from JFK airport. At the time they were 'doing' it up. The only Gents loo was the other side of the passport bit. Our plane was delayed by several hours so we spent them in the bar Every time we visited the loo, the Woman OFFICER demanded to see our papers on the way out and on the way back even tho she recognised us from our previous visits cos each time we tried to have a bit of banter with her. She would not have been able to pick out Britain if you had circled it in florescent yellow pen on a map.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Go somewhere nicer (everywhere else)

 

[Gwylan]

With all that hassle why do people bother ?

It's for work. I've spent a good deal of my working life with American companies so travel to the US is a fact of life. I never look forward to it; I have to endure five days (five days!) in Vegas this time round, it's just something you learn to tolerate.

Going to the US isn't quite as bad as Westdene Seagull makes it out to be but nor is it a bundle of laughs either. Their attitude to drink is bizarre: a friend of mine was refused a third bottle of beer as they couldn't serve someone intoxicated (and two small bottles of US beer is clearly going to make someone totally blotto) and I hate the way that I have to show my passport to get a drink - even though I'm in my late 50s.

And to top it all, I have to jump through several hoops to get there.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Horrendous stories such as what? Taking an hour or so to get through another countrys border with correct paperwork is not all that dramatic.

The arrogance that just because we are English and we should be allowed through with out any issues is somewhat hypocritical to say the least. The Border control has on average 1 million visitors a month coming through airports alone each month. That is a shit load of people to check, process and deal with, sometimes you will get a grumpy one. That is life.

Try traveling on a passport from South Africa or Asia, the hoops these visitors have to jump through to even get out of their countries is scary.

To judge a country on a few second hand situations and to cast a view on people you have not spent time with is sad. Funny but sad.

The context was carefully explained by the poster (who is a traveller with experience of entering /exiting various airports across the US over 5 decades) as: 'generally there is no problem at all if the paperwork is in order'. I would happily verify that once out of a US airport my experience is that the country is on the whole welcoming, although I could tell a similar story about immigration control at a border crossing into the US from Mexico.

Clearly the example given was hardly an international incident and the delay at immigration was certainly not unusual. But what was remarkably sad was how a specific group of officials lost their cool over such a minor issue (probably a daily occurrence thanks to numpty Brits) and then compounded it by getting all bad ass on a load of innocent tourists for many of whom it was probably their very first experience of the land of the free. Most punters were being very understanding and patient but certain officials escalated the problem which then caused a reaction. It seemed highly unprofessional and did no one any favours.

I wonder what sort of reaction there would have been if the scenario had been reversed i.e. US tourists arriving into a European airport?

 

[So.CalGull]

The context was carefully explained by the poster (who is a traveller with experience of entering /exiting various airports across the US over 5 decades) as: 'generally there is no problem at all if the paperwork is in order'. I would happily verify that once out of a US airport my experience is that the country is on the whole welcoming, although I could tell a similar story about immigration control at a border crossing into the US from Mexico.

Clearly the example given was hardly an international incident and the delay at immigration was certainly not unusual. But what was remarkably sad was how a specific group of officials lost their cool over such a minor issue (probably a daily occurrence thanks to numpty Brits) and then compounded it by getting all bad ass on a load of innocent tourists for many of whom it was probably their very first experience of the land of the free. Most punters were being very understanding and patient but certain officials escalated the problem which then caused a reaction. It seemed highly unprofessional and did no one any favours.

I wonder what sort of reaction there would have been if the scenario had been reversed i.e. US tourists arriving into a European airport?

I quoted and was responding to the Westdene fella who was stereotyping a part of the world he had not been to, no offence to the OP intended.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I quoted and was responding to the Westdene fella who was stereotyping a part of the world he had not been to, no offence to the OP intended.

All ok

 

[blue'n'white]

I've never had a problem getting in to the Stares though we had a long wait at Newark last year.
I've found the friendliest airport to be Tampa but there again I've always found the South to be more welcoming anyway

 

[Coldeanseagull]

You can understand most of what US border control have to do because of what has happened in the not too distant past over there. Most of the americans I've met over here have been brash, arrogant and very insular in the views which doesn't put that country very high on my list of places to visit. It could be me that is narrowed minded, bordering on the zenophobic and maybe I look for reasons to dislike them. They were my wifes words so obviously not true

 

[Mental Lental]

I once flew on an ANA flight from Tokyo to JFK. The line moved pretty fast as immigration was just swiping the Japanese passengers' passports and letting them straight through no questions asked. It comes to my turn, I hand over my British passport and the imigration officer's face lights up like a Christmas tree. I then proceed to get a 10 minute grilling of questions about all and sundry before he waves me through. I asked the guy why he didn't do this with the hundreds of Japanese passengers that I'd seen him wave through before me and he says "no I don't bother with them cos they don't speak English".

 

[Adders1]

Seeing as you were 14 at the time, it would have been your parents, or whoever you were travelling with at the time that was the cause for refused entry. As a minor, your role in the incident was incidental, so should't really effect your right of entry. Does Grosvenor Square have a helpline or an email address for anomalies such as yours? .

A helpline ? US Immigration? Are you having a laugh!?

To the OP, you'll be fine. A friend of mine was arrested but never convicted or cautioned, and he applied for and received an ESTA, and while he was interviewed when he arrived in California, he said the immigration people were not interested in wasting a holiday maker's time. It's only people who don't have a return flight booked, or are rude and abrasive that are penalised by the officers. Would suggest that you were never 'refused entry' per se, rather not given immediate permission to cross the border.

 

[Westdene Wonder]

If you are likely to loose your temper as a result of the arrogant treatment and time wasting tatics DO NOT GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

It now seems that the TSA is 'expanding' its screening of passengers before they arrive at US airports (for domestic and international flights) by such means as checking passengers employment history, property records, car registration, tax ID no, previous travel itineraries, physical characteristics etc. This article was in the paper this week.
Security checks start before you even fly