US Immigration

We've had a topic about the stamps before, though I'm not sure which forum it's in. It seems like it depends on the airport or the day or the position of the moon in the sky or something. I've gotten stamped every single time I've entered the US. That's once at JFK and countless times at Newark. Other people have never received a stamp.

As for the questioning, once I became a resident of the UK, I got it every time I came back to the US for a visit. Questions about what I was doing in the UK, what course I was taking (I was a student initially), where I worked, etc. It's annoying, but I get why they do it.

Interesting. I've been stamped twice (out of four entries).

I've never gotten a stamp entering the US at SFO. Or grilled though there has been a tinge of "why would you leave the US to live somewhere else?" to the questions.

I've gotten stamped every time at Newark, I think anyway.

I've never been grilled and I have been welcomed back "home", which I don't take offense to because the IOs don't know my life and are probably bored as hell sitting there the whole time.  Also, I usually go back for the holidays.

I've gotten way more questions coming back to the US after my visits to my fiance than I did going to the UK. Immigration at San Francisco are very grumpy and never smile.Has anybody refused to answer their questions? It's not like they can refuse you entry if you are a citizen.

It's not like they can refuse you entry if you are a citizen.

But they can probably arrest you if you're dodgy?

We've had a topic about the stamps before, though I'm not sure which forum it's in. It seems like it depends on the airport or the day or the position of the moon in the sky or something. I've gotten stamped every single time I've entered the US. That's once at JFK and countless times at Newark. Other people have never received a stamp.

I've entered many times through Newark and JFK and always gotten stamped at both. Also, I never got hassled.

I have entered once through Atlanta with a brand-new passport issued in South Korea after I lost my passport during a tour of the DMZ. I expected questions and at least some hassle based on the fact that I had an emergency passport. Nothing was said other than "welcome home." Well okay then. Great.

I also entered once via Charlotte. I got twenty questions about my job, how I afforded to travel at all, about my bf, etc. Definitely the most I've ever been asked entering the US. They (obviously) let me in and didn't stamp, though. So who knows the where or why.

Interesting! The only time I have EVER been hassled was in Charlotte and that was in the late 90's. We were visiting my family for 2 weeks. DH (UKC)had an old work visa, which was no longer valid because i had been replaced by a new visa class, but we didn't know that. In any case, the IO started giving BOTH of us a hard time, and scrutinized my passport because it was issued in my former name, with the official name change entered on page 23 (I'll never forget that). The IO couldn't seem to find the name change, so I said "page 23". He then started grilling me about how long I intended to stay, and why I was traveling to the US. We kept calm and finally got through, but it was NOT fun.

Now, to put this in perspective, at the time we were both over 50, had limited luggage, were resident in Portugal, had return tickets a flight 2 weeks later (on Christmas Day, as it happens). I still maintained US bank accounts because I periodically returned to do consulting work, so even finances weren't an issue.

That particular IO was just nasty, and I've always thought he was an example of someone who had been promoted to a position that he should not have held, and used his 'power' to abuse people. I have reasons for my opinions which I will not express here.

I think travelling with limited luggage is seen as a flag up on international flights.  From watching Border Force type shows (a real source of authority on these things  ), the people who come from international flights with just hand luggage are often seen as potential drug carriers who are paid to go in and out quickly.

this wasn't 'just hand luggage'. It was 1 large bag and 2 smaller ones (carry-on wheelies). When I say 'limited' I mean it wasn't tons of huge bags that obviously had clothes for a period far greater than the 2-week visit.

And if you are profiling, we hardly fit the profile for mules.

I've never been grilled by US immigration, but I've had some pretty miserable ones. I was only asked once why I was arriving back in the US when I had just left for the UK less than 48 hours ago. I used to do it a lot as I worked with the airline and could pretty much fly for free and for a small fee upgrade to Envoy so I would fly overnight, land in Manchester, meet hubby, turn around and get back on a flight to the states. Gave me an extra 8 hours or so with him. They just laughed when I gave them the reason 

But they can probably arrest you if you're dodgy?

But what's considered dodgy? Glad I'm leaving the US and not coming back for a least a year so I don't have to deal with SF immigration again. It's seriously depressing when your own country questions you as if you're a criminal for coming back home.

But what's considered dodgy? Glad I'm leaving the US and not coming back for a least a year so I don't have to deal with SF immigration again. It's seriously depressing when your own country questions you as if you're a criminal for coming back home.

Hanging out with al qaeda?   Drug running?  Tax evasion?  Plotting with North Korea?  Killing someone and being a fugitve?  Any number of things can be considered dodgy!

Obviously living in another country doesn't make you a criminal, and it does get old the questioning, but they don't have to let you if they suspect you've been up to no good, just because you're a US Citizen.     

I think travelling with limited luggage is seen as a flag up on international flights.  From watching Border Force type shows (a real source of authority on these things  ), the people who come from international flights with just hand luggage are often seen as potential drug carriers who are paid to go in and out quickly.

Agree with you but you go through immigration before you pick up your luggaga so the border agent doesn't know if you have bags or not, that's for customs to pick up on.
We've never had problems going into US, I as a Brit find the experience going in with DW much better then when I was going be myself. I normally just get asked what I do for a living (do I tell them this time that I'm unemployed?!) and how long we are stating (which is usually a couple of weeks). DW hasn't had hassle as to why she should want to leave the US....I guess us both going through together explains the situation to them.

I'm intrigued by comments about Boston Logan though as that is where we are flying into this time.

Agree with you but you go through immigration before you pick up your luggaga so the border agent doesn't know if you have bags or not, that's for customs to pick up on.

I'm pretty sure the number of bags is probably listed somewhere within the passenger information. I find it hard to believe that it's not automatically attached to whatever record is created when you check in. But who knows what comes up on those screens when you get there.

Agree with you but you go through immigration before you pick up your luggaga so the border agent doesn't know if you have bags or not, that's for customs to pick up on.

From watching the border agency tv shows (as someone posted above, clearly an irrefutable source of information ), they do have access to your baggage. People have been turned away (in Australia, I think?) for packing chef's knives (which wouldn't be allowed in hand luggage so would have to be in the checked bags).

I don't know how immigration and customs coordinate their efforts, but immigration does appear to have access to your bags before they interview you.