International Travelers

[sherpa]

Some information for those who travel international.

There are a few ways to clear customs and immigration on arrival in the US.  One way, the traditional method, is to fill out the forms provided prior to landing. Another is the Global Entry Program. You apply for this, pay a fee, then run your passport through a machine and a form is printed and you're on your way.

I used Global Entry since its inception, and never had any issues.  It made sense for me because I had to go through customs/immigration at least once per week, and sometimes six times in three days.

The point of this is to make folks aware of what your status is when you get in that area, but before you are cleared through. A lot of people don't understand that none of your normal protections exist.
From the time you step off the airplane until the time you clear Customs, you are in a sort of legal No Man's Land. In the country physically, but not officially.

Using this reasoning, U.S. Customs has granted itself special powers. You can be verbally abused. You have no Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. They can search and confiscate your electronics without a warrant. If and when they decide to return them, they will send you a bill for the shipping. If any Customs Agent suspects you of being guilty, or even just feels like harassing you, you are guilty. No evidence required. You are not entitled to Due Process. There is no oversight, at least at the level concerning us.

The bottom line is that a Customs Officer can simply type an entry into their computer system and make both your  life miserable.been "scarlet lettered," and it will show every time they run it.

Your passport has Your Trusted Traveler status and Global Entry privileges will be revoked. You will be locked out of the Mobile Passport system. You will be detained, searched, and questioned - sometimes very aggressively - every single time you come through. You won’t be able to take an international vacation with your family without being processed as a criminal in front of them. You won’t be able to drive across the border to Mexico or Canada for dinner without having your car torn apart when you return.
If you are a U.S. citizen, they cannot bar you from entering the country, but they can detain you “for a reasonable time”. There is no definition of what “a reasonable time” is.
The only way to find out what’s in the computer is to file a Freedom Of Information Act request and wait for months. Even then, the response will be heavily redacted. You will never find out who made the entry, or be able to disprove it.

 

I have a friend who has been going through this for six months. His mistake was losing his Global Entry form between the machine printing it and him presenting it to the immigration officer, and instead of stating that, used an alternate method that airline crews use, but  similar to passenger forms.
After the first couple times, and after his Global Entry/Trusted Traveler/Mobile Passport status were all revoked. He tried all normal means of getting it fixed, to no avail. He filed a complaint with the CBP site and got no response, except two weeks later, when going through, the agent said, "You're the guy who wrote the letter," followed by the standard two hour delay and harassment before being allowed in. This happened to him over twenty times in seven months.

The point is, don't take this process lightly. Fill out the forms carefully and answer any questions truthfully. You can get yourself into a lot of trouble if you don't.
 

[Just Jack]

Here’s another tip. If you’re near a Canadian border crossing, get Nexus. It gives you all the privileges of TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry, but it’s only $50, cheapest of all the programs. Downside is you need to complete your interview process at a Canada border crossing. 

[KD in CA]

By the time I read that I could have just waited in the two hour customs line.

[Marv's Neighbor]

Just returned from Frankfurt, yesterday.  Only travel to Europe 1x a year.  Filled out the Customs Dec on the plane, and again, it was neither asked for, nor collected.

 

The Passport person, took our pictures?  Don't know why, but know better than to ask.  Also, after claiming our checked bags,  Customs always had a final bottle neck check, when leaving the Customs hall/claim area, yesterday nothing.   That's similar to the way it's done in Europe, but never seen here?  We arrived at Washington Dulles. so that's the only location I can comment on.  Also, landed about 1450, and almost no wait to clear Passport control?  Very nice surprise!.

[row_33]

I don’t mind flying, the 8 hours delay to get into the air has ruined any enjoyment for me.

 

only for business do I plan to ever get on a plane agsin

 

 

[Marv's Neighbor]

40 minutes ago, row_33 said:

I don’t mind flying, the 8 hours delay to get into the air has ruined any enjoyment for me.

 

only for business do I plan to ever get on a plane agsin

 

 

We had a 3 hr delay Dulles-Frankfurt.  777, Had to change a relay on one of the generators.  Had to deplane, so they could power down the plane.  The blessing was, that it happened on the ground at Dulles.  They had the part(s) and the mechanics.  If it happened in flight, no telling where we would have had to land to get it changed?  December in N Canada or Iceland is not something I would want to experience.

[row_33]

A friend on the tarmacked plane in Europe waited as the union mechanics took two hours to show up, then watched them get in a fight with the crew and hauled off in cuffs

 

so they waited for another union crew to bother showing up to even start the work

 

[sherpa]

1 hour ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

We had a 3 hr delay Dulles-Frankfurt.  777, Had to change a relay on one of the generators.  Had to deplane, so they could power down the plane.  The blessing was, that it happened on the ground at Dulles.  They had the part(s) and the mechanics.  If it happened in flight, no telling where we would have had to land to get it changed?  December in N Canada or Iceland is not something I would want to experience.

 

You would not have diverted once in flight.

Easily worked around.

Not that big of a deal, and certainly would not go into a Canadian field or Iceland.

[Chef Jim]

13 hours ago, KD in CA said:

By the time I read that I could have just waited in the two hour customs line.

 

You read all that?  

[Marv's Neighbor]

46 minutes ago, sherpa said:

 

You would not have diverted once in flight.

Easily worked around.

Not that big of a deal, and certainly would not go into a Canadian field or Iceland.

Exactly, divert from a point on an ETOPS route.

[sherpa]

1 hour ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Exactly, divert from a point on an ETOPS route.

 

I know what your saying, but once airborne, no divert necessary.

Simply start the APU, which is more than adequate to serve as the second power source, and press on.

APU picks up the bad side easily, and ETOPS is satisfied.

 

[BuffaloBill]

On 12/7/2018 at 1:34 PM, Just Jack said:

Here’s another tip. If you’re near a Canadian border crossing, get Nexus. It gives you all the privileges of TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry, but it’s only $50, cheapest of all the programs. Downside is you need to complete your interview process at a Canada border crossing. 

 

 

Yeah crossing the border into and out of Canada is now very serious business.  I used to think nothing about doing it.  Now, I will think twice because it may be a hassle and the lines at the bridges get longer.  The truth may very well be that the terrorists won as they have changed life for all of us.

[row_33]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Yeah crossing the border into and out of Canada is now very serious business.  I used to think nothing about doing it.  Now, I will think twice because it may be a hassle and the lines at the bridges get longer.  The truth may very well be that the terrorists won as they have changed life for all of us.

 

Easier to cross at Mexico, don’t even need a reason when asked or even get questioned 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Gypsies??

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

11 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Yeah crossing the border into and out of Canada is now very serious business.  I used to think nothing about doing it.  Now, I will think twice because it may be a hassle and the lines at the bridges get longer.  The truth may very well be that the terrorists won as they have changed life for all of us.

Crossing INTO Canada is a hassle.  Last year we got detained at Rainbow Bridge as they looked through the whole truck.  They were looking for guns.

 

What a hassle.

[row_33]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Crossing INTO Canada is a hassle.  Last year we got detained at Rainbow Bridge as they looked through the whole truck.  They were looking for guns.

 

What a hassle.

 

We don’t want your ideas of freedom

 

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

3 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

We don’t want your ideas of freedom

 

 

 

LoL... I come back to my Brother's... I am all indignant.  My wife, liberal, all happy as a clam... Brother says: "They are only protecting America."  I say: "I was going into Canada, I breezed right back."  He's: "You look suspicious, can't blame them."  

 

I guess he is right, sorry Canada... I do look like a gun nut. /smh... LoL...

[mrags]

48 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

LoL... I come back to my Brother's... I am all indignant.  My wife, liberal, all happy as a clam... Brother says: "They are only protecting America."  I say: "I was going into Canada, I breezed right back."  He's: "You look suspicious, can't blame them."  

 

I guess he is right, sorry Canada... I do look like a gun nut. /smh... LoL...

No. You look like you have an ounce of weed on your person at all times. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

10 minutes ago, mrags said:

No. You look like you have an ounce of weed on your person at all times. 

I was GOING to Canada.  Perfectly normal with weed.

[row_33]

5 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

LoL... I come back to my Brother's... I am all indignant.  My wife, liberal, all happy as a clam... Brother says: "They are only protecting America."  I say: "I was going into Canada, I breezed right back."  He's: "You look suspicious, can't blame them."  

 

I guess he is right, sorry Canada... I do look like a gun nut. /smh... LoL...

 

It’s thst one area of diff between our great countries. I respect the views but can’t embrace them in Canada

 

The best part of getting back to Canada is driving with the flow of traffic on the highways, enough said....