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Are USA passports stamped upon entrance to USA?

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Are USA passports stamped upon entrance to USA?

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Old Nov 9, 2011, 3:19 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by railroadtycoon
In my experience it depends. Some of the officers stamp the customs form but not the passport, some stamped in a blank area on the visas page and in two other cases they stamped over two of of my older entry stamps from another country.
Before getting GE, I saw this becoming more and more common. Also, the one time I went through when the GE machine wasn't working, the frazzled crew desk CBP lady was just stamping customs forms and not asking any inane questions. She was also writing "GE" on the forms to alert the guy at the customs podium. He then checked for stickers and gave the typical "welcome home".

The one time I got an X, when I was honest and declared the one and only time I've ever brought in a purchase over the Duty Free allowance and got thanked by more than a few CBP people for my honesty, he stamped the back of the receipt and wrote "duty to be paid" on the back.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 4:50 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by Ari
Do they stamp US Passports at land POEs?
Never in my experience.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 5:20 pm
  #18  
 
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Based on my old passport, I receive a stamp about 1 out of every 4 entries (all airport entries).

I used my new passport going through PIT last month - no stamp.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 5:27 pm
  #19  
 
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From my experiences, every time I return via IAD, I get a stamp. Whenever I return via LAX, I don't get a stamp, but I kindly ask to get one since I enjoy collecting passport stamps.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 6:04 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by musicsic
From my experiences, every time I return via IAD, I get a stamp. Whenever I return via LAX, I don't get a stamp, but I kindly ask to get one since I enjoy collecting passport stamps.
As do we... provided they're from somewhere else!

What we do NOT like is having to pay for supplemental pages because our passports are full. Since that already happens to ~mr pretty regularly, even without any US stamps, glad that LAX (so far) doesn't waste those precious empty pages.

Hm.

@:-)

Perhaps the increased incidence of stamping US passports is nothing more than a revenue generating ploy dreamed up by State Dept?

~mrs
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 9:27 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by mr&mrs
As do we... provided they're from somewhere else!

What we do NOT like is having to pay for supplemental pages because our passports are full. Since that already happens to ~mr pretty regularly, even without any US stamps, glad that LAX (so far) doesn't waste those precious empty pages.

Hm.

@:-)

Perhaps the increased incidence of stamping US passports is nothing more than a revenue generating ploy dreamed up by State Dept?

~mrs
Aah yes, I had to shell out the $82 earlier this year at the US embassy in Manila to get the extra pages. It was always a goal of mine to fill up the passport
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 9:35 pm
  #22  
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Just a reminder for those paying for extra pages.

It may be a better deal for you to just renew your passport if there are only a few years on it and get the 56 page version
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 10:23 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by Ari

Do they stamp US Passports at land POEs?
I've never seen it. Even the Canadians only did twice at land POEs before I had NEXUS. Once the first time I ever entered Canada, only after I asked and it was very light because she didn't even have a stamp pad in the booth. The second was the "mean" purple immigration control stamp, when the lady at the booth thought I was going to illegal immigrate to Canada, despite still being in law school.
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Old Nov 9, 2011, 11:20 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Stamps in US passports have been used as evidence of presence in the US for legal purposes when dealing with the State Department, with the US Treasury/IRS and the FBI. Probably more than that too.
Of course all such entries are recorded electronically also.

Originally Posted by lightbulb
YMMV. I know for sure DFW does not stamp. They will if you ask them to do so. ORD has always stamped without asking for it.
Why would one ask for a stamp?

Originally Posted by N1120A
. . . the "mean" purple immigration control stamp . . .
What the heck is that?
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 12:22 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Stamps in US passports have been used as evidence of presence in the US for legal purposes when dealing with the State Department, with the US Treasury/IRS and the FBI. Probably more than that too.
The stamp is proof of nothing more than that you were in the US at the moment you presented your passport. It is possible that 1 hour later you were in another country (eg: Canada, Mexico, Bermuda).
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 12:28 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by Dovster
The stamp is proof of nothing more than that you were in the US at the moment you presented your passport. It is possible that 1 hour later you were in another country (eg: Canada, Mexico, Bermuda).
Perhaps that's all that the government wanted to prove in a particular case.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 2:14 am
  #27  
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.... when the government wanted to prove something; also when other parties -- non-governmental parties or foreign governments -- wanted something demonstrated.

That someone could fly/drive/run/walk/boat/swim out of the country an hour later -- and sometimes was even known to have done so -- wouldn't necessarily matter.

Originally Posted by Ari
Of course all such entries are recorded electronically also.
They haven't been before; and now, somewhat like before, there are errors and exceptions that are the product of at least process and/or technology limitations.

That reminds me to go look for a GAO report on a somewhat related matter before I consider opening a thread on it.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 2:25 am
  #28  
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Originally Posted by Ari
What the heck is that?
Some had Canadian stamps that had customs on it and was given in the main by border officers/CBSA and those may not have been in purple. The purple stamp reference are usually to Immigration Canada/CIC. Getting the latter was affiliated with a greater probability of secondary screening for at least immigration control purposes.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 11:17 am
  #29  
 
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I have gone through customs at LAX, DFW and MIA.. never had my passport stamped in returning.
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Old Nov 10, 2011, 12:11 pm
  #30  
 
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I always ask them not to stamp my passport and they usually oblige. However, I arrived in MSP from Europe (my first time at MSP immigration) on a trip last year and I asked the immigration officer not to stamp my passport and he said that "we don't do that here" - meaning he had to stamp my passport. I was surprised and responded that in ATL and JFK, I always them not to stamp it and they oblige. He did not comment.
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