Failed to declare money, SSSS, am I redflagged?
May 14, 2017, 6:05 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2
When we went to the US last year i was the one who filled up the customs declaration form. I checked "no" if we have usd10000 or more in our possession. I honestly did not know that my mom had more than the amount and it came out when the immigration officer how much we all had. So we were taken to a lane and the officer told us "you can bring 10000usd or more in the US it doesnt matter but you need to declare it. Because if u dont we can confiscate the excess undeclared amount. So nexttume please declare how much u have.". This year we went back and checked more than usd10000 and we just filled up a form and thats it. No questions asked.
May 16, 2017, 12:03 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2015
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Posts: 2,112
Welcome to Flyertalk.
Just to be clear on a point of terminology -- SSSS refers to the code on a boarding pass that instructs TSA to give you extra scrutiny when coming through security and doesn't relate to Immigration issues. So the fact that you were pulled aside for additional questioning at Immigration a couple years ago theoretically shouldn't have any impact on your domestic travels.
It's impossible to predict whether you will or won't be taken for additional questioning when returning from Vietnam on this upcoming trip. Even if there is a flag on your passport, you could still pass through without any additional questioning if the agent is having a good day or is particularly swamped or just doesn't want the hassle. But you should assume that you WILL BE taken for additional questioning, and allow yourself extra time to make any connecting flights.
You say you didn't know you had to declare the money, but that's not an excuse because presumably you completed this form when you entered the US, which clearly asks you to declare whether you're bringing more than $10K into the country. I presumed you answered no to that question? In anticipation of greater questioning at Immigration following this trip, I highly recommend READING every question and answering it truthfully, because you could find yourself in hot water if you again are found to have answered the questions untruthfully.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Just to be clear on a point of terminology -- SSSS refers to the code on a boarding pass that instructs TSA to give you extra scrutiny when coming through security and doesn't relate to Immigration issues. So the fact that you were pulled aside for additional questioning at Immigration a couple years ago theoretically shouldn't have any impact on your domestic travels.
It's impossible to predict whether you will or won't be taken for additional questioning when returning from Vietnam on this upcoming trip. Even if there is a flag on your passport, you could still pass through without any additional questioning if the agent is having a good day or is particularly swamped or just doesn't want the hassle. But you should assume that you WILL BE taken for additional questioning, and allow yourself extra time to make any connecting flights.
You say you didn't know you had to declare the money, but that's not an excuse because presumably you completed this form when you entered the US, which clearly asks you to declare whether you're bringing more than $10K into the country. I presumed you answered no to that question? In anticipation of greater questioning at Immigration following this trip, I highly recommend READING every question and answering it truthfully, because you could find yourself in hot water if you again are found to have answered the questions untruthfully.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
May 16, 2017, 4:59 am
#18
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I've never seen CBP agents write "SSSS" on GE slips. While CBP agents can be involved in passengers being hit with "SSSS", I've not seen CBP hand-write "SSSS" on GE slips or other printed customs declaration forms.
May 16, 2017, 5:20 pm
#19
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: 1 thousand
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(It might not have been exactly 4, somewhere in the regions of 3-5)
Last edited by televisor; May 16, 2017 at 6:11 pm
May 16, 2017, 10:33 pm
#20
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Do you recall the US port of entry where that happened to you and in which year it happened?
May 17, 2017, 8:52 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2007
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I gotta agree with GUW here - the scribbles of CBP officers are generally to indicate which officer has reviewed the receipt or shorthand to the next officer for why the passenger was referred for additional inspection. At the immigration or customs inspection stages CBP officers are typically not involved in having pax "flagged" to receive additional screening by TSA.
Last edited by Section 107; May 17, 2017 at 9:15 am
May 17, 2017, 9:34 am
#22
Join Date: Sep 2015
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OP reported getting "SSSS". That may be what the TSA commonly use for their extra screening notation, but it doesn't invalidate OP having SSSS written on his customs forms by CBP(and most of this thread seems to be about trying to invalidate what OP experienced and reported...). It's certainly OK to point out that SSSS is _also_ used by the TSA, but OP is not wrong to report having been SSSS'd if that's what the CBP primary inspection officer wrote on his form. There's clear evidence here that CBP use SSSS to ensure that travellers are correctly sent to secondary.
(FWIW I saw SSSS from CBP 1-2 months ago, SFO. It didn't affect onwards travel, it was only for CBP purposes. At SFO you don't get escorted to secondary, you get to walk there yourself. Which is why they probably have over the top SSSS notation.)
Last edited by televisor; May 17, 2017 at 9:49 am
May 18, 2017, 1:43 am
#23
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I think whether you walk to secondary on your own or get escorted depends on the situation. I've been escorted from the primary booth to baggage claim and to secondary at Las Vegas airport. I've also just had the squiggles written on my form there and then collected baggage on my own and got sent to secondary on my way out.
They usually don't write SSSS on the form, they have other codes so as not to tip off passengers who might see SSSS and then try to toss their heroin in the toilet in baggage claim.
They usually don't write SSSS on the form, they have other codes so as not to tip off passengers who might see SSSS and then try to toss their heroin in the toilet in baggage claim.
May 18, 2017, 2:37 am
#24
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At SFO passport control and customs, CBP do sometimes escort flagged passenger to secondary; and that is just seconday for purposes other than TSA SSSS screening purposes.
Squiggles manually written by CBP on a printed declaration form/declaration receipt isn't the same thing as designators showing up on boarding passes and being used by the TSA.
Squiggles manually written by CBP on a printed declaration form/declaration receipt isn't the same thing as designators showing up on boarding passes and being used by the TSA.
May 18, 2017, 10:47 am
#25
Join Date: Sep 2015
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I think whether you walk to secondary on your own or get escorted depends on the situation. I've been escorted from the primary booth to baggage claim and to secondary at Las Vegas airport. I've also just had the squiggles written on my form there and then collected baggage on my own and got sent to secondary on my way out.
They usually don't write SSSS on the form, they have other codes so as not to tip off passengers who might see SSSS and then try to toss their heroin in the toilet in baggage claim.
They usually don't write SSSS on the form, they have other codes so as not to tip off passengers who might see SSSS and then try to toss their heroin in the toilet in baggage claim.
To get back to OP: in your position I would make sure to (A) be extra careful about declaring everything you have as accurately as possible, (B) get the appropriate fincen form *if* appropriate. It's possible you're flagged and you'll get sent to secondary on future trips, but as long as you declare everything correctly you won't have any issues. If you have close to (but not over $10k) you might want to still complete the correct forms as a precaution/declare the money.
There's no reason to worry about being flagged, as long as you declare everything CBP tend to be OK. Just be transparent, and prepared for searches.