What do US customs see when they swipe passports?
#46
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 97
If you think the US is bad, you may not want to visit Canada, either.
Have had clients, US Citizens, who were denied entry to Canada because of misdemeanor criminal offenses even 30+ years ago. Basically any criminal conviction, even if expunged, can deny entry to Canada. That includes very minor infractions, misdemeanor drug use, DUI, etc.
Canada has access to the US databases... and US has reciprocal to Canadian.
Have had clients, US Citizens, who were denied entry to Canada because of misdemeanor criminal offenses even 30+ years ago. Basically any criminal conviction, even if expunged, can deny entry to Canada. That includes very minor infractions, misdemeanor drug use, DUI, etc.
Canada has access to the US databases... and US has reciprocal to Canadian.
I was sent to secondary in YVR. The person in front of me was Chinese, I overheard the conversation. They confiscated close to $9k, whatever else she had in her bag, and told her that she would be deported. It made me stand up pretty straight. Luckily for me, I don't have any record and the immigration official asked me one question and waved me through.
I understand that it's a privileged to be able to travel to foreign countries and that I am at the mercy of the immigration policies. That being said, I still don't appreciate the draconian stance Canada has taken and will vote with my wallet by vacationing elsewhere from now on.
#47
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,378
Canada has terribly strict immigration. They will routinely turn away people with any sort of record, whether the offense was recent or long from the past. DUI's are a very serious offense in their eyes and it brands any non-Canadian as an "Inadmissible Class."
I was sent to secondary in YVR. The person in front of me was Chinese, I overheard the conversation. They confiscated close to $9k, whatever else she had in her bag, and told her that she would be deported. It made me stand up pretty straight. Luckily for me, I don't have any record and the immigration official asked me one question and waved me through.
I understand that it's a privileged to be able to travel to foreign countries and that I am at the mercy of the immigration policies. That being said, I still don't appreciate the draconian stance Canada has taken and will vote with my wallet by vacationing elsewhere from now on.
I was sent to secondary in YVR. The person in front of me was Chinese, I overheard the conversation. They confiscated close to $9k, whatever else she had in her bag, and told her that she would be deported. It made me stand up pretty straight. Luckily for me, I don't have any record and the immigration official asked me one question and waved me through.
I understand that it's a privileged to be able to travel to foreign countries and that I am at the mercy of the immigration policies. That being said, I still don't appreciate the draconian stance Canada has taken and will vote with my wallet by vacationing elsewhere from now on.
#48
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PDX
Posts: 908
Yes, it is true. I drove up north quite a few times back when I had a GC, and my experience was pretty much 50/50 (good/bad). I thought it would be easier to travel there as a US citizen... When I started using my US passport, the immigration encounters changed from so-so to worse. I've never been sent to secondary, but they started to interrogate me longer at the primaries, and on several occasions they even demanded a hotel reservation confirmation. I still love Canada too much to simply refuse going there because of rude immigration officials, but now I make sure to carry all itineraries and other paperwork with me.
#49
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,098
Yes, it is true. I drove up north quite a few times back when I had a GC, and my experience was pretty much 50/50 (good/bad). I thought it would be easier to travel there as a US citizen... When I started using my US passport, the immigration encounters changed from so-so to worse. I've never been sent to secondary, but they started to interrogate me longer at the primaries, and on several occasions they even demanded a hotel reservation confirmation. I still love Canada too much to simply refuse going there because of rude immigration officials, but now I make sure to carry all itineraries and other paperwork with me.
They decided her parents would simply pick him up at YYZ and take him home. The problem? He didn't know exactly where they lived:not in Toronto proper, but in Markham and he had forgotten the name of the town. He also did not know their names. She only had ever called them "Mom and Dad". Their real names were Cantonese. Lastly, they could barely speak english.
So he got to the customs desk and could not answer where he was going, who was picking him up etc..and when he tried to call them on his cell, the conversation was utterly useless. He then tried calling the gf back in LA and she did not answer the phone.
He spent 45 minutes in secondary exam, and then 4 hours in an immigration holding room with hundreds of other upset folks before he managed to get a hold of the gf, who got ahold of the parents, who then claimed him from the "human pound" at terminal 3 via a cantonese speaking customs agent.
Nice way to meet the parents!! Even more uncomfortable was that he couldn't even talk about it with them or properly apologize for the next night and most of the next day until the gf arrived.
#51
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PDX
Posts: 908
Ha, when I was crossing into Russia from Ukraine by train, the Russian border guard had a very thick (10 cm at least) book with thousands of names. He quickly checked my surname against the list and stamped the passport. When I asked him what the book was, he just smiled and wished me a good trip.
#53
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Join Date: Jun 1999
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A month or so ago when entering, the immigration officer had a list of names of every passenger on the flight. I watched him check mine off. I was through the same airport's point of entry this week and did not see that the agent who cleared me had such a list.
#54
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 22
How much info is available to Customs
I've always wondered when returning home to the US and they scan your passport how much information is available to the Customs Agent. Do they just know your most recent travel or can they view all the trips you have made outside the country?
#55
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,621
Do a FOIA request and ask for your travel history.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...d-states,-foia
They have a lot of info about all of your past travels and I suspect that it is available to the CBP dude holding your passport and staring at the screen.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...d-states,-foia
They have a lot of info about all of your past travels and I suspect that it is available to the CBP dude holding your passport and staring at the screen.
#57
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#59
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BKK/SEL/YQG
Posts: 2,543
Do a FOIA request and ask for your travel history.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...d-states,-foia
They have a lot of info about all of your past travels and I suspect that it is available to the CBP dude holding your passport and staring at the screen.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...d-states,-foia
They have a lot of info about all of your past travels and I suspect that it is available to the CBP dude holding your passport and staring at the screen.
#60
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