US Immigration Exit Tracking
#151
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
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My family and I lived in the UK for 2 1/2 years in the late 90's and with my father being a wine afficiando we took regular trips to France (we were only about an hour from Dover). More often than not, French immigration would only glance at our passport covers, see "UNITED STATES" and waive us through, a few times the officer waived us through as soon as we pulled up without even seeing where we were from.
#153
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I used to see the Italians and the French and the Swiss often wave in "brown" persons using US passports without the authorities even looking at the biodata page. But that was the past -- including within the past ten years. Nowadays, it's rather different than it was say 7-10 years ago.
#154
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Vancouver, CA
Programs: AC 35K
Posts: 670
Exit border control USA?
Hi all,
I realize this is a little OT but given the large number of European citizens here who travel frequently to the US, I thought it'd be appropriate.
The Economist has an article detailing what is essentially a proposal to implement exit border control in the US (complete with collection of photos and fingerprint like upon entry). I was wondering what your thoughts were?
Personally I find this would considerably complicate connections between domestic and international flights, and will definitely lead to a recompilation of many MCTs. On the other hand many countries have exit border control (e.g. Schengen, Singapore), so it's not unreasonable for the US to implement this. Then again, photos and fingerprints upon exit seem to be a bit of an exaggeration.
On the plus side, maybe this will lead to international-to-international connections no longer needing to clear US Customs, since travellers would presumably be able to stay in a sterile international departures area?
I realize this is a little OT but given the large number of European citizens here who travel frequently to the US, I thought it'd be appropriate.
The Economist has an article detailing what is essentially a proposal to implement exit border control in the US (complete with collection of photos and fingerprint like upon entry). I was wondering what your thoughts were?
Personally I find this would considerably complicate connections between domestic and international flights, and will definitely lead to a recompilation of many MCTs. On the other hand many countries have exit border control (e.g. Schengen, Singapore), so it's not unreasonable for the US to implement this. Then again, photos and fingerprints upon exit seem to be a bit of an exaggeration.
On the plus side, maybe this will lead to international-to-international connections no longer needing to clear US Customs, since travellers would presumably be able to stay in a sterile international departures area?
#155
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,228
This would be a right royal pain in the proverbial. Logistically it would be problematic as you would need to completely segregate domestic and international travelers, both departing as well as arriving.
For example if I was to fly from LAS to LAX with the aim of connecting there to a long-haul flight I land in T4 if flying AA. I can then remain airside and walk to TBIT as well as other terminals. At what point do you have your exit controls? What about domestic - domestic connections across terminals?
More significantly how would I get to the Qantas lounge in TBIT when on a domestic flight if I need to pass through border control. That's the bigger question
For example if I was to fly from LAS to LAX with the aim of connecting there to a long-haul flight I land in T4 if flying AA. I can then remain airside and walk to TBIT as well as other terminals. At what point do you have your exit controls? What about domestic - domestic connections across terminals?
More significantly how would I get to the Qantas lounge in TBIT when on a domestic flight if I need to pass through border control. That's the bigger question
#156
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 479
They have been talking about doing this since the early 2000s, and tested various implementations. They haven't followed through because it would be ridiculously expensive.
Well the vast majority of countries in the world have physical exit control and segregate departing international/domestic, so this arrangement wouldn't be impossible or unprecedented. It would just be a pain and expensive to adapt. In your LAX example, they would probably have exit immigration booths in the T4-TBIT connector, so you still wouldn't have to reclear security when doing domestic to international. But the most likely situation will be doing the exit checks at the departure gate, so they won't have to reconfigure the terminals at all. But that's a lot of CBP officers to pay for!
This would be a right royal pain in the proverbial. Logistically it would be problematic as you would need to completely segregate domestic and international travelers, both departing as well as arriving.
For example if I was to fly from LAS to LAX with the aim of connecting there to a long-haul flight I land in T4 if flying AA. I can then remain airside and walk to TBIT as well as other terminals. At what point do you have your exit controls? What about domestic - domestic connections across terminals?
More significantly how would I get to the Qantas lounge in TBIT when on a domestic flight if I need to pass through border control. That's the bigger question
For example if I was to fly from LAS to LAX with the aim of connecting there to a long-haul flight I land in T4 if flying AA. I can then remain airside and walk to TBIT as well as other terminals. At what point do you have your exit controls? What about domestic - domestic connections across terminals?
More significantly how would I get to the Qantas lounge in TBIT when on a domestic flight if I need to pass through border control. That's the bigger question
Last edited by Kumulani; Mar 10, 2017 at 9:01 pm
#157
Join Date: May 2010
Location: TPA
Programs: All The Programs
Posts: 2,207
The article says this is to identify folks who have overstayed their visas.
Can't the government already do this when the airline swipes your passport at checkin? Or is there really such a high incidence of fraud that we need more rigorous verification?
Can't the government already do this when the airline swipes your passport at checkin? Or is there really such a high incidence of fraud that we need more rigorous verification?
#158
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Vancouver, CA
Programs: AC 35K
Posts: 670
This is an interesting point. Presumably Canada and the UK (and possibly others I can't think of) employ this same system without issue so it is interesting that the US doesn't seem to be satisfied with it. On the other hand, does anyone know the reasons behind Schengen and many other countries having exit border control? Presumably this is one of them?
#159
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 479
The US does currently conduct electronic exit immigration checks, via the passenger manifest the airline sends them before departure. But the system has flaws, and there are lots of mismatched and missing records, caused by issues with people arriving by air and leaving by land, names misspelled on manifests, etc. Whether these flaws are worth the cost to fix is up for debate, though.
#160
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 479
This is an interesting point. Presumably Canada and the UK (and possibly others I can't think of) employ this same system without issue so it is interesting that the US doesn't seem to be satisfied with it. On the other hand, does anyone know the reasons behind Schengen and many other countries having exit border control? Presumably this is one of them?
But there's no question about it, physical exit checks are the most thorough way to make sure that people are leaving when they're supposed to, and that's why most countries use them.
The first law passed saying the US needing to implement physical exit controls was 1996. 20 years later and it still hasn't happened. Trump can write executive orders until he's blue in the face, but I'm skeptical this time will be any different. Reconfiguring the airports would cost billions and just isn't going to happen. CBP estimates doing it at the gate would require 7-9 officers per plane which doesn't sound much cheaper.
Last edited by Kumulani; Mar 10, 2017 at 9:05 pm
#161
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Join Date: Jul 2001
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CBP hiring rates would have to increase tremendously for this to be done directly by CBP employees.
By the way, there is an effort to significantly lower the hiring standards for CBP employment, and that has to do with being able to grow CBP employment rolls.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/07/po...p-hiring-slow/
This memo is some of the source material on the employment growth challenges CBP would face if doing this:
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2017/im...7/cbp-memo.pdf
By the way, there is an effort to significantly lower the hiring standards for CBP employment, and that has to do with being able to grow CBP employment rolls.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/07/po...p-hiring-slow/
This memo is some of the source material on the employment growth challenges CBP would face if doing this:
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2017/im...7/cbp-memo.pdf
Last edited by GUWonder; Mar 11, 2017 at 8:02 am
#162
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,216
I had an exit check at ORD in 2005, but it was voluntary. I got a receipt with a massive 2D barcode, stapled it into my passport, and forgot about it.
Turns out the airline never turned in my I-94W to show I'd left the country, so the next time I tried to enter, the CBP agent raised her eyebrows at something that came up when she scanned my passport and started a very unpleasant sentence before flipping through my passport, seeing the receipt, and saying "oh, good, make sure you keep this".
Turns out the airline never turned in my I-94W to show I'd left the country, so the next time I tried to enter, the CBP agent raised her eyebrows at something that came up when she scanned my passport and started a very unpleasant sentence before flipping through my passport, seeing the receipt, and saying "oh, good, make sure you keep this".
#164
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#165
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 479
It's not to stop overstayers from leaving, it's to do a better job of catching them. That said, it would also be used to stop criminals, US citizens and foreigners alike, from trying to flee.