CBP officer did not stamp my passport
#61
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I took a brief poll of guys I know who travel internationally a lot. All said that they hate it when their US passport is stamped since it takes up space. So no, the "why" doesn't really matter, except to the guy at Customs who probably thinks the same thing.
#62
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Are any of those guys living outside of the U.S. and with children born outside of the U.S. living outside of the U.S.?
#63
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#64
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#65
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CBP purchases of stamping products is not about to go the way of the dodo.
Like most governmental bureaucracies, large-scale change would surely take an eternity to be approved and take effect... Damn stamping industry and their corrupt control of the customs process!
CBP employees' employment status is not on such a tightrope that there is any need to behave in such a governmental CYA way.
Like most governmental bureaucracies, large-scale change would surely take an eternity to be approved and take effect... Damn stamping industry and their corrupt control of the customs process!
CBP employees' employment status is not on such a tightrope that there is any need to behave in such a governmental CYA way.
#66
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I'm halfway through the life of my passport, and less than halfway through its 52 pages, though perhaps you are right and I shouldn't take up space just for the hell of it since I do aspire to travel more. Much more. And I already travel a good amount
#67
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FWIW, Canada doesn't give US citizens stamps at land crossings when entering Canada. On occasion I've asked for one and when I received it they wrote "courtesy" or "on request" next to it. That, to me, was to indicate to whoever might look at the stamp for official purposes in the future that they normally wouldn't have stamped but they were asked to do so. The CBP agent referred to in this thread could easily have dne that.
#68
Join Date: Sep 2010
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It may sound corny but I want one because it'll be my first international trip. I'm also the atypical FTer as I only travel a couple times a year so I'm not worried about a couple extra stamps taking up room in my passport. I can, however, totally understand why frequent international travelers wouldn't want one taking up the extra space.
#69
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 306
CBP officer refuses to stamp passport
I think it was and is incredibly reasonable that you were informed by the agent that only the agent who processed you could stamp your passport. To me not understanding why he could not stamp your passport is ridiculous.
#70
Join Date: May 2011
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I really hadn't given the whole stamped, not stamped passport much thought until this thread. Looking back through my passports it's been years, ten or more, since I got a reentry stamp. In the meantime I've gone through probably two or three security background checks for my DoD position and I've never had to offer up my passport for any reason despite several OCONUS trips for personal travel. Most recently we reentered through PHL using GE and because of this thread I asked the CBP agent at the GE exit desk if I could get my passport stamped. Now he may have been just blowing me off but he said he didn't have a stamp. Added that was part of the purpose/benefit of GE.....quick and easy processing.
#71
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Seeing how he was not processed by an agent at all and just a machine. Arguing with a machine would be more ridiculous...
#72
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The customs agent who takes your GE receipt is NT the one who processes you into the country for immigration purposes. He may have a stamp. He may work for the same department. He may be assigned to immigration functions at other times. But when he collects your receipt he's working a customs function. Is it a silly distinction and a poor reason to refuse a reasonable request? To me the answer is yes.
#73
Join Date: Sep 2011
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The customs agent who takes your GE receipt is NT the one who processes you into the country for immigration purposes. He may have a stamp. He may work for the same department. He may be assigned to immigration functions at other times. But when he collects your receipt he's working a customs function. Is it a silly distinction and a poor reason to refuse a reasonable request? To me the answer is yes.
#74
Join Date: Mar 2010
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My experience was that all uniformed CBP officers always carried guns regardless of their immediate assignment duties.
#75
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CBP handles immigration and customs functions. And the delineation between the functions of immigration control and customs control used to be strong, but is now basically nothing like what it used to be several decades ago.
Not all uniformed CBP always carry guns on duty at airports.
Not all uniformed CBP always carry guns on duty at airports.