occupation on arrival card?
 

Hello all,

I am a US citizen from USA. My plan will be backpacking and traveling across the Schengen area (including Spain,germany) and going into SE asia from around May to July (about 3 months). By that time, I will have sufficient funds to cover them plus Im not spending too long in any one country I am planning on.

As I will be entering into some countries, I know that some of these passenger arrival cards (Spain,...) I will get ask that I put down the "occupation". However I will not be in a occupation, which is a paid internship in another country until sometimes in August. Since I am a 4th year undergraduate student right now and I will be graduating in May 2013 , what should I put down there in the meantime? If I put down student, How closely will the immigration officer examine that?

Welcome to FT.

You are a student. They don't care anyway.

Having an onward ticket will be a much more important issue.

Would a onward train ticket work rather then a plane?

Also I read that they could possibly ask for proof of sufficient funds, which Im planning on having a bank statement prepared by my arrival. Any chance of that happening?

That will work. The only thing they are really concerned with on the arrival cards is making sure that
1) You plan to leave the country when you say you will.
2) You have enough funds that you are not intentionally "stranding" yourself in the country and/or resorting to robbery.
3) Any reasonable occupation is enough- you probably shouldn't put down "member/leader of [proscribed organization]", though.

A British intelligence agent upon arrival in Australia once famously wrote down "gentleman" as his occupation. The immigration officers reportedly were not amused. Why not try that?

So I assume that the sufficient funds apply within just one particular country (say Spain,which I am planning on going there for Ibiza) NOT like a broad area, such as the schengen agreement area that covers a broad span of countries? I also heard from people that travelled to a schengen country that certain ones do not ask to fill out a arrival card at all.

I did not have to fill out any paperwork to enter Spain less then 2 weeks ago.

Once you enter Schengen you will not deal with immigration again until you leave. Spain immigration form is only for Non-Schengen anyway, so unless it is your first stop from the US, you will not have to deal with them either.

I entered Spain from Jordan early last week. No form.

Several times on my tax returns I have put down "Serious Yahoo" under occupation. No problems so far :D.

For the OP and as said you are a student so put that down.

Don't make silly jokes. The reasons for the question, when asked, are self-evident. Catch a nasty border person on a bad day and wise crack and you get yourself excluded.

If you are a student, write that down.

You will almost always find the truth works best...

You are a student, taking advantage of a break to learn about some different cultures.

PS: Enjoy the trip!!! Next year you will be a wage slave like (most of) the rest of us!

Another question I have. It was sometimes in July when I was in Mongolia. As a US citizen, I was not required to get a visa since I was there for way under 90 days (33 days total). So I do not believe I overstayed my visa waiver.Yet because I did not register my passport in the mongolian immigration (its required if I was there for 30+ days), I was fined at the airport, filled out a sheet and went on. I have been advised that I was banned for 3 months and afterwards, I should have no issues reentering.

With that, would anyone know the next time I enter a completely new country (like say a schengen country such as Spain or let alone, a border tough country UK) if they pay attention or notice that? Or its only when I re-enter the same country?

How about International man of mystery?

Was your passport stamped when you got fined in Mongolia?

Yes it was stamped at entry. Upon exit after paying the fine, it was stamped as well with something suggesting that I got registered and stuff, something which not clearly understood. Anything else?

Neither Spain nor the UK co-operate closely with Mongolia on immigration matters. Even if you told an immigration officer your story, he'd probably laugh and send you on your way.

Good point. No Im not going to say anything unless they ask- but its very unlikely.

I have also clarified with a immigration attorney about that stamp as well when I apply for the chinese visa. Told me something similar that visa officers aren't going to pay much attention to that. Even stated how its impractical for other countries to check into their other countries immigration record outside their own for logistic and political reason.

So I think its safe to say that every country keeps their own immigration record and its not shared with others outside much- fines, misunderstandings.

No, I wouldn't go that far. There are a number of "discreet" stamps and markings that are used by countries such as the USA, Canada, UK, Schengen states, etc.. to denote visa refusals and/or denied admissions. These are pretty well known in the community of people that deal with these things.

Mongolia on the other hand is not exactly a hotbed of immigration fraud.

The last time I entered Korea, I had someone in training at immigration. She made a mistake with the stamp, stamped it 'VOID' then did another (normal) stamp on another page.
Would the void stamp cause me problems later on?

I did not realize that. But I could see that for countries such as UK, USA, Canada, Schengen agreement countries. Are you suggesting that neither a chinese/ china embassy visa officers, ECO(entry clearance officer) nor immigration officers would recognize that? Not to mention I have asked a immigration attorney in regards to that and he mentioned in many words that they would not take into account the stamp from the other country for something as minor as a fine or what not. I have also asked people who were former ECO about it- suggested same thing. Unless there was a criminal history involved in any place, that would be a different story- which I do not.

I have dozens of "VOID" stamps in my most recent passports. They get some looks and some questions but have not caused me any material problem. All of my "VOID" stamps are for departure stamps that have been voided -- primarily because I wanted to go back landside or to an airside lounge in the "domestic" side of the airports.

A "VOID" or "CWOP" (Cancelled WithOut Prejudice) stamp doesn't imply anything other than an administrative issue on the part of the stamper.

Like GUWonder, I have dozens of these from all over the world ranging from Ghana to India to France to USA and they have never caused an issue beyond maybe a question or two.