STBCypriot

I have traveled internationally at least 5 times a year for 20+ years and in all that time I have never ever had to show my passport to the customs agent collecting the customs form that is stamped by immigration when you show your passport upon arrival to the US (I have a US passport). Not at ATL, LAX, JFK, MSP, HNL, or DTW. So I always secure my passport after passing through immigration, keeping the customs form available to hand in after collecting my bags.

On a recent trip where I arrived at JFK, I followed my normal procedure and put away my passport after going through immigration (after waiting an agonizing 3 hours to get through - welcome home folks! ), and after collecting my bags I handed the stamped form to the customs agent who then asked to see my passport. So I dug it out of my carry-on and he just glanced at it and sent me on my way. But why? Just to slow the line and annoy the already frustrated people who had spent 3 hours in line at immigration?

chollie

This is surprising to me. I have always had to show my passport to the customs officer after immigration.

Just once, clearing at ORD, I had used GE, so I had the kiosk slip instead of the blue form. My passport's in a clear cover (to keep all the security stickers from gumming up the cover). Agent demanded to see my GE 'sticker'! I got GE very early on and the local office didn't give out stickers; fortunately, I had made a special trip into a CBP office a couple months earlier just to get the sticker.

I don't know what he would have done if I hadn't had it - sent me to the back of the regular line, perhaps? Except then I would have been in a spot, because I didn't have a blue card filled out and no easy way to go backwards through immigration to get one...

cordelli

Total guess, for whatever reason they may have thought you had something to hide by not having it out. If you had it in your hand, they may have just waived you through.

I always hold the form and the passport together, once or twice in probably ten years they have asked to see it, and it's been nothing more than a fast zip through it. I think they just want to see that you actually have it, and that it's a US passport.

chollie

+1

That's probably it. I put it away and had to take it back out the first couple times I traveled; since then I keep it out. Sometimes there's a cursory glance (presumably to make sure it's me), sometimes not, but I have also heard the customs officers tell other pax with just the blue sheet that passport is required.

Just another 'layer', I guess.

catocony

I've never had Customs ask for my passport unless I'm getting a secondary.

drewguy

At that point what does the sticker show? If he's checking the GE slip against your passport, fine, but then he needs to look at the name, not the sticker.

gobluetwo

I highly recommend applying for Global Entry. It costs $100, but you can get the fee waived/reimbursed if you have certain airline statuses (e.g., UA Platinum and higher) or a Platinum (?) AmEx. It will save you all those hours waiting in line to see the immigration agent when you return home.
http://www.globalentry.gov/

cparekh

As far as I can recall, I had sometimes had to show my passport, and sometimes I have not. As best as I can tell, they are trying to verify that the form is mine. It's always very cursory, and never causes me to even really break stride.

I second the recommendation to get Global Entry, though I would say to get NEXUS, if Canadian border cities are convenient. It's half the price and includes GE plus NEXUS benefits.