travelbug2

I came back from Vietnam into Philadelphia International and unknowingly admitted on the Customs Declaration Form and to the Customs agent that I brought $11,000 back with me to and from. I was given SSSS and was interrogated by an agent for an hour about my identity, he even asked if I was in college to "make drugs". I admitted not knowing that I had to declare and fill out a special form for traveling with over $10K and he let me go and said that he will not take my money, which I know that they were supposed to. He said that I will "be flagged" for this transgression. I asked if I will be SSSS every single time I travelled internationally, and he said, "maybe". He was a nice guy and even talked about his kids with me.

It has been 2 years since, and I am planning on my first international trip to Vietnam again this summer. He did not give me any paperwork or a fine at all. So I don't know if I am flagged!! I am confused as to what happened two years ago since he didn't give me any papers, or a fine, just verbally, "you're flagged". I've travelled domestically without issues.

chgoeditor

Welcome to Flyertalk.

Just to be clear on a point of terminology -- SSSS refers to the code on a boarding pass that instructs TSA to give you extra scrutiny when coming through security and doesn't relate to Immigration issues. So the fact that you were pulled aside for additional questioning at Immigration a couple years ago theoretically shouldn't have any impact on your domestic travels.

It's impossible to predict whether you will or won't be taken for additional questioning when returning from Vietnam on this upcoming trip. Even if there is a flag on your passport, you could still pass through without any additional questioning if the agent is having a good day or is particularly swamped or just doesn't want the hassle. But you should assume that you WILL BE taken for additional questioning, and allow yourself extra time to make any connecting flights.

You say you didn't know you had to declare the money, but that's not an excuse because presumably you completed this form when you entered the US, which clearly asks you to declare whether you're bringing more than $10K into the country. I presumed you answered no to that question? In anticipation of greater questioning at Immigration following this trip, I highly recommend READING every question and answering it truthfully, because you could find yourself in hot water if you again are found to have answered the questions untruthfully.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Section 107

You will not know if you will get selected for additional screening until your boarding pass is issued.

wrp96

It sounds like the OP is asking about extra screening at customs, which won't show on a boarding pass. He wouldn't find out until he actually got to customs and was pulled aside for extra screening.

travelbug2

Yes, I checked "Yes" on that declaration form while coming back that I had more than $10,000 and admitted to the customs agent that who then sent me to SSSS and was mainly asked about my finances and chastised about the money. They were upset that I did not fill out the FinCen form 114 as required before leaving. Since I did not receive a fine, or any papers and got to keep all of my money, I was concerned as to if I was really "red flagged" or let off and he was just saying that. Thank you for replying!

GUWonder

It's unlikely that this kind of thing would result in being red-flagged for domestic flights. It's more likely to result in being flagged for CBP searches when traveling international and encountering CBP. Not surprisingly, you note having no red-flagging issues when traveling domestically; most commonly this is what is expected after being noted for a customs failing of sorts: no red-flagging on domestic trips.

But even for international trips, you may have flirted with a problem but avoided it still despite an earlier failing.

catocony

OP, getting a secondary by Immigration or Customs is not SSSS. SSSS is a very specific thing that is only an issue at a TSA checkpoint. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Immigration and Customs.

HkCaGu

I don't think they could take away your money as you had declared it coming in. The problem was that you admitted to violating when you left. The violation was not noticed at the time, and it was probably too late for enforcement.

STBCypriot

FinCen 114 is for reporting foreign banks accounts (FBAR reporting). They also use it when bringing more than $10k into the US?

kochleffel

No. They use FinCEN 105:

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/332/kw/more%20than%20$10000%20cash/session/L3RpbWUvMTQ5MzA4MTA1NC9zaWQvM3F4VXNYZ24%3D

alphaod

You may not get a second look from the TSA, but you may be subject to additional customs screening for a while. A friend of mine got in trouble for an export control violation (he didn't know) and he gets checked every single time and they think you're with him you'll get checked too.

jphripjah

As other posters have pointed out, you were not sent for SSSS. That's enhanced TSA screening.

You were sent for secondary inspection by CBP officers. About 2-3% of passengers are sent for this screening according to stuff I've read on the internet so it must be true.

You were most likely sent for secondary inspection because you checked that you had more than $10,000 in cash on you and that's a bit unusual. You mention being in college and if you're young then it's even more unusual to have over $10,000 in cash on you. Young people are often recruited as drug mules. Of course, usually the way the flow works is that drugs are smuggled into the USA and cash is smuggled out.

The CBP officers undoubtedly asked you "Why are you carrying so much money, where did you get it?" What was your answer? How much money did you take out of the USA on your trip? Did the $11,000 include cash you earned in Vietnam or was it leftover from taking much more in cash out of the USA and to Vietnam? Most college students don't visit Vietnam and take $11,000 more in cash than they need.

Are you of Vietnamese ancestry and were you taking money to or from family members? There is a "profile" that Asians returning from the USA to their home countries often travel with a lot of cash.

If you're an American citizen, you shouldn't sweat being "flagged." It just means you're likely to be sent to secondary inspection again, where you have the absolute right to refuse to answer their questions and tell them "Just search my bags and let me go." They may respond to this with threats and bluster but ultimately they will just search your bags and let you go in an hour or two.

Refusing to answer questions in secondary inspection is the smart approach, but can be stressful. I mean look what happened here, you were doing nothing wrong entering the country and declaring your cash and then it seems that you answered questions about how much you LEFT with and inadvertently admitted to doing something wrong.

I have personally been asked on return "how much money are you carrying?" and have responded "I won't answer that. You have my declaration form. Proceed with your search." Then they search me, they find $217, they let me go. Easy.

leungy18

Previous poster is incorrect.

For entering or leaving the U.S. with more than $10k, you fill in fincen 105, not fincen 114.

MSPeconomist

I don't think this is quite accurate. I've had SSSS for flights to the USA, IIRC from Latin America and once from France. It meant a hand search at the gate of my carry on bags by the local airport security officials. No TSA involvement as there were not any visible TSA employees at these airports. In these cases, when I did OLCI, I wasn't able to print my boarding passes.

redadeco

His reply was half correct, SSSS has nothing (unofficially) to do with immigration/travel patterns (although there are reports linking SSSS to travel to some parts of the world, it remains unconfirmed).

However presenting oneself with a BP with SSSS on it at a TSA checkpoint in the US will give a traveler a much harder time compared to the same situation abroad.