US Visit programme
 

When leaving SFO on friday i used a US Visit machine for the first time to check out of the country. When i was done it printed me out a receipt with my name on it. What if anything am i supposed to do with this piece of paper?
I had already handed in my I94W.
Any advice appreciated!!

I (as well as many other people) have the same question and my guess is: for the moment, we don't have to do anything with that paper; just keep it. I even re-entered the US with the same visa after exiting the US by using that machine, but nobody asked anything about the paper. In addition, my wife exited and re-entered with me but never used the machine - yet, she wasn't asked anything.

I'd keep it available as proof that you left when you were supposed to. Because sometime, for someone, that data is going to get messed up, then when they try to come back into the country or try to leave again, DHS is going to try to lock that person up claiming they overstayed their visa.

I do think the paper could be valuable for preventing future mix-ups, however I don't think a person in such a situation would be "locked up". More likely repatriated to his or her home country (and possibly disallowed re-entry to the US for either 3 or 10 yrs). Granted this is not a pleasant turn of events either, but it is not quite as harsh as being thrown in jail.

There are plenty of people "locked up" right now for visa overstays.

Probably not the most likely of events, but stranger things have happened.

It is illegal to overstay your visa. ;)

If you check-in for your Int'l departing flight and use the console to 'check out' of the country for US Visit (including turning in your I94 at check-in), and don't board the flight, how do they really know you left the country or not, especially if the console spits out a receipt that says you did.

That's pretty obvious.

Thats what i wondered, i assume they know because you hand in your i94w which is attached to your ticket when you board the plane. If thats the case what are the machines for? On some occasions the i94w has been taken at the check-in desk and sometimes ive gone back outside for a cigarette after going through security, then gone back through again. I could easily have used the machine, then gone outside again.It just doesnt make sense.

Careful! You could be giving Senator Shumer something else to raise alarm about!

"Detention" Has happened to business and tourist travellers from places like Belgium and Britain quite a bit in the past two years:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346715

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/politics/16visa.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=266392

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3106039

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265010

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...n13border.html

And this just in:

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,...744952,00.html

When an Israeli re-enters Israel, he has two possibilities:

1. He can stand on line for passport control.

2. If he is pre-registered and has a special card, he can swipe it in a machine, have his hand checked against the records, and re-enter. (This is much quicker.)

If he uses option # 1, he is handed a piece of paper by the passport control officer. He then walks about 10 meters and gives it back to a second passport control officer. I have never figured out the logic behind that.

If he uses option # 2, the machine gives him a piece of paper, he walks the same 10 meters, but this time is allowed to keep the piece of paper. I have never figured out what I am supposed to do with it.

#2 is how INSPASS worked (works?) here in the US. I miss that system, it was so quick and easy but there aren't that many wqorking INSPASS machines left anymore, if any.