LAX Immigration Expectations
 

We are stravelling SYD-LAX-SYD in August and will be entering under the Visa Waiver Program and
I have heard some horror stories about the LAX Immigration officers stopping people from enerting just becasue they don't like the look of them or for soemthing trivial like an unpaid parking fine ( can they even check that sort of thing ???)
Do immigration do some sort of computer check of Australian records ( not that I have anything to hide ) or do they just ask you questiosn about your trip ?
Do they take you aside in a seperate booth and interview you or is just walk up to a counter, answer some questions and get your passport stamped.

Having only ever traveleld internatioanlly to Fiji and Thailand I have never had to gp through a tough immigration process before and I always get nervous when I don't know what to expect - even though I know I have nothing to be nervous about it's just the way I am.

the thought of being turned away for no reason after 12 months of planning this holiday concerns me.

Any comments are appreciated

I don't know the technical detail of what information they can access - all I can do is share my experiences at LAX (and other US gateways).

The acutal processing is done at counters, very similar to SYD and other Australian airports. Assuming you have filled in your forms correctly (pay attention to this, it is frsutrating for all if you have to do them again), the chances are the agent will ask you a couple of questions along the lines of

'Why are you here'
'Where are you staying'
'What do you do in Australia'

Answer those honestly and you will be on your way very soon. It may not be a friendly process though. In all honesty, the worst part of the whole LAX experience are the huge queues. My last time, arriving on CX from HKG saw me wait 1.5 hours to get through.

I go through the US about 8 times a year for a variety of reasons and have only had a problem once. This was on an old passport, with lots of stamps from the Middle East which attracted attention and got me a secondary screening. That was a couple of years ago at YYZ. While rather embarassing, it hasn't done any lasting damage to my immigration file.

You do also have Customs to go through, but this is very similar to the Australian set up and should be familiar.

For peace of mind, about 6 weeks before your trip you might want to check the US Embassy web site to ensure that nothing has changed to entry requirements. And make sure your passport still has enough life!

Make sure to fill out the back of the green I94-W form you'll get as well (many people forget to fill out the back and thus hold up the process). Also just be prepared for general unfriendliness from the people you deal with.

Just be honest and don't make any mistakes on the green form. The best advice I was ever given on filling out the form was to start at the bottom, anybody who has put their gender next to their surname on the first line will know what I mean.

Spike

Depending on the agen you get it can be a pleasant experience or a very bad introduction to your visit to the USA!
On my first visit a very polite agent asked me a few questions and then let me pass with the comment "Welcome to the USA and enjoy your stay".
On my sencond visit a grumpy agent interrogated me and wanted my fingerprints. I placed my left finger on the sensor first but got yelled at "you idiot I told you to place your right finger there!"
so it really depends on the person
Good luck

YYZ ? Does canadians share their immigration system with American ? (it's really a question, I read somewhere else on these boards that you could pass immigration before boarding at some canadian airport, how does it work ? Are you cleared by US or canadian LEO ?)

Richelieu, the INS have a pre-clearance facility at YYZ for US bound flights. You clear both immigration and customs before boarding the plane, thus allowing the flights to use domestic gates on arrival in the US. It is a good facility for avoiding the sometimes horrific immigration queues at somewhere like ORD, though YYZ facility has a well deserved reputiation for being staffed by some nasty people.

DUB has a pre-clearance facility too, as do some Carribbean islands.

remember to tell the officer your proposed duration of stay in the USA. He/ She will be the one who grant you the days that you'll be legally be admitted into the USA.

Trip postponed
 

Unforntunately, due to Rae's work we have had to put of the trip till next year :(
So now that I have time I think I will apply for a Visa to put my mind at rest.

Thanks everyone for your feedback

If it makes everyone feel any better, the Immigration folks sometimes treat returning US citizens badly too! :D