Passport stamps when entering US?
Aug 26, 2010, 1:14 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Seattle WA USA
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Posts: 251
Nevertheless I really do not like my passport stamped as by the US as it is a waste of space to me. If i need proof I can show entry / exit stamps from other countries.
Oct 2, 2010, 9:56 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: CEB & LAS
Programs: CX GO, TSA Pre✓ Afflictions: TSASS
Posts: 734
Just ask nicely
Years ago I realized that, as a US citizen, I was only getting entry stamps on a somewhat random basis, and I also realized I was running out of my extra pages. So now I just ask politely when I hand over my passport:
"Could I ask a small favor? I'd like to request no entry stamp, to help me conserve pages."
I started that 3-4 years ago and I haven't had a single entry stamp since. If you are friendly and polite about it, it also has the side benefit of establishing that you are a nice person, and not one of the grumpy jerks behind you.
I imagine the same works in reverse if you want some extra stamps...
-Jim
"Could I ask a small favor? I'd like to request no entry stamp, to help me conserve pages."
I started that 3-4 years ago and I haven't had a single entry stamp since. If you are friendly and polite about it, it also has the side benefit of establishing that you are a nice person, and not one of the grumpy jerks behind you.
I imagine the same works in reverse if you want some extra stamps...
-Jim
Oct 3, 2010, 1:09 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: LAX
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Posts: 7,161
Japanese passport with Japanese "citizen returned" stamps (ciricular stamp):
US passport with Japanese entry sticker (good way to cover redundant US entry stamps CBP shouldn't be doing to US passport holders)
BTW, anyone have concerns about how visible your entry and exit stamps are on newer US passports with dark backgrounds? Anyone with insight, let me know on the US passport - background pictures thread.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:14 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Last time through ORD, the CPB officer asked if I wanted it stamped. COuldn't see any reason I had to have it stamped, so I said "no thanks" and that was it. Every other time they just stamp it automatically.
Feb 5, 2011, 10:23 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 9
stamping passport pages
But that is what the "pages" are for in a passport: "To be STAMPED" on.
Hypothetical futuristic possibility:
Now, on the other hand, sooner or later, as the electronic world comes to our lives, we should not have passport books with pages (this will become obsolete as stamping is almost obsolete) but just a "passport card" with a magnetic strip or chip in it that will have all the information, visa, port of entry and exit dates that will show on the officers' monitors when your "passport card" is swiped....
Feb 5, 2011, 10:30 am
#23
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
So now I just ask politely when I hand over my passport:
"Could I ask a small favor? I'd like to request no entry stamp, to help me conserve pages."
I started that 3-4 years ago and I haven't had a single entry stamp since. If you are friendly and polite about it, it also has the side benefit of establishing that you are a nice person, and not one of the grumpy jerks behind you.
"Could I ask a small favor? I'd like to request no entry stamp, to help me conserve pages."
I started that 3-4 years ago and I haven't had a single entry stamp since. If you are friendly and polite about it, it also has the side benefit of establishing that you are a nice person, and not one of the grumpy jerks behind you.
Feb 5, 2011, 1:30 pm
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 35
But that is what the "pages" are for in a passport: "To be STAMPED" on.
Hypothetical futuristic possibility:
Now, on the other hand, sooner or later, as the electronic world comes to our lives, we should not have passport books with pages (this will become obsolete as stamping is almost obsolete) but just a "passport card" with a magnetic strip or chip in it that will have all the information, visa, port of entry and exit dates that will show on the officers' monitors when your "passport card" is swiped....
Hypothetical futuristic possibility:
Now, on the other hand, sooner or later, as the electronic world comes to our lives, we should not have passport books with pages (this will become obsolete as stamping is almost obsolete) but just a "passport card" with a magnetic strip or chip in it that will have all the information, visa, port of entry and exit dates that will show on the officers' monitors when your "passport card" is swiped....
A passport stamp is confirmation that one travelled. Having travel photos is not as good. Getting a stamp is 10% of the fun of the trip!
I was running short of pages so I stapled some blank ones together. Then I finally got some extra pages just before they stopped being free.
Feb 5, 2011, 2:17 pm
#26
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Do you mean you just stapled some of your own paper into your passport? And nobody hassled you for it? Sounds like a great way to save money, if it works!
Feb 5, 2011, 4:02 pm
#27
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Feb 5, 2011, 10:03 pm
#29
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,275
I've tried to force them to stamp things on the first few pages by putting a rubber band over the last half of the passport. More authoritative countries will remove the rubber band but lax countries will stamp on the pages not bound by the rubber band.
Some countries tend to be more neat. Singaporean stamps are always straight. Japanese stemps tend to be straight.
Some countries tend to be more neat. Singaporean stamps are always straight. Japanese stemps tend to be straight.
Feb 7, 2011, 1:28 pm
#30
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: YYZ
Posts: 597
Canadian Customs never stamps the passport of a Canadian Citizen.
What I find more interesting is that US CBP at YYZ stopped stamping Canadian Passports about 3 or 4 years ago - my old Passport was full of US stamps, my new one doesn't have a single stamp.
What I find more interesting is that US CBP at YYZ stopped stamping Canadian Passports about 3 or 4 years ago - my old Passport was full of US stamps, my new one doesn't have a single stamp.
