Anyone travel regularly to the USA? (Immigration / Border control question)

[Feek]

Aren't you Irish? This, as much as I hate to say it, really doesn't help.

I severely doubt it has any effect. Why would it?

IRA init

But Americans love the Irish and the IRA so it would have the opposite effect!

I don't know what to suggest, Scuzi. I've got a friend who used to be the chief customs officer at Andrews Airforce base which meant that Dulles was part of his jurisdiction so whenever I went over there he'd meet me off the mobile people carrier things and rush me through customs but even then we had one jumped up idiot who tried to slow things down but soon realised that he was making a potentially career damaging move when he twigged who we were with!

 

[Fourstar]

I don't know if applying for a visitor's visa (B2) may help. The visa waiver acts in lieu of a formal visa but immigration may treat a B2 with more authority. You would have to contact the Embassy to find out.

Presumably the worries are terrorism, transportation of illicit materials or that you intend to remain in the states illegally.

With the latter you can only demonstrate the strength of your ties to Blighty. Job, home, mortgage, return flights, previous round trips etc.

I was happy to have the opposite when I was working in the states under B1 then H1B. At first it was "Why are you coming to my country?", then taking the mickey at me saying "zed" rather than "zee", later still they would just wave me through with hardly a word.

Aren't you Irish? This, as much as I hate to say it, really doesn't help.

The Yanks used to be the IRA's biggest source of funding. Only after 9/11 did the message finally hit home that the IRA was not involved in some noble, Braveheart like battle for freedom and their lands.

Here is a BBC article from the time:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1563119.stm

I once made the mistake of wandering into an IRA pub on Manhattan back in 2000. There were flags, slogans, a collection pot and a whole host of people who didn't look amused with a couple of brits in their bar. We left..

 

[Edward78]

Poor OP, he obviously has the money to travel and see his gf regularly but he could eventually be denied this tax paying right just because of a few stupid individuals

Yep, that is how it works here, some idiot does something & makes it harder for everyone else to do it. Some use meds. to make meth, so us none meth makers have a harder time getting them.

I once made the mistake of wandering into an IRA pub on Manhattan back in 2000. There were flags, slogans, a collection pot and a whole host of people who didn't look amused with a couple of brits in their bar. We left..

Blimey mate

 

[mnemonic]

I don't know if applying for a visitor's visa (B2) may help.

My Dad kept having issues because of a past issue with a waiver. They seemed to think he'd have much less trouble getter a proper visa from the embassy.

 

[Tomsk]

TBH I don't think there is much you can do.
AFAIK the border control person has the final say on who they let in.

edit
You can have look here - http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/legally_admitted_to_the_u_s.xml
Perhaps you try and enroll as atrusted traveller.

 

[meghatronic]

How is that meant to help? I always said "business" and still started getting the third degree. I had to have letters from the president of the company in the end!

It explains regular travelling a lot easier than seeing the girlfriend. In my experience.

 

[Scuzi]

It explains regular travelling a lot easier than seeing the girlfriend. In my experience.

Then they ask what type of business, who with, where etc... and the lie spirals out of control and I get deported. Yeah, great idea!
I'm not going to lie to a CBP officer. The bread and butter of their job is to spot lies and when they do, they suddenly aren't going to be so friendly and welcoming.

 

[me227]

You've got dual nationality Scuzi. Just alternate between your Irish and British Passport if you've got both. Might look suspicious though if they find out!

 

[bigredshark]

Then they ask what type of business, who with, where etc... and the lie spirals out of control and I get deported. Yeah, great idea!
I'm not going to lie to a CBP officer. The bread and butter of their job is to spot lies and when they do, they suddenly aren't going to be so friendly and welcoming.

Good move, nothing good ever comes out of lying to immigration in the end. If you're getting questioned at length again maybe ask the officer if there's anything you can do to speed things up in future, just in a friendly way, what I would do.

 

[Crizzy]

You need to satisfy Homeland that you are doing exactly what you say you are, remember you are not entitled entry and you have to meet all the requirements of a visitor.

As already stated you need to take as much evidence as possible with you to present to the immigration officials. This includes flight information, evidence you can afford the tickets and support yourself with access to funds (wage slips, bank statements etc). You need to be able to explain why you are able to take so much time off from work as a week off after every 3 or 4 is quite a lot (nice for some eh!). Maybe carry your business card or employment contract?

The problem you have is that the more time you spend in the States the higher the risk you are from an immigration point of view as you may be tempted to overstay/work illegally. This obviously isn't the case however so you need to be able to prove the contrary.

Make sure you get your passport stamped when leaving the States as building up good immigration history in your passport will further show that you are sticking the the rules. If for some reason you don't get your passport stamped on the way out then ask a UK Immigration Officer to do so when you get back home.

None of this will guarantee you entry however, but as long as you do the above I don't see why you should have any problems.

Hope this helps!

 

[benneh]

I find it strange that an air traffic controller gets hassled. You direct the planes!?!. Don't they back off rapidly when you mention that?.

 

[Scuzi]

You need to satisfy Homeland that you are doing exactly what you say you are, remember you are not entitled entry and you have to meet all the requirements of a visitor.

As already stated you need to take as much evidence as possible with you to present to the immigration officials. This includes flight information, evidence you can afford the tickets and support yourself with access to funds (wage slips, bank statements etc). You need to be able to explain why you are able to take so much time off from work as a week off after every 3 or 4 is quite a lot (nice for some eh!). Maybe carry your business card or employment contract?

The problem you have is that the more time you spend in the States the higher the risk you are from an immigration point of view as you may be tempted to overstay/work illegally. This obviously isn't the case however so you need to be able to prove the contrary.

Make sure you get your passport stamped when leaving the States as building up good immigration history in your passport will further show that you are sticking the the rules. If for some reason you don't get your passport stamped on the way out then ask a UK Immigration Officer to do so when you get back home.

None of this will guarantee you entry however, but as long as you do the above I don't see why you should have any problems.

Hope this helps!

I didn't know it was possible to get your passport stamped on returning. I'll ask about that next time. Thanks!

I find it strange that an air traffic controller gets hassled. You direct the planes!?!. Don't they back off rapidly when you mention that?.

You'd think! They usually do ask something about the job but I think its the amount of vacation time they have trouble comprehending because over in the US, people in general get a lot less vacation time. Trying to tell them that working 180 days a year constitutes a full time job is difficult! Last week the CBP officer actually said to me, "You sure you got a job? How do you get all this vacation?"

 

[Crizzy]

I didn't know it was possible to get your passport stamped on returning. I'll ask about that next time. Thanks!

You'd need to ask for it and explain why but it shouldn't be a problem

 

[TurbotH]

Don't get a girlfriend over the internet?

Went to the US and Canada when i was 17 with a mate. US customs searched our stuff, made my mate take his shoes off and scanned them (now common practice). Upon finding a Toblerone (sp?) the (african american) security guard said 'you like chocolate?'. I wasnt sure if this was a come on or just a very stupid question

 

[Scuzi]

You'd need to ask for it and explain why but it shouldn't be a problem

Cool

Don't get a girlfriend over the internet?

I didn't.

 

[TurbotH]

Was just a joke. Out of interest do you fly economy? Have you worked out any stuff you can bring back from the states and sell on ebay for a massive mark up?