Problems obtaining a visa to enter the USA.

Capodecina
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Jul 2006
Posts
12,129
My ex had all sorts of problems because the border guard didn't believe than being an "actuary" was a real profession.

She was in tears as she didn't know how to deal with someone in a position of authority who is that stupid and states that facts are lies.
That would have been an easy one, she could have said that she was a "Grave digger" . . . no, on reflection . . . perhaps not ;)

Dealing with border guards (who tend to be thick, officious and devoid of a sense of humour) is usually the wisest course - NEVER, EVER, pat them gently on the back :eek:
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
Posts
58,899
The UK is just as bad.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51581497

I don't know what this idiot has or hasn't done, but it's incredible to think we can be charged with a terror offence for failing to hand over our phone PIN after being detained at an airport.

Good luck brute forcing mine, because I will never unlock my phone for anyone. You can threaten me all you like.

I wonder if some company like Apple could introduce say a travel mode etc.. for crossing borders. With everything on the cloud these days there is all sorts that could be accessed via unlocking a smartphone - for example anything in my documents/desktop on my laptop via iCloud etc...

Obvious potential for abuse in corporate espionage by state agencies etc... Obvs the laws generally relate to a device: phone, laptop etc... so you’d perhaps want to shut down/remove from those devices any confidential documents, and stuff stored on cloud and corporate e-mails etc... disable auto log in to social media etc... Then once in country you might want to re-enable e-mail, get your documents:emails downloaded from the cloud/company servers etc... would be ideal if there was a travel mode to automate it all - remove/restore documents/e-mail/social media access.

You just leave in place stuff like travel documents, hotel bookings and/or anything else not private/commercially sensitive.

It’s one thing to pass a law requiring you to open your device etc... it’s another thing to pass a law requiring you to provide say a password to access a company server in London to say US authorities. You could even require execs to phone IT for a code from an RSA key they can’t take with...
 
Soldato
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17 Jan 2016
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8,757
Location
Oldham
I stopped going to the US when they started wanting biometric data, iris scans and finger prints etc. It's bad enough we have to give information to our own government. But I wasn't willing to give it to a foreign government.

The only time I was held up slightly was when I was maxing out the 6 months allowed during a 12 month period.

Before 9/11 things were relaxed. Just after 9/11 when people heard I was British it was all smiles. Then the shoe bomber richard reid tried to blow up a plane heading to the US, and suddenly the reception got cold and official.
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Aug 2012
Posts
7,809
My stepson got refused USA visa
Because he had recently
Visited Russia
And got a jaywalking ticket
In Denmark lol
Hardly crime of the century
Made him wait 3 years before he
Finally got his visa
Now he's been to the USA a load
Of times with no issues


Not sure if still the case. But it used to be the case that if you had a recent Cuba stamp on your passport, they wouldn't let you in either. (6 Months??)

I believe that any conviction for non payment of fines or taxes is also a no-no. (Moral Turpitude?)

The professor, who holds British and Israeli passports,

I wouldn't let him in either! :p

We really need to get a bit more USA regarding immigration suitability

We also need to rigorously enforce a policy of deporting/refusing entry in the first place, Foreign criminals. We have enough scum of our own, we do not need, and nor should we have to tolerate, other countries scum too!.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
14 Apr 2017
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3,511
Location
London
I think the “moral turpitude” bit in the ESTA application has been removed, and it’s now worded differently, though still covering all the reasons that they’ll knock you back for.
I was watching my wife renewing her ESTA to visit a friend in NYC, she was complaining loud and long about having to fill it in, while I have a multiple entry visa that lasts ten years.
It’s even valid after the passport expires, I’ve often had to show two passports on arrival in the U.S., my current one, and a clipped one with a valid visa.
I told her to apply for a visa like the one that I have, but she cba to go to the embassy for an interview.
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Mar 2005
Posts
3,611
Location
London, UK
I had a rather interesting run in with a US immigration official he didn't like my passport I think some green card thing hadn't been removed after my previous visit and he gave me the third degree at one point I didn't think he was going to let me in got really quite angry. A few yes sir, no sir, thank you sir's later he relented.
I had a similar experience when I landed in Dallas on Sept 15 2001; yeah it was bedlam. I was dumped into a room with two immigration officers claiming I hadn't left the country. After an hour convincing them I truly had just arrived from the UK, the tact changed to demanding why I had two records on their immigration computer system. It transpired whoever had entered my details had shortened my middle name on one of the records. I was allowed entry to continue the bedlam when trying to get a connecting flight on to my actual destination.

I had another winner when landing in Chicago and being asked why I was travelling to Albuquerque.
I glibly stated "to see a girl".
His reply "Do you like Albuquerque?"
"Not really, the place is like a dirty sandpit"
"I'm from Albuquerque".
..
*mirth*
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Posts
11,057
Location
Bucks
How is this news? seriously..
its not uncommon for the US to be a bit heavy handed with who they let in.
Christ my wife used to get 100 questions when she had her old passport, as she was in Sri Lanka for 2 months during the Civil War.

In many ways they are right to assume she was out there participating in the conflict, brandishing an AK daily. The responsibility firmly lies on the individual to prove any assumptions incorrect (in this case it was time spent with friends and family).
 
Caporegime
Joined
17 Feb 2006
Posts
29,263
Location
Cornwall
Just think once we get
Proper working quantum computers
Quantum computers are a Star Trek McGuffin.

They can allegedly build them but they can't get them to do useful work, let alone do useful work at the same speed as a conventional computer.

It's all highly theoretical, and there's plenty of people who don't reckon they'll ever be useful to us for conventional workloads.
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Aug 2012
Posts
7,809
Quantum computers are a Star Trek McGuffin.

They can allegedly build them but they can't get them to do useful work, let alone do useful work at the same speed as a conventional computer.

It's all highly theoretical, and there's plenty of people who don't reckon they'll ever be useful to us for conventional workloads.

QC's are probably like everything else in the Quantum World.

They will have incredible performance, but as soon as you try to look at the answer, it will disappear! :p
 
Caporegime
Joined
17 Feb 2006
Posts
29,263
Location
Cornwall
QC's are probably like everything else in the Quantum World.

They will have incredible performance, but as soon as you try to look at the answer, it will disappear! :p
It'll be great at the immigration desk.

"The computer says we should not let you in and let you in at the same time."
 
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