International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
1–10 of 402 posts
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#2I recently visited the US and I thought the process was going to be hell after reading a lot of these threads on HN. Turns out it was pretty chill, got some questions before boarding and was selected for extra security check. Then upon landing I got like 3 questions from the officer, how long I would stay, where my friends were and what the purpose of my trip was.
Sure they didn't seem very friendly but it wasn't a big of a hassle. I didn't bring my laptop though because I don't want it searched.
It seems like you run on luck mostly. You only need to give up passwords and such if you are unlucky.
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#3Woah... this definitely seems over the board! If all of this is required, it's a recent thing, I guess.
I have been to the US multiple times with a B1-Business Visa and didn't do any of this stuff. I just showed up and the customs officer asked a bunch of questions about my purpose of visit and that's about it. I didn't need any invitation letter or hotel bookings, etc.
Hotel bookings and a LOT of other documentation is required when applying for a tourist / business visa for Europe or UK, but traveling to the US has always been fairly straightforward (except that you need to make two visits the US embassy or consulate twice for the visa formalities).
At all times, I had my company laptop with all the data + source code.
Is this something that has recently begun?
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#4Woah... this definitely seems over the board! If all of this is required, it's a recent thing, I guess. I have been to the US multiple times with a B1-Business Visa and didn't do any of this stuff. I just showed up and the customs officer asked a bunch of questions about my purpose of visit and that's about it. I didn't need any invitation letter or hotel bookings, etc. Hotel bookings and a LOT of other documentation…
Yes. Recent (this administration) policies allow for demanding passwords etc. at the border. There was an incident where a NASA engineer lost control of sensitive data as a result https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/02/a-nas...
It's not paranoia. Welcome to 2017.
Edit: It's not like they're scanning every cell phone that enters the country... but they reserve the right to.
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#5Besides the obvious "don't cross the border with work data", I found this recommendation much more interesting:
[ask] for someone to remove you from the Basecamp team for 1Password so you no longer have access to Basecamp logins and passwords.
Maybe we should temporarily suspend our employee's accounts too when they travel to the US.
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#6Woah... this definitely seems over the board! If all of this is required, it's a recent thing, I guess. I have been to the US multiple times with a B1-Business Visa and didn't do any of this stuff. I just showed up and the customs officer asked a bunch of questions about my purpose of visit and that's about it. I didn't need any invitation letter or hotel bookings, etc. Hotel bookings and a LOT of other documentation…
US Customs asserts the right to search (and if necessary, force you to unlock) any electronic device you bring with you, and to make copies of data found on those devices. A non-citizen who refuses search can be detained and/or denied entry to the US.
Examples:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/11/30...
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/02/a-nas...
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#7I recently visited the US and I thought the process was going to be hell after reading a lot of these threads on HN. Turns out it was pretty chill, got some questions before boarding and was selected for extra security check. Then upon landing I got like 3 questions from the officer, how long I would stay, where my friends were and what the purpose of my trip was. Sure they didn't seem very friendly but it wasn't a b…
any reason for extra security check, are you white man?
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#8I recently visited the US and I thought the process was going to be hell after reading a lot of these threads on HN. Turns out it was pretty chill, got some questions before boarding and was selected for extra security check. Then upon landing I got like 3 questions from the officer, how long I would stay, where my friends were and what the purpose of my trip was. Sure they didn't seem very friendly but it wasn't a b…
> You only need to give up passwords and such if you are unlucky.
Very comforting, isn't it? Especially when this is said about a legal process.
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#9I recently visited the US and I thought the process was going to be hell after reading a lot of these threads on HN. Turns out it was pretty chill, got some questions before boarding and was selected for extra security check. Then upon landing I got like 3 questions from the officer, how long I would stay, where my friends were and what the purpose of my trip was. Sure they didn't seem very friendly but it wasn't a b…
Luck and skin melanin content have an interesting inverse relationship when it comes to these things...
Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees
#10I live in Europe. From my perspective going to US looks like going to some kind totalitarian country. First I have to got visa which is not automatically approved because I'm Polish not British. Then I have to go trough a lot of, mostly pointless, security checks, checking social accounts, interrogations, scans and manual personal revisions. On any stage of that I can be handcuffed and sent back to Europe for almost no reason. It's sad but from where I sits US starts to look like all of those countries they was fighting with "for the freedom".