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Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

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Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#31

Post by moritzplassnig »

zegl wrote: post #20
willvarfar wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except if that were so they'd just routinely stop him on arrival instead. We've had countless stories of programmers being interviewed crossing borders and offered deals. There was one on HN just last week about a programmer tweeting about being approached, but I can't find that story.. but its their MO. Do-Not-Fly is for people they fear might blow up the plane before it arrives in the US.

I think that the US and the Swedish airlines are co-operating so that the airline doesn't have to pay for the flight back to Sweden, in case of being denied entry. Many controls are done before leaving Sweden.

Airlines normally utilize your return flight for that. But, it could still mean that their next flight back is slightly (more) overbooked and so they are incentivised to make sure to only board people who have a high chance to get through immigration.

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#32

Post by ajeet_dhaliwal »

The no explanation is the worst part for anything like this. Impossible to determine what to do or what reason they had, just denied. It's not just the government either, look at how some tech companies have a policy of providing no explanation for interview rejections too. It's a lack of respect for anyone but oneself.

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#33

Post by pricechild »

Capt-RogerOver wrote: post #28

He seems to have tried to enter USA using ESTA. ESTA is not a visa, it's a visa-waiver program. It's specifically created as an easier method of entering a country, but as a trade-off, it says in the terms that they can deny it for any reason with no questions. This does not mean that the person cannot enter the country per se, it just means they need to apply for a real visa.

It's frustrating they couldn't warn him prior to the hour of travel? I find it difficult to believe they'll have rejected him for something they couldn't have contacted him about days or weeks ago. With ESTA they've got perfect contact details too?

I assume he's lost the price of the flight? Travel insurance wouldn't repay it?

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#34

Post by zerr »

Capt-RogerOver wrote: post #28

He seems to have tried to enter USA using ESTA. ESTA is not a visa, it's a visa-waiver program. It's specifically created as an easier method of entering a country, but as a trade-off, it says in the terms that they can deny it for any reason with no questions. This does not mean that the person cannot enter the country per se, it just means they need to apply for a real visa.

> it says in the terms that they can deny it for any reason with no questions

Same goes for any visa.

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#35

Post by vbezhenar »

benmarks wrote: post #17

Denied before boarding? I'd first level blame at the airline / CBP connection, rather than a DNF entry or change to ESTA status. Curious to hear what happens. Ironic, as someone pointed out on Twitter, that likely cURL is probably used somewhere in the chain of communication!

I wrote some software for police at some moment. Years later I was visiting police station and I saw them using my software to check me. It was interesting experience.

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#37

Post by davidbanham »

akie wrote: post #26
sacheendra wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess its both. Newsworthy people visit the USA more often than other countries due the concentration of a lot of companies and conferences. So, I believe denial of entry happens more often than in other countries. But, there is also the running trend of focusing on bad/silly things happening in the USA.

To be honest, my experience is that US border checks are very aggressive (like, passive aggression and suspicion is the default attitude). I've seen worse, but my last entrance into the US (in 2012) featured barking sniffer dogs and open distrust – and I'm a white middle class European traveling from a European country. Don't get this much in other places.

The US border is awful for travellers. I'm Australian, so a very friendly nation, and it sucks every time. Much worse than borders in Europe or Asia.

I refuse to travel to the states these days whether for work or pleasure. The fact that it seems to be getting worse rather than better is very worrying.

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#38

Post by cturner »

akie wrote: post #26
sacheendra wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess its both. Newsworthy people visit the USA more often than other countries due the concentration of a lot of companies and conferences. So, I believe denial of entry happens more often than in other countries. But, there is also the running trend of focusing on bad/silly things happening in the USA.

To be honest, my experience is that US border checks are very aggressive (like, passive aggression and suspicion is the default attitude). I've seen worse, but my last entrance into the US (in 2012) featured barking sniffer dogs and open distrust – and I'm a white middle class European traveling from a European country. Don't get this much in other places.

I'm anglo-australian, I have had only good experiences with the staff, regular traveller over ten years. Some shocking queues and missed connections. US has a policy of putting you through customs even if you are doing an international transfer. But border personnel themselves consistently good.

Re: Author of cURL denied entry to the USA

#40

Post by y0ghur7_xxx »

This may be unpopular on an US-centric site like HN, but the US looks more and more like they want to isolate themselves from the rest of the world: very strict immigration policy, travelers molested by TSA on airports, ...

These conferences where people around the world meet should start to be hosted somewhere else. Not in the USA anymore. Somewhere in a country that welcomes people instead of treating all of them like possible threats.

Just organize All Hands in Berlin next year. Or Barcelona, or Munich, or Stockholm, or Amsterdam, or whatever. Just not the US anymore. Americans don't want foreigners on their soil. Or at least everything looks that way from the outside. Let them be that way.

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