Another awesome US immigration experience • Hacker News Board

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#161

Post by UnoriginalGuy » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 10:40 AM UTC

iloveponies wrote: post #2

So I've experienced something similar minus the overcrowded room with British immigration. I watched the immigration official turn from apathy the moment I handed my passport over into passive agression with loaded questions ("When was the last time you were deported?" answer: "never") into apologies ("Sorry for making you wait sir there clearly has been a misunderstanding") to vague answers to the question of future…

British immigration are as bad as US immigration.

They aren't even polite, which as a Brit' myself I am both shocked and disappointed with.

I'd like to see changes there...

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#162

Post by gadders » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 10:43 AM UTC

I know everyone hates on the US Immigration people, but as a fairly regular traveller to the US (normally at least twice a year, mixture of business and pleasure), I've never had a bad experience. The guards I've dealt with have never been less than professional, and some have gone out of their way to make smalltalk ("You have nice handwriting" (?), "Your birthday is the same as mine.") etc.

I even got let back through immigration from baggage control as I had a bad stomach and really badly needed to use the toilet, No guns were drawn on me.

Of course, it probably helps that I'm white and British, but I thought I would offer up at least one counterpoint.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#163

Post by Nursie » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 10:45 AM UTC

jzwinck wrote: post #149

adrianmsmith wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over the years, I guess you've tried various different approaches talking to the staff at immigration. Friendly, apologetic, assertive, and so on. What worked best? What would you recommend for someone else in that situation?

Say as little as possible. Speak clearly. And if entering the UK, have a bank statement with you. They like people with money (this is not something I made up, it's in the immigration rules, called "maintenance").

If you have no money then you may be there to make some (is the thinking).

If you can show you have enough money to support yourself and get out again then it will make your life easier. However they will already need to be suspicious of you to take an interest in this.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#164

Post by raverbashing » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 10:46 AM UTC

precisioncoder wrote: post #150

raverbashing wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Some might prefer Canada or the US, but it would likely be generally equivalent. In those cases, I guess I don't see the reason why controls are still strict" Well, are they? Border control at US/Canada seems to be more for everybody else rather than Canadians/Americans. Most people are 'waved' through. Except for the need of a work permit, I'd say it's pretty non existent. Of course in the EU this is much better

Depends on the side... when crossing into the US (as a Canadian) everyone in my car was taken separately into a tiny room and grilled by an agent, and our car was searched extensively. The whole process took about 3-4 hours, all of us had clean criminal records and were just passing into the US for a day to be tourists in Maine. On our way back the Canadian agent waved us through.

Yes, I understand there are cases like these, and even worse.

I guess it also depends on the location, I crossed only once, through Vermont

My experiences in airports entering the US (as someone who needs a visa) have been without hassle, thankfully.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#165

Post by raverbashing » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 10:51 AM UTC

doktrin wrote: post #120

jacquesm wrote: post #18

As long as you feel the benefits outweigh the downsides the only person you can complain to is yourself. You're still going there aren't you? I've had an episode quite comparable to this one and it was the last time I visited the US. I don't bitch about it, I don't begrudge the border guards their jobs or attitude (I assume they get a lot of shit heaped on them every day, not an excuse for a non-professional attitude…

> As long as you feel the benefits outweigh the downsides the only person you can complain to is yourself. You're still going there aren't you? I disagree with this line of reasoning. It is fully valid to complain about injustice and unfair policies. It's not a binary choice between complete avoidance and submitting to some arbitrary humiliation. I might also add that you are speaking from a position of considerable…

You are correct.

Sometimes the choice is between risk of "secondary screenings" in the US and high chances of harm and hostilities in the home country.

And maybe you just want or need to visit the US, most likely for business reasons. Still, I spent my last vacations in the US and it was great.

People shouldn't take the whole country for the government.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#166

Post by philwelch » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 10:53 AM UTC

dkokelley wrote: post #85

I would not want to be a non-citizen in America. I love my country, but I agree with the general sentiment that we have things very wrong when it comes to treatment of non-citizens. I believe that much of it stems from fears about 9/11. The Bill of Rights does lots to protect US citizens from an agressive/repressive government. The spirit of the law is that there are basic human rights that the government can't remov…

Perhaps when entering the country, and there is a risk of deportation, and the difficulty of immigrating legally puts far too many people on unsafe footing due to the constant risk of being reported, but on a basic, everyday level you have the same rights. If you get pulled over on the road, the cop can't search your car without a warrant, whether you're a US citizen or just a tourist.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#167

Post by alexkus » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 11:04 AM UTC

My first two attempts at entry to the US on my H1-B were simple, maybe one question and in I go. It was the third entry that they asked more questions and asked to see more paperwork (which I did have with me).

I guess it's to catch people who obtain visa/green-cards and then pass them off to others or their situation changes (and they no longer qualify for the visa). I'd also guess that frequent visitors to the US go through at least one of these increased scrutiny experiences every few years. I don't think it's unreasonable given the amount of problems they have with people trying to sneak into the country; I know that I don't have a right to be there so I expect some hassle.

The only other problem I had was coming back into the US after I'd gone to Canada for a friend's wedding (all on a VWP); so UK->US, then two weeks later US->Canada->US, and I wasn't due to fly back to the UK for another 2 weeks or so. I was nowhere near the 90 days of my original VWP, but they might have thought I was taking a quick trip to Canada in order to reset my 90 days with a new VWP entry. It just took a few extra minutes explanation.

Other than that I've done lots of trips to the US (20 on the Visa Waiver Program, 5 with my H1-B and another 10 or so since I moved back to the UK) with no problems at all.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#168

Post by nottrobin » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 11:35 AM UTC

Thanks so much for sharing this.

I think treatment of immigrants by border controls is shocking, and the biggest problem is how little attention / voice the problem gets.

Please continue to write about your experiences.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#169

Post by nottrobin » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 11:38 AM UTC

aneth4 wrote: post #132

Immigration processes millions of people each day. There are going to be mistakes. This sounds like they got a false positive, investigated, and released him. That's how the process is supposed to work. Making this into some massive anti-American rant says more about the author than America. This experience sounds unpleasant, but like it was handled professionally. I've spent an hour being searched by customs. I don'…

When was the last time you had to wait in one crowded room for 3 hours without being allowed to use your phone, and without a seat?

The last time I was in a situation anywhere close to this was when I accompanied my girlfriend to get her visa renewed in London. We had to wait for about 5 hours in a fairly crowded hot room with pretty uncomfortable seats. But we had each other's company and while there was a sign saying we weren't allowed to use electronic devices, most people seemed to be ignoring it, so it wasn't so bad.

But still worse than anything I ever have to experience in my normal travel as a white British man.

Re: Another awesome US immigration experience

#170

Post by freyfogle » Mon, Jan 07, 2013, 11:54 AM UTC

_pferreir_ wrote: post #156

mdasen wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm somewhat of the feeling of the second paragraph. However, in some ways it is happening in the EU. As the EU enlarges, it generally creates a larger area of free travel/work/residence. Heck, if the US and Canada opened up immigration 100%, there wouldn't be hell because the countries are pretty similar. Some might prefer Canada or the US, but it would likely be generally equivalent. In those cases, I guess I don't…

I'm curious as to how much longer the Schengen space will subsist. As EU-skeptic parties rise in opinion polls again, it will not be long till all conceivable social issues are blamed on immigrants.

You have to take a bit longer view.

Several generations ago it was normal that Europeans had a major war once a generation. Every village in Germany, France, Britain has a monument in it with long lists of names of men who died. Today we can all move freely, work together, share ideas, in many cases even share the same currency, etc. That sometimes causes friction, people like to complain, and newspapers run the occasional sensationalist headline to sell copies. The reality is literally millions of EU citizens now travel in, do business with, interact with, study in, and (in the case of EU elections) even vote in each other's countries. We've come a very, very long way. It has become so normal it almost isn't mentioned any more. Does that mean everything is perfect when different cultures meet? No, of course not. But at least we're not killing each other anymore.

I hope next year when we reach the 100th anniversary of WWI (the sheer scale of the carnage is difficult for us to even fathom today) more is made of how far we've come. And if you think that this progress was all inevitable, consider as a counter example that in our lifetimes there was still ethnic cleansing happening in Europe in Yugoslavia. Peace is hard work, we should all be very thankful.