US Immigration
Discussion
Just a quick question really, following a joke about latex gloves....
I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
dammit If they decide to pull you they will and there is not a lot you can do about it. I work for a US IT consultancy with head offices in San Jose, so I get to travel to the US fairly regularly.
A colleague of mine has exactly the same name as a drug dealer in the US, now despite the drug dealer being black and in prison, my mate who is white and with a brummie accent gets pulled and taken into a little room for a chat everytime.
A colleague of mine has exactly the same name as a drug dealer in the US, now despite the drug dealer being black and in prison, my mate who is white and with a brummie accent gets pulled and taken into a little room for a chat everytime.
A good way to get around this problem is to apply for a second passport. Perfectly legal, you use the same form to apply as for a replacement.
I have two so that I can still travel whilst the other is being visa'd at some consulate somewhere - indeed this week I went to Germany with one whilst the other is at the Chinese Embassy getting stamped.
The good thing is you can have one with Arabic stamps, the other with US/Isreal - prevents all sorts of issues at imigration!
Does nothing for the drug dealer issue as above though!
I have two so that I can still travel whilst the other is being visa'd at some consulate somewhere - indeed this week I went to Germany with one whilst the other is at the Chinese Embassy getting stamped.
The good thing is you can have one with Arabic stamps, the other with US/Isreal - prevents all sorts of issues at imigration!
Does nothing for the drug dealer issue as above though!
I got busted coming over the boarder from Mexico as the TSA guy didn't like an Indian visa in my passport. His supervisor took a full minute to send me on my way once I presented a business card from a US company and said that I was there for work reasons.
Incidentally, don't try playing with the TSA guys - Thousands Standing Around as I am told it stands for. Their uniform badge sums up their attituade to everone as it says "The first line of defence for the greatest nation on earth" . I kid you not. Any sarcasm will result in a trip to the back of the cue if you are lucky and then escalates to several hours in a side room and some rubber gloves and ultamately a trip to Cuba.
Incidentally, don't try playing with the TSA guys - Thousands Standing Around as I am told it stands for. Their uniform badge sums up their attituade to everone as it says "The first line of defence for the greatest nation on earth" . I kid you not. Any sarcasm will result in a trip to the back of the cue if you are lucky and then escalates to several hours in a side room and some rubber gloves and ultamately a trip to Cuba.
I got busted coming over the boarder from Mexico as the TSA guy didn't like an Indian visa in my passport. His supervisor took a full minute to send me on my way once I presented a business card from a US company and said that I was there for work reasons.
Incidentally, don't try playing with the TSA guys - Thousands Standing Around as I am told it stands for. Their uniform badge sums up their attituade to everone as it says "The first line of defence for the greatest nation on earth" . I kid you not. Any sarcasm will result in a trip to the back of the cue if you are lucky and then escalates to several hours in a side room and some rubber gloves and ultamately a trip to Cuba.
Incidentally, don't try playing with the TSA guys - Thousands Standing Around as I am told it stands for. Their uniform badge sums up their attituade to everone as it says "The first line of defence for the greatest nation on earth" . I kid you not. Any sarcasm will result in a trip to the back of the cue if you are lucky and then escalates to several hours in a side room and some rubber gloves and ultamately a trip to Cuba.
I got busted coming over the boarder from Mexico as the TSA guy didn't like an Indian visa in my passport. His supervisor took a full minute to send me on my way once I presented a business card from a US company and said that I was there for work reasons.
Incidentally, don't try playing with the TSA guys - Thousands Standing Around as I am told it stands for. Their uniform badge sums up their attituade to everone as it says "The first line of defence for the greatest nation on earth" . I kid you not. Any sarcasm will result in a trip to the back of the cue if you are lucky and then escalates to several hours in a side room and some rubber gloves and ultamately a trip to Cuba.
Incidentally, don't try playing with the TSA guys - Thousands Standing Around as I am told it stands for. Their uniform badge sums up their attituade to everone as it says "The first line of defence for the greatest nation on earth" . I kid you not. Any sarcasm will result in a trip to the back of the cue if you are lucky and then escalates to several hours in a side room and some rubber gloves and ultamately a trip to Cuba.
Mac. said:
Just a quick question really, following a joke about latex gloves....
I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
They are stupid but not that stupid, i have loads of arabic, pakistan, Saudi stamps and only get asked a few questions.I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
Mac. said:
Just a quick question really, following a joke about latex gloves....
I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
They are stupid but not that stupid, i have loads of arabic, pakistan, Saudi stamps and only get asked a few questions.I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
Mac. said:
Just a quick question really, following a joke about latex gloves....
I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
They are stupid but not that stupid, i have loads of arabic, pakistan, Saudi stamps and only get asked a few questions.I'm due to travel into the states soon with work, and I have travelled a lot recently to the UAE. Hence my passport has around five pages worth of stamps in Arabic that clearly says the UAE on them, and not some terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. I'm assuming all will be well upon landing into the USA (I've already done my visa waiver application and I'm approved), but it did cross my mind that if I get a particularly dim official at the airport, who has his eyes peeled for 'them there terrorists' could I potentially get a grilling the other side about my past visits to an Arabic country? Some of the visits are quite close together and are all quite short trips (3/4 days each)
Anything to prepare for or is my imagination running away with this one?
Cheers
Iain
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