Clerical errors and red flags: A story about me going through US immigration

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AisleSeat

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Thought I'd share this one as it's been a major annoyance for me over the last 7 years. (Hopefully it is now resolved, I'll find out next March!)

So, back in 2009 I worked at a summer camp in the US, all legit, proper visa etc.

Since then, every time I've visited I've either had the pre-boarding extra check or pulled aside for secondary screening at US immigration, or both.

I was always asked at immigration if I'd ever been a student in the US (No). After researching, I realised that the visa which is used for summer camp counsellors (J1) is the same visa issued to international students to the US. From then on when I got asked the question, I'd always state that I worked at a summer camp. I figured that this was probably a case of them thinking I had been a student because of the visa type, but something on their screen was telling them something extra. I was always let go to carry on. (I did almost miss a connecting flight once though because of this secondary screening).

Fast forward to 2015. I arrived at LAX with my family (after having to do pre-boarding check in Aus, again, for the 100th time, ugh.) Once again at immigration, I was asked to go to secondary (Wife and daughter have US passports so all fine for them).

The immigration agent was very courteous and I think didn't understand why I had to be there. He said there was a whole bunch of things on his screen that didn't add up and he was going to go and look into it more. (We had a few hours til our connecting flight so I wasn't too bothered about time).

So maybe 20 minutes go by and he comes back.

Apparently someone at the summer camp had entered into the system that the program was cancelled and that I did not finish it, effectively terminating my visa, which was not true!

This also meant that I was flagged as overstaying, but he could see clearly from my exit record that I had not.

OK! Now we were getting somewhere!

He started asking where I had been in the world and named off a bunch of countries: North Korea, Ukraine, Indonesia, Thailand, Libya etc... (All no except Indo and Thailand)

Then he says, "I've got one other country on my list that is also a reason you've been flagged."

"Have you ever been to the Middle East? Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon?"

"No, no, no, no...uh...I've stopped over in the UAE for a connecting flight?"

"Well, there's a country here, can you think a bit more?"

I was really struggling trying to think of where I'd been, I've never been to the Middle East!

Then it hit me: "Egypt?"

"That's the one we've got here, when and why were you there?"

I was on the verge of saying "Egypt's in Africa, not the Middle East", but I kept my mouth shut about that.

"I dive quite a lot and the Red Sea is one of the top places in the world". (It really is) (Also my reasons for Indo and Thailand)


He acknowledged that some mistakes had been made, and apologised that this had dragged on for so long and never been corrected. I waited while he wrote what seemed like a long email to whoever explaining the details and for it to be corrected. What a guy, he was the first person in years who explained all this.

Guess I'll find out next March if it has in fact been sorted out.
 
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I will have two transits (hopefully with visas) in Cairo in January.

What information is shared with the authorities in the US?

Will they only know I've been to Egypt if I get a visa or is a flight to and from sufficient to pop up on their system?
 
I will have two transits (hopefully with visas) in Cairo in January.

What information is shared with the authorities in the US?

Will they only know I've been to Egypt if I get a visa or is a flight to and from sufficient to pop up on their system?

Hi Danger,

I'm certain the reason that Egypt is in their system is because when I applied for my J1 visa I had to list all the countries I'd been to in the last 10 years.

I suppose if you go the US and an immigration agent sees your Egypt visas in your passport (from what I remember it's all but a postage stamp, but that may have changed) they may have questions though.
 
I'm wondering if this is where a 'redress number' comes in? As I understand it if, you are flagged in their system and have been shown to be legit, you apply for, hopefully get, and then quote a 'redress number' in LOFAP bookings and it should clear the way in future.

Maybe some-one can clarify this here, but look into it if the problems continue.
 
I'm wondering if this is where a 'redress number' comes in? As I understand it if, you are flagged in their system and have been shown to be legit, you apply for, hopefully get, and then quote a 'redress number' in LOFAP bookings and it should clear the way in future.

Maybe some-one can clarify this here, but look into it if the problems continue.
I've been wondering about a redress number for a while. If the situation has not been resolved in March, I'll be applying for one.
 
I will have two transits (hopefully with visas) in Cairo in January.

What information is shared with the authorities in the US?

Will they only know I've been to Egypt if I get a visa or is a flight to and from sufficient to pop up on their system?

FWIW I've never had any questions entering the USA with Egyptian visas (x2) in passport. This was after 9/11. Same for family member entering USA in 2015 with Egyptian visa in 2014 - no flag.
 
Your countries visited include Egypt, Libya and North Korea - no wonder you're flagged. Funnily, Egypt is probably the one I'd have thought they'd be least worried about.

And adding Thailand to the mix wouldn't help. (Thailand on its own would not be a concern, but added to Egypt and Libya .......)
 
Why not just go to Syria and Afghanistan and be done with it!
 
To clarify, I haven't been to Libya or North Korea, these were countries he was asking if I'd been to.
That paragraph should be edited.
 
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Clerical errors and red flags: A story about me going through US immigration - UPDATE

Just an update.

Travelled to the US last week on a new passport. My ESTA included details of my previous passport used to enter the US.
Got the black X at the kiosk (I figured it was because it was a new passport) and was funnelled through to the agent desk. I breezed through in a few minutes.
I guess everything has been sorted out?
 
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