How much does immigration know about your trips overseas?

[Kiwi Flyer]

There are lots of reasons why they may need that info even of returning Australians.

To give just one that is topical - suppose someone on your flight had a serious and highly contagious disease? Through the contact details they can check if any other pax may need medical assistance.

not sure how serious and highly contagious diseases are currently topical ... i don't see to much evidence of anything like that.

i reckon there would be plenty of other ways that they could get people to come forward or inform people on a particular flight anyway ...

Its topical in respect of bird flu. I don't know Australian law but imagine it is similar there - in NZ if an a/c comes in with someone who has it (or any other specified contagious diseases) and it isn't detected while en route, then gov't has the power to find everyone on that flight and quarantine them if necessary.

One thing that is an issue for me, and possibly others here, is what to do in the event a quarantine is imposed or the borders are shut while travelling. Raises a few challenges to plan contingencies for.

 

[Damien]

the part of the australian customs and quarantine incoming passenger card that i have a challenge with is the part that asks an australian citizen their address.

i find that odd and a little bit annoying that i am required to provide that information as an australian citizen.

I don't really mind the address part of this process. It's having to provide the emergency contact that annoys me. I could understand if I didn't live here, but I do. :?

 

[markis10]

If that just the people doing the inbound x-ray scanning? Or is that also to the people handling the sniffer dogs etc? I have always just considered them all customs officials, but now that you mention AQIS I note the different uniform (brown for AQIS and blue for Customs).

Customs tend to look over the shoulder at the XRAY result if they suspect you have not been truthfull in filling out the forms, and both Customs and AQIS have dogs trained for detecting different things. The customs dog cages are often stacked just before the immigration desks in Sydney near the walkway that connects the terminals airside. Seem to run into the AQIS dogs often in Perth. little beagles!

 

[tanewi]

I once got asked (no twice) to provide my ticket, on arrival to Oz. Officials were not happy with my 1A Blue Edged Boarding Pass. Any logical reason? I indicated, that I didn't have one - since it was an e-ticket! and unaware of the "legal requirements" to re-enter the country of my Citizenship.

I bit like asking for my email address...

I have two which I alternate in providing..

[email protected] and
[email protected]

Well these are MY emails addresses!

 

[tanewi]

I realise it isn't the correct forum, however noticed that my last post to this thread has put me to "senior member", what are posting criteria for advancement? Are there any bonus offers currently in place i.e. replying to one of JohnK's posts accrues sstus at a faster rate? Is there such a category as "throbbing"?

 

[JohnK]

I realise it isn't the correct forum, however noticed that my last post to this thread has put me to "senior member", what are posting criteria for advancement? Are there any bonus offers currently in place i.e. replying to one of JohnK's posts accrues sstus at a faster rate? Is there such a category as "throbbing"?

When you get to 100 posts you become a posting freak and you are considered to have no life outside of AFF. Mentioning JohnK's name or replying to his posts will not get you very far on this board, in fact if you reply to too many of Johnk's posts then you become blacklisted by some members of AFF.

I once got asked (no twice) to provide my ticket, on arrival to Oz. Officials were not happy with my 1A Blue Edged Boarding Pass. Any logical reason? I indicated, that I didn't have one - since it was an e-ticket! and unaware of the "legal requirements" to re-enter the country of my Citizenship.

Back OT, I find that totally surprising. In order to have a boarding pass you would have needed to produce ticket. So I have no idea why immigration would want to see a ticket. You only show boarding pass and passport when leaving the country so I would have thought that would have been sufficient to re-enter your own country.

In fact, if I remember correctly, I have never been asked to provide provide boarding pass when returning to Oz. Only passport and incoming passenger card.

 

[NM]

I once got asked (no twice) to provide my ticket, on arrival to Oz. Officials were not happy with my 1A Blue Edged Boarding Pass. Any logical reason? I indicated, that I didn't have one - since it was an e-ticket! and unaware of the "legal requirements" to re-enter the country of my Citizenship.

They can ask for anything they want. Its often part of their process to "profile" people, and they are more interested in your reaction rather than the item.

This is why you should always carry the e-ticket receipt or a printed itinerary that oncludes the e-ticket number when using an e-ticket. Just having or knowing the booking record locator is not sufficient as that is only relevant on the booking/reservation system the agent originally used. An e-ticket receipt is just as good as a paper ticket when it comes to proof of holding a ticket.

 

[swalks]

(2) to see how accurate you are - if you are going to lie about this then this is a red flag for secondary

Hi everyone - I have been reading AFF for some time with much interest but this caught my attention enough to actually join!

Can someone please explain what "secondary" actually is? As a family we try to travel OS every year to give the kids valuable experiences - last year we were targeted in Hawaii (hence so were the family we were travelling with) because my other half has part of his index fingerprint missing. On each internal flight there was much drama with body pat downs etc when we reached X-ray and handed over boarding passes - Quote "secondary family coming through" - we were pretty good at the routine by end of holiday but have always wondered what secondary actually is and if there is a "tertiary"? :?:

 

[NM]

Can someone please explain what "secondary" actually is? As a family we try to travel OS every year to give the kids valuable experiences - last year we were targeted in Hawaii (hence so were the family we were travelling with) because my other half has part of his index fingerprint missing. On each internal flight there was much drama with body pat downs etc when we reached X-ray and handed over boarding passes - Quote "secondary family coming through" - we were pretty good at the routine by end of holiday but have always wondered what secondary actually is and if there is a "tertiary"? :?:

Welcome swalks to AFF. In your example, "secondary" refers to the US TSA Secondary Security Screening, which as you experienced means manual pat-down, wanding, shoe removal, belt removal, bag search etc.

Check and see if your boarding pass noted SSSS in large letter on the top. This is generally what the security screeners use to identify those to be secondary screened. SSSS is generally a result of the computer system "profiling" you as someone worthy of this special treatment, and may be triggered by many factors, some of which may include:

• Ticket purchased very recently (generally less than 2 weeks before)
• Ticket paid in cash
• One way ticket (and I think circle trips such as xONEx trigger this one)
• No FF account with the operating airline they can use to see previous history
• non-US citizen

There are going to be other factors as well, and nobody is going to tell us the exact criteria. And it often seems to be a combination of factors that result in the SSSS on the boarding pass. I doubt it is related to anatomic deficiencies (missing part of the index finger) but you never know what could be involved.

In my experience (and I have had a lot of SSSS experience :roll: ) if you get it on one sector of a ticket, you are very likely to get it each time. Some people have suggested ways to remove the SSSS, but I have not ever tested these theories and its probably not wise to publish on a public forum as it would somewhat circumvent a system that has been put in place to protect us - even if we cannot fathom the logic of the system :roll: .

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

In the context of my post I meant that customs officials will take you for questioning and full bag search if you raise red flag (various criteria used). Whether it goes any further than this depends on what they find, your answers and level of cooperation.

 

[acampbel]

Can someone please explain what "secondary" actually is?...

... Check and see if your boarding pass noted SSSS in large letter on the top. This is generally what the security screeners use to identify those to be secondary screened. SSSS is generally a result of the computer system "profiling" you as someone worthy of this special treatment, and may be triggered by many factors, some of which may include:

• Ticket purchased very recently (generally less than 2 weeks before)
• Ticket paid in cash
• One way ticket (and I think circle trips such as xONEx trigger this one)
• No FF account with the operating airline they can use to see previous history
• non-US citizen

....

Back in 2002 I had to take internal flights from Honolulu to Maui, and came across the very sophisticated LOTFAP screening. I suspected that we were up for special treatment when the check-in chick scrawled 4 asterixes on the boarding passes. Sure enough when we reached the gate they pulled us aside, searched our bags and asked us to remove our shoes. Of course we were then last to board and had to sit opposite each other at the very back of the plane (no allocated seating).

Coming back we received the same "status" so when we reached the gate I went straight up to the security guards at the front, showed them the boarding passes and said "You may as well save time and search us now". They acted dumb and said we should join the queue, but sure enough we were dragged aside and put through the same process and were last on board again.

Hopefully the US has refined its profiling of terror suspects to more than "not one of us". As the UK learnt, citizenship is no guarantee of blind patriotism.


Cheers,

AC

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Hopefully the US has refined its profiling of terror suspects to more than "not one of us".

Just a little earlier than that we had intra-Hawaii flights. No scribbles on boarding pass - instead they had pax manifest and pulled out everyone not an american, and checked us all. No americans were checked. This was before airport was properly equipped with WTMDs so was a total joke. What made it worse is they checked us once on the way into departure gate and again at the entrance to the airbridge (yup just a few metres away). :roll:

 

[Reggie]

As you are probably aware I am in the middle of a DONE4, and am in the US. I also have been fortunate to have had the SSSS appear on my boarding pass EVERY time I take a flight in the US. The situation was the same, pat down, hand luggage pulled apart and every thing explosive swabbed. On my arrival at hotel found my baggage had been opened and completely repacked. They did leave their little note though, and they had done a better job packing than I had.

 

[Reggie]

Post note the above refered to experience withh AA. I had to fly with NWA from RAP, and surprise surprise SSSS. Afterv walking through the detector, the guy said good it didn't go off you only have to have the pat down. :shock: I said if it had gone off? He pointed to a screened of area and said strip search. :shock: :shock: :shock: . Now no offence to this guy, most women may have found him attractive, but I cetainly didn't want the strip search. So now off comes belt, rings belt, shoes, everything. BTW the baggae was still tested for explosives

 

[bigjobs]

god it would suck to live in such a culture of fear. i guess most are used to it. just goes to show that the human condition is so adaptable. thank goodness i only travel there for a couple of days at a time.

they are paranoid for sure.

 

[NM]

they are paranoid for sure.

And don't for get "free" :roll: .

 

[kooky]

They can ask for anything they want. Its often part of their process to "profile" people, and they are more interested in your reaction rather than the item.

This is why you should always carry the e-ticket receipt or a printed itinerary that oncludes the e-ticket number when using an e-ticket. Just having or knowing the booking record locator is not sufficient as that is only relevant on the booking/reservation system the agent originally used. An e-ticket receipt is just as good as a paper ticket when it comes to proof of holding a ticket.

I once changed my flight to stay a few extra weeks in the UK. How's this for some serious profiling at the immigration counter:

Immigration chick asks for my itinerary, looks at it, different date on it obvoiusly since it's the original receipt with 2 weeks earlier.

Immigration chick: So why'd you change your flight mate?

Kooky: Umm .. ahh .... because I felt like it?

Immigration chick: Good answer!

Immigration chick gives itinerary to Darren or whatever the senior guy behind her is and mumbles something about "can you do a check".

Get passport back and proceed past immigration only to be stopped by the senior guy.

Senior immigration guy: So mate, why'd you change your flight?

Kooky: Umm ... ahhh ... because I was enjoying my time in Europe and felt like staying longer?

Senior immigration guy: That's fine mate, off you go.

So there you have it .. profiling passed .. the honest guy has no answer other than that he wanted to stay longer and passes both levels of screening with flying colours.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[clifford]

Have to say Kooky that anything you get in the UK pales when compared to the good Ol' US of A.

As a UK citizen, I think you were let off lightly (if you don't agree, let me have your name and address and I'll discusus it with my friends in UK Immigration).

 

[garyjohn951]

Doing a recent flight from SXM [St Maartinto SJM San Juan], SXM airport built to hold 300+, but had 500+ waiting for flights, was in line for AA flight, pulled aside with family [2] and asked for passports, AA security guy was very serious until he saw passport and shouted "Crocodile Dundee -Man", lot of handshaking, and on we went.......

 

[kooky]

Have to say Kooky that anything you get in the UK pales when compared to the good Ol' US of A.

As a UK citizen, I think you were let off lightly (if you don't agree, let me have your name and address and I'll discusus it with my friends in UK Immigration).

No, Clifford, this was in Australia, returning from the UK!

UK immigration is fantastic, best I've ever dealt with. Often some little old grandma lady who looks like you could have tea and scones with. I love the fact the UK boys don't wear uniforms (although sadly I see IND are being uniformed coming up). Kind of casual really.

UK customs, if you ever see them, also as lax as they could be. Payphones everywhere - call your mates while the bags are coming out, drinks vending machines, I'm surprised there's not a Starbucks near the bag carousel actually. Australia in comparison is like Stalag 13.