what are your legal rights on re-entering Australia?

[brissyflyer]

I've never yet had any problems with customs, I must look innocent (which I am).

Although the explosives tests are another matter, I get that nearly every time.

Peter

 

[Evan]

I've never yet had any problems with customs, I must look innocent (which I am).

Although the explosives tests are another matter, I get that nearly every time.

Peter

I have just laughed at explosive test... yeah whatever bring it on.... till it happened i really got caught twice and got looked at very closly after being re-tested a couple of times (Turns out a company i was contracted to must have had people from the feild visit there city office and i was lucky enough to get enough nitrate based explosive on me to register a sample)

I could not believe it at the time... oh well, lucky i was not in a rush.

E

 

[medhead]

I have just laughed at explosive test... yeah whatever bring it on.... till it happened i really got caught twice and got looked at very closly after being re-tested a couple of times (Turns out a company i was contracted to must have had people from the feild visit there city office and i was lucky enough to get enough nitrate based explosive on me to register a sample)

I could not believe it at the time... oh well, lucky i was not in a rush.

E

It doesn't take much at all. Some bomb squad guys were getting a demo of one of the explosive machines. They got the one guy who had been handling explosives that day, but washed up and all that, to shake the hand of another guy. He then patted a third guy on the back and the machine picked it. 2 transfers of trace explosives!

As for encryption software, they can crack that without a problem, just depends on how high the supposed threat makes them go on the spooks foodchain....

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Just curious
How strong, is strong for encryption?
I can accept that 256 and 512 are crackable, but anything bigger would need a serious amount of power and time?
My laptop came with 1044 bit encryption program and hidden folder stuff. Not that l would ever use it because l just don't have anything that really needs to be encrypted, but, would that be strong enough, if they ever found it?
I very much doubt that customs would have a supercompter at Sydney airport? But, if you did get detained and your laptop was sent to specialist gov department, what is safe, if anything?

 

[medhead]

Just curious
How strong, is strong for encryption?
I can accept that 256 and 512 are crackable, but anything bigger would need a serious amount of power and time?
My laptop came with 1044 bit encryption program and hidden folder stuff. Not that l would ever use it because l just don't have anything that really needs to be encrypted, but, would that be strong enough, if they ever found it?
I very much doubt that customs would have a supercompter at Sydney airport? But, if you did get detained and your laptop was sent to specialist gov department, what is safe, if anything?

Well my crypto subject at uni, told me that RSA was limited in key length by the US government so they could crack it. They have also tried to limit access to the technology and I realise that has all changed these days. But based on the passed situation I'm sure they wouldn't relax restrictions unless they thought they could still crack it.

As for your computer the answer has to really depend on the risk you are considered to be. If they are just, picking things up out of interest they probably wouldn't bother. If they thought you had the location of certain people, then I'm sure your computer would be taking a special trip to the USA.

Personally, I cannot think of any info that customs would be interested in that is worth protecting to that level, unless it is extremely dodgy. Sure you want to protect business info, but then customs is not going to lock you up for having business info, are they.

 

[Alanslegal]

I have been selected for secondary screening a number of times and this one time in Brisbane my mobile phone was taken away and the "lady" customs officer went through all my personal items with a fine tooth comb and asking me the same questions over and over. I guess she was trying to trap me and she was really disappointed she could not find anything but even though I was delayed I had the last laugh as they wasted their time.

I must have been the through same lady at BNE

This lady was like "Did YOUUUUUUUUUU read this form?" Did YOUUUUUUUUU complete it YOOUUURRsellf?" "Did YOOOOOOOOOOOU pack your luggage yourself?" It was like she was pinpointing that I was doing something wrong! Then she says "Did YOOOOOUUUU know you can't carry anything sharp?" and this is when I got worried and realised I just only had hand carry so the thought raced in my head and paused Did I really carry something sharp?

Anyway she really wanted to get me for something. She even had a close look at my work ID card and trying to see if it was a fake ID of some sort - my mind was wanting to tell her go ahead customs cow - ring the NSW AG's Dept to verify but I knew the better not to make these silly comments or else she'd hold me forever - literally!

Anyway only in our own country we are subject to these customs naz_'s! No wonder why people who really want to come here illegally, prefer to do it via boat & skip customs and immigration altogether :mrgreen:

 

[Evan]

Pretty sure this was more or less discussed to death in another thread but with regards to encryption....

1.) They dont crack it right then and there, no possible, they would keep your machine or make a copy
2.) making a copy takes a couple of hours

The best way is a decoy OS used daily so you can enter the password for the decoy and let them snoop around all they want (You have to use the decoy for it to be useful) and this will for sure fool most people.

And i doubt that all encryption is that crackable... i am reasonably sure most 2 or 3 pass encryption is rather difficult, but sure basic since key encryption is not that hard. I would be very surprised if anybody took that much interest in anybody's data unless your on a watch list.

E

 

[JohnK]

Anyway she really wanted to get me for something. She even had a close look at my work ID card and trying to see if it was a fake ID of some sort - my mind was wanting to tell her go ahead customs cow - ring the NSW AG's Dept to verify but I knew the better not to make these silly comments or else she'd hold me forever - literally!

She was a real classic!

Did you go out at night? Yes!
Did you meet anyone? Yes people I met on previous trips!
Did you drink when you went out? Yes!
Why do you go to Thailand? Because I used to work there for a short time and I enjoy going back?
What do you do in Thailand? Play golf and go out at night!

On and on the conversation went and I think she got really upset when I said that I will be back in Thailand again in 3 months time, then again in 6 months etc etc....

 

[medhead]

And i doubt that all encryption is that crackable... i am reasonably sure most 2 or 3 pass encryption is rather difficult, but sure basic since key encryption is not that hard. I would be very surprised if anybody took that much interest in anybody's data unless your on a watch list.

E

Exactly :!: - for the most part they aren't going to be bovvered. But that doesn't mean "they" couldn't crack the encryption if they really, really, badly wanted - the risk would have to justify the expense.

BTW 2 or 3 pass encryption doesn't neccessarily make it more secure. All sorts of things can go wrong in doing this, for a start the combined function may actually weaken the strength by turning out to be a really simple overall function. Remember the cracker only knows Crypttext = (function)x(plaintext), they only have to break the overall function not the 2 or 3 functions. If your trusting some open source encryption, they'd have to be really good not to stuff it up. KISS.

Anyway, my final word seeing as this has been discussed to death. (sorry don't remember reading that thread )

 

[jaseone]

I've had a few negative experiences with customs in Australia related to the collection of duty/GST, nothing annoys an Aussie expat more than going through customs in Australia when returning from an assignment!

First time I was naive and didn't realize you had to declare everything you bought while overseas even if you didn't get it duty free so the guy was having a field day with all the gadgets I had on me, ultimately he let me go with a stern warning as he was a geek himself and understood how it was.

Another time just recently I declared the Digital SLR I had received from my American girlfriend as a Christmas present when arriving at SYD so they sent me off to the duty collection officer, thankfully she quizzed me about it and I explained so she let me off "just this one time". Yeah so what about all the other times in the future I enter Australia carrying the camera?

It is always so nerve racking as to whether you are going to be hit with a Duty/GST fee when going through customs, yes I know you can claim sales tax back in the country you bought any goods so it all evens out but that is just so annoying to do when living abroad for an extended period!

 

[rwatts]

Anyway, my final word seeing as this has been discussed to death. (sorry don't remember reading that thread )

I was thinking "here we go again" but seeing as the xkcd comics have appeared recently here, this one does seem particularly relevant...

Encryption is only good while you don't have to give up the keys, either through legal or physical threats. Plausible deniability is your friend.

Richard
(whose work laptops are protected by a full-disk encryption product evaluated under common criteria as well as DSD cryptographic evaluation)

 

[medhead]

I was thinking "here we go again" but seeing as the xkcd comics have appeared recently here, this one does seem particularly relevant...



Encryption is only good while you don't have to give up the keys, either through legal or physical threats. Plausible deniability is your friend.

Richard
(whose work laptops are protected by a full-disk encryption product evaluated under common criteria as well as DSD cryptographic evaluation)

Exactly (can I have a few more words please), I do agree. Basically, if the government wants to know they will, regardless of the protection employed. be it by whatever means, - legislation, cluster, the spanner , or send it to NSA.

However, given the history of the RSA vis a vis restrictions on key length and distribution of RSA technology, (despite the pointlessness of those restrictions), I will continue to believe that somewhere in the US military-industrial complex is able to crack most cipher text - if they really want to.

truely my final word on this.

 

[Happy Dude]

I've had a few negative experiences with customs in Australia related to the collection of duty/GST, nothing annoys an Aussie expat more than going through customs in Australia when returning from an assignment!

First time I was naive and didn't realize you had to declare everything you bought while overseas even if you didn't get it duty free so the guy was having a field day with all the gadgets I had on me, ultimately he let me go with a stern warning as he was a geek himself and understood how it was.

Another time just recently I declared the Digital SLR I had received from my American girlfriend as a Christmas present when arriving at SYD so they sent me off to the duty collection officer, thankfully she quizzed me about it and I explained so she let me off "just this one time". Yeah so what about all the other times in the future I enter Australia carrying the camera?

It is always so nerve racking as to whether you are going to be hit with a Duty/GST fee when going through customs, yes I know you can claim sales tax back in the country you bought any goods so it all evens out but that is just so annoying to do when living abroad for an extended period!

Customs officers doing their jobs and let off the hook twice? Not quite sure how these could be considered "negative experiences". Quite the opposite really. Just be glad you declared the SLR to be over the duty free limit. It would have really been a "negative experience" if you hadn't....

 

[jaseone]

Customs officers doing their jobs and let off the hook twice? Not quite sure how these could be considered "negative experiences". Quite the opposite really. Just be glad you declared the SLR to be over the duty free limit. It would have really been a "negative experience" if you hadn't....

Okay so negative experiences was the wrong term at least in relation to the customs officers doing their job, in that manner it wasn't negative as they were just doing their jobs and as you said could be claimed to be positive experiences as they let me off.

It just irks me that if I want to visit the family in the middle of an expat assignment that I have to watch what I bring home with me in order to try to avoid paying duty just for the sake of being able to use what I bring here while on a short holiday.

I really appreciate what customs does here in Australia and how strict it is when it comes to quarantine, food stuffs and the like but I wish they didn't have to enforce the collection of duty in the same manner! It is just ridiclous to me that we're expected to travel with receipts for anything that isn't showing wear & tear, it is part of the reason I don't baby my Australian bought Macbook Pro!

 

[medhead]

It just irks me that if I want to visit the family in the middle of an expat assignment that I have to watch what I bring home with me in order to try to avoid paying duty just for the sake of being able to use what I bring here while on a short holiday.

I really appreciate what customs does here in Australia and how strict it is when it comes to quarantine, food stuffs and the like but I wish they didn't have to enforce the collection of duty in the same manner! It is just ridiclous to me that we're expected to travel with receipts for anything that isn't showing wear & tear, it is part of the reason I don't baby my Australian bought Macbook Pro!

Hey? I don't get what your saying. Your making these strange statements about the camera and other stuff and the risk of paying duty everytime you enter the country. If you buy stuff here and own it you don't have to pay duty or declare it everytime you travel.

Take the Macbook Pro, if you've paid tax on it you don't have to declare it everytime you reenter Australia. Maybe you took it out of the country and claimed the GST back to start with, but once that's back in the country there is no need to mention it again. Same with the camera, you imported it and declared it, customs have now let you into the country and tax you appropriately (i.e. $0). You are now free to take it, in and out of Australia whenever you like. You don't need to declare anything that you've already paid Australian tax on or imported legally.

As for keeping this macbook looking new, there should be no problem with that, surely you have proof of purchase for such an item. No need to carry it with you. If they quiz the new appearance tell them you look after your stuff. If they still have a problem thell them you'll go home and get them the receipt.

 

[jaseone]

Take the Macbook Pro, if you've paid tax on it you don't have to declare it everytime you reenter Australia.

Well thing is if you don't declare it and they happen to decide to search your stuff then they told me the onus is on me to prove it was purchased within Australia and if I can't they can confiscate it until I provide proof or if I can't provide proof then they can fine me for not declaring it and charge duty.

Same with the camera, you imported it and declared it, customs have now let you into the country and tax you appropriately (i.e. $0). You are now free to take it, in and out of Australia whenever you like. You don't need to declare anything that you've already paid Australian tax on or imported legally.

So how exactly would that work if I got selected for a search without declaring the camera next time? "Oh I declared that last time but they let me bring it into the country so it has already been imported legally", there is no paperwork to prove that so I don't like my chances on that one.

As for keeping this macbook looking new, there should be no problem with that, surely you have proof of purchase for such an item. No need to carry it with you. If they quiz the new appearance tell them you look after your stuff. If they still have a problem thell them you'll go home and get them the receipt.

Bit hard to do that if the receipt is at my apartment in Houston though...

 

[Mal]

You have a legal right to tell the scummy barstools from Border Security to buzz off if they start pointing a camera at you. (Hasn't happened yet, but waiting for the day...)

 

[NM]

So how exactly would that work if I got selected for a search without declaring the camera next time? "Oh I declared that last time but they let me bring it into the country so it has already been imported legally", there is no paperwork to prove that so I don't like my chances on that one.

If you don't have the invoice/receipt since it was a gift, you should be able to prove you had it in Australia before you departed by taking a photo of you with the camera in a location that is obviously in Australia (say the airport when departing) and a date stamp on the photo. Then you can show the photo to show that you had the camber in Australia before you left so no duty to pay on re-entry to Australia.

 

[Dave Noble]

So how exactly would that work if I got selected for a search without declaring the camera next time? "Oh I declared that last time but they let me bring it into the country so it has already been imported legally", there is no paperwork to prove that so I don't like my chances on that one.

Bit hard to do that if the receipt is at my apartment in Houston though...

In some countries , I dont know about Australia, but you can effectively declare ownership on departure from the country and get a receipt that shows that you had it when leaving the country. On arriving back in the future, you can show them the receipt that shows that you had it on departure

Dave

 

[Dave Noble]

You have a legal right to tell the scummy barstools from Border Security to buzz off if they start pointing a camera at you. (Hasn't happened yet, but waiting for the day...)

How do you know that no-one has declined to be filmed?

It wouldn't appear on television if someone told them that they were not to film them

Dave