Do they verify/check the DATES when u left and re-entered USA ?

[itc]

Hi Monu -


However, I know that they are still under testing period and the records are even not accurate. Say there are bunch of Rajeev Desai in the CIS database and you probably don't know which Rajeev Desai you are talking about.

If the passport is swiped it gives passport number too. There is only one Rajeev Desai with one specific passport number. The swipe also gives date of birth and all the other info on the passport/

I also heard that some people were getting away with sneaking thru Canada. You can consider this is a loophole in the immigration. I recall that once I was going to Canada to visit my friends by car, there are basically no records of my exit/entry records at all - the immigration officer simply looked at my GC and my passport and asked me to go ahead.

True. Canada is considered like US. But just because of this loophole US insisted border controls with Canada unless Canada accepts commong immigration and visa policies. Canada had to accept. Now, they have common visa policy, so for instance if one is denied tourist visa in US embassy that is authomatically a denial in a Canadian embassy. Same goes for immigrant visas. They share the system now completely. For instance, if you leave US trhough Canada and you have to return your I - 94 since there is no US exit control, you can give the I-94 to the Canadian officer.

The question is weather Canadian airlines are also required to give USCIS or US goverment the exiting info on permanent residents or so. Anyhow, one is sure that they will have your exit information. And if US goverment requests a check from Canada they will get it.

Needles to say, that upon returning to US from Canada, one has to lie when asked how many days you have been in Canada. So if one is caught in the lie that is a ground for deportation, beside longer than 6 months absence from US.

I believe that this loophole through Canada is not safe anymore and has been closed. At this time, not telling the truth may be very detrimental.

 

[itc]

Thanks everyone for your replies !

My personal opinion is that IMMIGRATION , in the case of Green Card Holders, do not have any record WHAT DATES they left UNITED STATES.

False. They have it, weather they use it is another question.

MANY people I know have told me they totally lied in their N400 applications - that they had hardly ever been out of US ...while they had practically lived abroad - and got away getting their Citizenships !

That is another issue, not telling the truth. People have been involved in criminal activities sinc ethe beggining of the days, some get away, but if caught...

Infact, many of them would leave AND RE-ENTER USA through Canada , as in this case they dont even keep an entry record ! Inact, even if you ask an US immigration officer to stamp your passport when entering from Canada - he will refuse ! So this gives Green Card holders a trick to fool the system if they are planning on going out for over 6 months - simply go out and return through Canada.

I do not think this is safe anymore.

I am not suggesting anyone should lie, but the knowledge how immigration functions can be very helpful to some in very critical situations ....many people r really desperate to get Citizenship, so they can bring in their spouses into the country. Its really very discriminatory that the Green Card holders cannot bring in their Husbands or Wives immidietly (4 years wait !), but H1 / L1 Holder, Citizens can bring in their spouses instantly ! And this is called the land of Equality !

Many people are desperate that they can not even get a tourist visa for a decent country. One should be greatful to have a chance to become a US citizen. Remember, everything can be gone ina second and you are back to square zero. One should be greatful at the opportunity and not trying to find excuses for breaking the law of a country his citizenship he is seeking. How would you feel if somebody from who knows where is trying to abuse the laws of your own country to become a citizen? This country tries to integrate people , even if most of them do marry somebody from their own country, they do not look at this as something negative, so do your part too and do not expect them to do more than the law says. If you think the law is a problem, become a citizen and than lobby and try to change the law so that others after you will not have the problem. However, once people become citizens, they do not care anymore. But, they never foreget to ask for more rights...

 

[Fly2]

Th e only link that I found showed that officer probably knows about dates of your trips at the time of interview. May be it became more serious after 9/11.

http://groups.google.com/group/misc...?q=N400+yes+yes&rnum=1&hl=en#f35cd987b7ba3ed8