Experience at Detroit Airport

W

wantmygcnow

Volunteer Moderator
Ok So i just got back from Germany today and came through Detroit(DTW) Airport. It was kinda long-winded experience..usually I get the i-94 stamped with few questions but this officer was bored maybe? His name was Kazan(I think he was Turkish origin)...

When I went to the U.S Citizen/Resident Alien line, the guy took my BCIS travel document(Green one), then said

Officer: "So MR X, purpose of your trip?"
Me: "To visit family in germany"
Officer: "So you are saying you went to visit the Asylee country and you are an asylee"
Me: "No I went to germany to visit family, not the Asylee country and its on the customs form sir"
Officer:"Ok, Have you ever been to that country"
Me: "Not since I have gotten my asylum Sir"
Officer: "Any family in that country"
me: "Not that I am aware of"
Officer: "CAn you tell me your social security number"
Me:"22x-xx-xxxx"
Officer: " Have you ever renewed your home country passport"
ME: "No I haven't. I use the one issued by HOmeland security"
Officer STamps the passport and gives me the passport and thats it.

I was gone for 5 days. The new document was acepted with few questions by the German immigration..they were like "WHY THIS color?"...I was like got me...
 
wantmygcnow,

is Germany a neigbour country to your home?

The reason i am asking that b/c i am planning to meet my family in a country next to my own where my family will not need visas. It is just more convinient and less expensive for us if we meet there.

Will it look suspicious for IO if i go there?

If yes, i have to start making arrangements to meet them in another country very far from mine.
 
another question:

How long can i be out of the US on RTD?

I have not seen my little kids for almost two years.. So i would like to spend a month or two with them..

Pls, share your experience.

thanks
 
for asylee25

Last summer I went to the neighboring with my citizenship/asylee country to visit my family.
I stayed for a whole month. Didn’t have any questions on a way back.
 
I am sorry to say this but, what i noticed from people stories most IO that give hassle to immigrant are foreigners themselves. Ironic but true.
 
cider_or said:
I am sorry to say this but, what i noticed from people stories most IO that give hassle to immigrant are foreigners themselves. Ironic but true.
Click to expand...

That's true!I can say even more.Parents of the officer of INS who interviewed me were political asylees.He treated me as an asshole! He didn't trust anything I was saying and was trying to show thatby sighing, shaking his fucking head.My translater said she has never met such a bitching officer.These guys forgot that once their parents or even they personally were in the same situation as we are!Now they feel power! Immigration judge was the american and she was so nice to me!:mad:
 
Last year (2003), we went to a neighboring country and stayed for about 7 weeks. No problem in going back! We entered SFO International Airport.


lee_haircut5
 
I often go to Canada by crossing the border through Detroit as I love in that area and never get hassled while returning to USA. Sometimes they make e go and get a stamp on my RTD which rarely takes 5 minutes and mostly they let me through. One time I ran into some Asian dude seemed Korean to me with an accent and he was trying to be a smart ass with me, asked me all sorts of question from my profession to my date of birth etc. So yes I agree, if you get a naturalized Immigration Officer he will surely give you some trouble.
 
I can say I have "rich" experience at different entry ports to the US with an RTD. :eek:
During 2004, I had to travel to Ireland, Korea, 9 times to Canada, 6 times to Mexico and a trip to a neighbor country to my asylum country. I returned to the States via JFK, Newark, Houston, Detroit airports and TX/Mexico, MI/Canada borders. I can tell you right now Detroit airport is usually the best and JFK is the worst. But in general the set of questions that wantmygcnow mentioned is almost standard everywhere and is just like the airlines asking you if you packed your luggage yourself :) .. The officer actually retrieves ALL your history on the screen once the RTD is scanned... The rest depends entirely on the mode and training of the officer, whether s/he is naturalized, white, black or orange..
I was met by officers who never saw the green RTD before and some who didn't know if I'm supposed to fill out I-94 or not :confused: !!!! In one of my trips, the supervisor asked me if they could show the RTD to other officers for training purposes :) .
 
Are we supposed to fill out a I-94 upon

asyleeee said:
I can say I have "rich" experience at different entry ports to the US with an RTD. :eek:
During 2004, I had to travel to Ireland, Korea, 9 times to Canada, 6 times to Mexico and a trip to a neighbor country to my asylum country. I returned to the States via JFK, Newark, Houston, Detroit airports and TX/Mexico, MI/Canada borders. I can tell you right now Detroit airport is usually the best and JFK is the worst. But in general the set of questions that wantmygcnow mentioned is almost standard everywhere and is just like the airlines asking you if you packed your luggage yourself :) .. The officer actually retrieves ALL your history on the screen once the RTD is scanned... The rest depends entirely on the mode and training of the officer, whether s/he is naturalized, white, black or orange..
I was met by officers who never saw the green RTD before and some who didn't know if I'm supposed to fill out I-94 or not :confused: !!!! In one of my trips, the supervisor asked me if they could show the RTD to other officers for training purposes :) .
Click to expand...
 
Are we supposed to fill out a I-94 when coming back

to the US? I just left the country one single time and didn't fill out a I-94 from...and had no problems entering through LAX...But just wanted to make sure about the I-94......Thanks!



asyleeee said:
I can say I have "rich" experience at different entry ports to the US with an RTD. :eek:
During 2004, I had to travel to Ireland, Korea, 9 times to Canada, 6 times to Mexico and a trip to a neighbor country to my asylum country. I returned to the States via JFK, Newark, Houston, Detroit airports and TX/Mexico, MI/Canada borders. I can tell you right now Detroit airport is usually the best and JFK is the worst. But in general the set of questions that wantmygcnow mentioned is almost standard everywhere and is just like the airlines asking you if you packed your luggage yourself :) .. The officer actually retrieves ALL your history on the screen once the RTD is scanned... The rest depends entirely on the mode and training of the officer, whether s/he is naturalized, white, black or orange..
I was met by officers who never saw the green RTD before and some who didn't know if I'm supposed to fill out I-94 or not :confused: !!!! In one of my trips, the supervisor asked me if they could show the RTD to other officers for training purposes :) .
Click to expand...
 
cider_or said:
I am sorry to say this but, what i noticed from people stories most IO that give hassle to immigrant are foreigners themselves. Ironic but true.
Click to expand...

There are many possible explanations for that:
1) These folks were socialized to conform to authority and they follow rules doggedly. Many of them do not have their own initiative.
2) We are all victim of racism: majority and minority. No one questions the fact that an average black person hates most immigrants and sees them as a threat. Similarly, an immigrant has to compete with other immigrants for the few jobs available to non-Whites. This guy may have been threatened by other immigrants who could possibly replace him.
3) Most immigrants came from colonized countries and their colony masters instilled a sense of self-hate in them. That is, they grew up idealizing the western culture and devaluing their own. Accordingly, they see a non-white person as a lesser human being. It is pathetic.
I can go on and on but these are the most salient possibilities for immigrant-on-immigrant hate!
 
I-94

Mauricio22 said:
to the US? I just left the country one single time and didn't fill out a I-94 from...and had no problems entering through LAX...But just wanted to make sure about the I-94......Thanks!
Click to expand...

The country or the United States, no difference :). Remember we are still temp residents and could be subject to deportation by law if reasons for our asylum no longer exist!!!!
The answer to the I-94 question is yes, just from experience. But let me ask you first, did you submit your original I-94 to the airlines when you left? Technically you should hand it over every time you leave the "country :)" through an airport, so you need a new one when you come back..

asyleeee
 
Technically you should hand it over every time you leave the "country " through an airport, so you need a new one when you come back..
Click to expand...

do we have to give up I-94 when departing?
I mean do we have to do it while on RTD?

I am planning to use RTD for the first time. So i am very nervous about it..
Please, share your experience on that.

i really appreciate it.
 
You DONOT have to surrender your I-94

Asylee25 -

You donot have to surrender your I-94 if it has your Asylee status on there. Since you are an Asylee, your I-94 should not have an expiration date, and therefore does not need to be surrendered.

Rule of thumb is to always show them your RTD whenever traveling and never hand-over your I-94 to an IO until they specifically ask for it. Your RTD should suffice as proof of your status and your eligibility to leave/enter the USA.

Take care.
 
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