returning to US

M

marie_travel

Registered Users (C)
If you are a newly US citizen and have to leave US to live in another country for a few months or even years, what would happen once you return to US? Do you get questioned at the port of entry where you were and why you were gone? Do they ask you where you are going to stay in the US (since you have no job, no house, etc). Just curious what happens once you reenter US as a citizen. Do you get interrogated and do you need prove of employment or finances or anything like that to be able to come back to US?
 
I have not yet returned from my first trip, but will take a shot at a partial answer.

Of course, they have the right to interrogate you and ask any questions, even ask you where you are going to stay. However, I expect such scrutiny (if any) to be solely around validating that the paperwork is correct and any issues related to security of the country.

However, I do not think they can stop you from entering because you can not prove finance or employment. Ha, actually I would think not having finances will give you even bigger right to enter the US as you do not want your citizens to be "wards" of another country, nor can you expect them to be (even if you wanted to).
 
They can interrogate returning US citizens all they want. They can even ask them where the returning US citizens will stay and what they will do for living. It's up to US citizens to answer those questions or not. What the CBP cannot do is not to let the US citizen back into his/her country regardless of the answers or refusal to answer.
 
Seriously though what happens when you 'refuse' to answer CBP? (assuming the traveler truly has done nothing wrong except not wanting to answer them). You must get a nice black mark each time you travel=harrassment
 
marie_travel said:
If you are a newly US citizen and have to leave US to live in another country for a few months or even years, what would happen once you return to US? Do you get questioned at the port of entry where you were and why you were gone? Do they ask you where you are going to stay in the US (since you have no job, no house, etc). Just curious what happens once you reenter US as a citizen. Do you get interrogated and do you need prove of employment or finances or anything like that to be able to come back to US?
Click to expand...

During Clinton administration, the Congress gave authority to border & POE officers wide authority in questioning and deciding on each traveller, including US Citizens. That doesn't mean US citizens can be denied entry but they can be asked tough questions like any other immigrant. Refusing to answer their legitmate questions can lead to secondary inspections and other things. As for job and other things, it does not effect your entry even if you admit that you are out of job or if you say that you are out of the country for a long time. At this time, citizens are allowed to stay outside as long as they want and be without jobs.
 
vandeluca said:
Seriously though what happens when you 'refuse' to answer CBP? (assuming the traveler truly has done nothing wrong except not wanting to answer them). You must get a nice black mark each time you travel=harrassment
Click to expand...

I don't see any reason why you'd want to refuse to answer them. There's nothing to be gained by doing so. Just be polite, truthful and don't volunteer anything you haven't been asked about.
 
On flyertalk, there are some principled US citizens who consistently refuse to answer CBP's questions. They reported that after refusing to answer personal questions, they were directed to secondary where they spent several hours (just waiting) and eventually were let in to their country. Once the CBP is satisfied with the fact that a person is a US citizen, they cannot refuse entry regardless of the person is cooperative or not. That is the fact. Making un-cooperative US citizens wait for hours in the secondary seems more like a punishment than anything else because it does not take that long to figure out whether the US passport is fake or not.
 
CDN I too cannot imagine just being difficult and not answer (I always would answer). Although I have heard of some power trips. I was just curious. I figured they do nothing more than 'harrass' you with a secondary inspection and all subsequent visits for a while harrassments.
 
If you travel frequently, you cannot help but notice that border guards in other countries (not Commonwealth or USA) make sure you are the person you claim to be on the passport and then let you in. In Germany and France, for instance, border guards often do not ask you anything at all. And I don't mean they do it because you are an American tourist - even if you come there on a visa, they still let you in with no hassle at all. Same goes for South East Asia and South America. I do not know why US and Canadian border guards try to act as investigative detectives toward everyone entering their respective countries.
 
I agree. I don't like the treatment at all (most times) and I guess b/c living abroad and travelling so much elsewhere I wonder why I don't feel welcome coming 'home' and more welcome at my adopted country OR places I visit for that matter.
 
I don't mind the basic interview, as it is them doing their job, and it is for ours / everyone's security.

However, I do not like the fact that many of the secondaries are because of their bad data. I see them letting most people go, and my wife has been in similar situation because of a name match with someone, and that has haunted us since the days of our green card. It is as if the photo and green card number are not sufficient for the primary to make a call if the person is genuine or not (they claim the other person has the same date of birth - so what). It also shows that there is no process in place to fix an issue once a secondary person identifies a mistake, then someone else identifies the same mistake a few months down the line, and then someone else does.

That - the unintended harassment due to bad computer data and limited processes to fix it - is something I do not like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top