Hello All
I got this email from one of my friend. Please read carefully.
Travel Warning : Nightmare at INS POE for H1B Applicant!
> >
> > Many people have travel plans for the upcoming holidays. For those of
you
> > traveling from overseas, we recommend the exercise of common sense
> combined
> > with extreme caution when applying for reentry into the U.S. On Nov. 2,
> > 2001, we reported an incident involving innocent inquiries by an
engineer
> on
> > a long haul flight regarding the operation of an airplane emergency
door.
> > The NewsBrief, entitled "Restrain your Curiosity when Traveling! - A
> > Cautionary Tale" is available on
> > MurthyDotCom. We now have learned of! an incident where an otherwise
> > innocuous business card resulted in an H1B applicant\'s having been
denied
> > entry into the U.S.
> >
> > The applicant had been working in the U.S. on valid H1B status. He
> traveled
> > out of the country for the Thanksgiving holiday, in November 2001, to
> attend
> > a friend\'s wedding in Italy. The return flights were diverted from
> > originally being Washington, D.C. to San Francisco to instead come into
> > Chicago and then go on to San Francisco. Upon his return, the INS
officer
> at
> > the Chicago Port of Entry (POE) noticed that the H1B applicant had a
> > business card with him. The INS officer asked to see the business card.
> > Apparently, the business card was for a side business / hobby which the
> H1B
> > visa applicant hoped to pursue upon obtaining appropriate employment
> > aut! horization document (EAD). The I-485 had been filed about a month
> > earlier, so the person was expecting the EAD within the next month or
two.
> >
> > After asking some questions, the INS officer at the Port of Entry
> determined
> > that the alien was probably violating the terms of the H1B status by
> > intending to work without authorization. The H1B applicant was a
> > professional who was working for the H1B employer and had maintained
> status
> > throughout his life. He had attended a weekend photography course at the
> > University of California at Santa Barbara. He repeatedly pointed out to
> the
> > INS officer that he had never worked for the photography business, that
he
> > had just put some details up on the website about 5 days earlier, and
that
> > he was hoping to do some studio shots as a photographer and as a
hobbyist
> in> > the future. The INS officer refused to allow the H1B visa applicant the
> > right to use his cellular telephone to contact an attorney or call any
> > friends, forced him to sign a statement that he intended to work in the
> > U.S., threatening to put him into detention if he did not sign the
> > statements to that effect. The H1B applicant was denied entry to the
U.S.
> > and chose the option of buying an expensive, one-way ticket, rather than
> > spending a night in an INS detention facility. He was returned on the
next
> > flight back to his home country of India.
> >
> > In light of this and similar post-9/11 incidents, we remind our
> > MURTHYBULLETIN and MurthyDotCom readers that your luggage and belongings
> are
> > always subject to search. This is even more prevalent since September
> 11th,
> > as part of INS increased security mea! sures. Out of an abundance of
> caution,
> > it is better to assume that all of your personal items will be searched.
> We
> > have heard of situations where letters and photographs were used against
> > people to deny them entry into the U.S. It is recommended that travelers
> > pack as lightly as possible and limit their carry-on luggage to those
> items
> > that are absolutely necessary. This is both a practical solution to
avoid
> > lengthy waiting for check in at the security gates and should assist in
> > smooth processing upon reentry to the U.S.
> >
> > © The Law Office of Sheela Murthy P.C.
I got this email from one of my friend. Please read carefully.
Travel Warning : Nightmare at INS POE for H1B Applicant!
> >
> > Many people have travel plans for the upcoming holidays. For those of
you
> > traveling from overseas, we recommend the exercise of common sense
> combined
> > with extreme caution when applying for reentry into the U.S. On Nov. 2,
> > 2001, we reported an incident involving innocent inquiries by an
engineer
> on
> > a long haul flight regarding the operation of an airplane emergency
door.
> > The NewsBrief, entitled "Restrain your Curiosity when Traveling! - A
> > Cautionary Tale" is available on
> > MurthyDotCom. We now have learned of! an incident where an otherwise
> > innocuous business card resulted in an H1B applicant\'s having been
denied
> > entry into the U.S.
> >
> > The applicant had been working in the U.S. on valid H1B status. He
> traveled
> > out of the country for the Thanksgiving holiday, in November 2001, to
> attend
> > a friend\'s wedding in Italy. The return flights were diverted from
> > originally being Washington, D.C. to San Francisco to instead come into
> > Chicago and then go on to San Francisco. Upon his return, the INS
officer
> at
> > the Chicago Port of Entry (POE) noticed that the H1B applicant had a
> > business card with him. The INS officer asked to see the business card.
> > Apparently, the business card was for a side business / hobby which the
> H1B
> > visa applicant hoped to pursue upon obtaining appropriate employment
> > aut! horization document (EAD). The I-485 had been filed about a month
> > earlier, so the person was expecting the EAD within the next month or
two.
> >
> > After asking some questions, the INS officer at the Port of Entry
> determined
> > that the alien was probably violating the terms of the H1B status by
> > intending to work without authorization. The H1B applicant was a
> > professional who was working for the H1B employer and had maintained
> status
> > throughout his life. He had attended a weekend photography course at the
> > University of California at Santa Barbara. He repeatedly pointed out to
> the
> > INS officer that he had never worked for the photography business, that
he
> > had just put some details up on the website about 5 days earlier, and
that
> > he was hoping to do some studio shots as a photographer and as a
hobbyist
> in> > the future. The INS officer refused to allow the H1B visa applicant the
> > right to use his cellular telephone to contact an attorney or call any
> > friends, forced him to sign a statement that he intended to work in the
> > U.S., threatening to put him into detention if he did not sign the
> > statements to that effect. The H1B applicant was denied entry to the
U.S.
> > and chose the option of buying an expensive, one-way ticket, rather than
> > spending a night in an INS detention facility. He was returned on the
next
> > flight back to his home country of India.
> >
> > In light of this and similar post-9/11 incidents, we remind our
> > MURTHYBULLETIN and MurthyDotCom readers that your luggage and belongings
> are
> > always subject to search. This is even more prevalent since September
> 11th,
> > as part of INS increased security mea! sures. Out of an abundance of
> caution,
> > it is better to assume that all of your personal items will be searched.
> We
> > have heard of situations where letters and photographs were used against
> > people to deny them entry into the U.S. It is recommended that travelers
> > pack as lightly as possible and limit their carry-on luggage to those
> items
> > that are absolutely necessary. This is both a practical solution to
avoid
> > lengthy waiting for check in at the security gates and should assist in
> > smooth processing upon reentry to the U.S.
> >
> > © The Law Office of Sheela Murthy P.C.