Why do they ask

[ju58]

I have become a USC in November 2006 and just returned from my first 7-day trip abroad. What struck me was the fact that the immigration officer asked me how long I was out of the country. I was used to this from my LPR days but did not expect this question as a USC.

Any idea why this question is still asked and what is your experience? I traveled with a colleague (USC by birth) and he was not asked. Not that this is a big deal but I am still kind of curious.

JU58

 

[Flydog]

If for no other reasons than for customs purposes. Your customs exemption is a function of the lenght of the trip that you take. When I lived in Canada (I'm originally Canadian), Customs and/or Immigration *always* asked that question.

Remember that many of the questions they ask are so that they don't just get an answer, but so that they can see how you answer (they get special training on how to force people to show if they are lying)