How to know if you will have problems at the US border

Those who have traveled to the United States have often noticed that some people are subjected to different screening by Homeland Security and border control. Someone is allowed in just like that, only after exchanging a couple of courtesies, while someone is given a real interrogation and in the end is invited to go to a special room for enhanced inspection. I always thought that this happens randomly, or in the case when the entrant has previously violated American law, or is suspected of having links with terrorists. It turns out not quite so.

Yesterday I was told an amazing thing. Did you know that when issuing their visa, Americans immediately attribute the applicant to one or another category of reliability? This just affects the degree of screening in the first place! Moreover, the most interesting thing is that the US Embassy does not hide how trustworthy they consider you. You can see for yourself - this is indicated right under your photo on the visa.

Hardly before you noticed, but under the photo you have printed one, two or three asterisks. This is the degree of trustworthiness.

One star - you are considered a trustworthy person, which means that there will be a minimum of questions at the border. Sometimes you can be automatically stamped and let into the country.

Two stars - increased attention. In theory, interrogations should be dispensed with, but a reservation and a plan of stay in the States for entry may be asked.

Three stars - you are almost a terrorist, maximum attention will be riveted to you, and you will certainly not do without a screening room.

For some reason, I have two.

I was never taken to the screening room, they didn’t require printouts of bookings, but they always asked questions: do I have friends, where will I live, how do I plan to travel, and, of course, when I’m going back. The last time we flew to Los Angeles, they saw through the system that we usually entered the States through New York, and asked why we had suddenly changed a good tradition. Our answer was: we want West Coast discover more intently.

I have a suggestion that the fact that we traveled together also affected the ease of the survey - I think that border services of all countries always have fewer questions for young couples on vacation. You need to try to somehow fly alone - this will be more interesting, it seems to me. By the way, my wife also has two stars!

Thought why I have a star is not one? I travel a lot, spent the whole summer in the States Work & Travelnever violated the law or immigration rules. Haven't I proved my trustworthiness? Probably not. Or maybe it’s all due to the fact that I’m young, in theory, I can decide on anything (for example, stay in the USA), and the experience of living in America only increases this risk, because now I feel like a fish in water in the States .

This is an archived column from 2019. Published with permission Author.

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