137
votes
Accepted
Why was this border agent rude to me?
Was it my fault that I put that money there?
Yes, passports are not meant to be used as wallets. The agent most likely thought you were offering a bribe, it is a common practice in some countries to ...
- 96.5k
91
votes
Accepted
What does the USA Customs and Border Protection consider a weapon?
It is never wrong to answer "I'm going camping, I have a hatchet" or "I'm going camping, I have a 5" folding knife" rather than just "yes" or "no" when you are asked a question like that verbally, by ...
- 79.8k
90
votes
Accepted
Are there any binational mass rapid transit systems?
Yes - the Basel tram system is mostly in Switzerland but extends into both France and Germany.
There are five stations in France and three in Germany.
- 3,851
88
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to enter Russia by train 1-1.5 hours before the visa validity period starts?
There are things I would try doing and there are the others. Attempting to enter Russia before my visa is valid (or attempt to overstay my Russian visa) even if by a few hours only clearly belongs to ...
- 16k
79
votes
US citizen previously refused entry into the UK and been refused for visa. What to do now?
Do anybody have any clue what I should do???
Seek help from an immigration lawyer. 2 entry refusals and 1 visa refusal are not helpful at all. I don't think you can solve this yourself now.
If you (...
- 32.8k
73
votes
Is it possible to enter Russia by train 1-1.5 hours before the visa validity period starts?
I wouldn't risk this.
I exited Russia with a friend. He had given the end date for his visa, by mistake, as the day we left Moscow. Travelling by train, we didn't reach the border until a couple of ...
- 761
71
votes
Accepted
Can a non-EU citizen with residency visa traveling with me come with me through the EU passport line, when entering Schengen area?
Generally not. Non-EU citizens who are family members of EU citizens within the meaning of the free movement directive are entitled to use the EU passport lines at Schengen borders, but other ...
- 131k
70
votes
Delayed at the UK border because someone with the same name had been refused a visa
You are not being "penalized for someone else's problem". Immigration did not do this deliberately. The immigration officer had this other person's record come up when they processed you, ...
- 64.1k
69
votes
Accepted
Crossing US/Canada Border for less than 24 hours
Literally thousands and thousands of people every day cross into the US from Canada for less than a day. Some go shopping, some visit family, some visit tourist attractions, some have business ...
- 64.1k
67
votes
Accepted
If I try to enter the US but can't pay the entrance fee, does that count as denial of entry?
Absolutely not. For land entry, the US has a process by which you are allowed to withdraw your application to enter the country. That is exactly and precisely intended for situations like this.
...
67
votes
Why was this border agent rude to me?
I use a very similar passport case, and like you I keep one or two cards in the back of it - although not money (in my case these cards are only cards that I may need at immigration, such as my US ...
- 119k
66
votes
Is it possible to enter Russia by train 1-1.5 hours before the visa validity period starts?
I've been on a Russian train with a Canadian whose visa expired during the train ride (so just a couple of hours) as we crossed the border after midnight into Mongolia. Said passenger was marched off ...
- 159k
57
votes
How seriously should I take a CBP interview where I was told I have a red flag and could only stay for 30 days?
Immigration's job is making sure visitors to this country don't overstay, don't seek employment without the proper visa, don't rely on social services, don't commit crimes, and aren't being trafficked....
56
votes
Delayed at the UK border because someone with the same name had been refused a visa
Remember that entering another country as a foreign national is not a right: it’s a privilege. Immigration officers have immense discretionary powers and can refuse entry without reason.
Your ...
- 1,784
53
votes
US citizen previously refused entry into the UK and been refused for visa. What to do now?
At this point, stop digging. As Hanky Panky notes, you're looking increasingly desperate to get into the UK (buying multiple sets of international flights when you're unemployed and don't have ...
- 86k
51
votes
Accepted
How can I ensure my exit from the US by land is recorded?
There are different scenarios to be taken into consideration here.
Exiting to Canada:
This situation is by far the easiest, given the data sharing between the US and Canada.
In many cases (such as VWP ...
- 75.9k
50
votes
Previously denied entry from Canada to USA. Does that technically count as setting foot "on US soil"?
Doing a U-turn and coming back into Canada does not constitute any time spent in the United States. Your answer to their question is a simple "No". If they ask further and want more detail you can ...
- 1,028
50
votes
Accepted
Crossing US border with music files I'm legally allowed to possess
how likely am I to get in trouble (as in, getting held up or detained,
having devices confiscated, etc.) with the CBP?
Extremely unlikely. I have carried music files across borders hundreds of ...
- 94.5k
50
votes
Is it possible to drive from Europe to Thailand?
In order to get from Europe to Thailand by car, you would have to pass through at least one of these three countries: Afghanistan, Iran, or China.
Afghanistan: extremely dangerous and unstable. Out ...
- 3,429
48
votes
Accepted
Refuse to answer questions at border control
The Home Office was asked in 2015, what the legal basis for such questioning is. Here is their answer.
Assuming that you are an EEA national, Border Force officers can ask you any
questions that ...
- 37.1k
48
votes
Accepted
How easy is it to get in and out of Russia by illegally crossing its border?
My answer might have fit better as a comment, but is too long, so please bear with me here.
'How easy' is of course difficult to quantify, but it is in most areas not as easy as it might seem. You are ...
- 54.8k
47
votes
Is it possible to enter Russia by train 1-1.5 hours before the visa validity period starts?
Let's think logically. Imagine one is a Russian border officer. One got a job during which each day got the stamp for the passport and visa checks:
As you can see, there is a date on it, and it's ...
- 22.3k
47
votes
How are border closures enforced in the Schengen area given the large number of crossing points?
This is enforced the way most rules are enforced: catching the low hanging fruits, deterring others and generally making it more costly/statistically less likely to succeed even if you cannot stop ...
- 104k
47
votes
Accepted
Can we use the "EU citizen only" lane when travelling by car with one non-EU passenger inside?
You are entitled to use that lane, not merely by car but also in airports, etc. as you are in fact covered by the EU freedom of movement (as the spouse of an EU citizen travelling with her).
The same ...
- 104k
43
votes
Is this weird area on the Belgium-Germany border a walkway or something different?
It's a former railroad line called the Vennbahn.
It appears that way on the map because the former railroad and right-of-way were and still are Belgian territory. That creates the two exclaves of ...
- 32.6k
41
votes
Can a non-EU citizen travel freely within the Schengen area without passport?
Schengen does not remove the requirement to have appropriate documentation when crossing borders (or even within a country). It only removes systematic checks at borders.
You can still have spot ...
- 69.9k
39
votes
What happens if you declare an item and it is confiscated?
Nothing. You're good. You did the right thing by declaring food items. That was it. There will be no future impact.
Entering Canada:
Be sure . . . declare everything.
Canadian law requires that you ...
- 32.8k
39
votes
Accepted
Trying to cross into Tijuana by foot without a passport?
Passports are issued by the US Department of State, not the US Postal Service. When you file a passport application at a US Post Office, the USPS will issue a receipt for your money payment...but they ...
- 25.3k
38
votes
Denied US Entry in 2012. Is this on my PERMANENT record?
You can use the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program to help clear up issues like being delayed at the border every time.
After you file your application, you will have 30 days to submit any ...
- 61.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible