US Immigration horrendous

[NLH Arizona]

I wonder if many are not reading too much into the their interaction with border protection agents. Inevitably these officers are under pressure to process people as fast as possible without mistake. The cost of a mistake potentially being catastrophic. I suspect too that at times the job can be stunningly boring since the vast majority of crossers will be cleared without issue.

I agree. I've never met a Immigration Officer that was't professional, they are all extremely professional, to the point and some times curt. I've encountered the same style of officers in London, Bejing, Amsterdam, Kenya, etc., (just to name a few places I've traveled) as I have in the United States. Now, if I said I wasn't going back to a country after encountering a curt Immigration Officer, I'd never be able to travel anywhere, but if others don't want to travel to countries where they have had curt Officers, please don't travel there, as it will make the lines shorter for the rest of us.

[DYKWIA]

I agree. I've never met a Immigration Officer that was't professional, they are all extremely professional, to the point and some times curt. I've encountered the same style of officers in London, Bejing, Amsterdam, Kenya, etc., (just to name a few places I've traveled) as I have in the United States. Now, if I said I wasn't going back to a country after encountering a curt Immigration Officer, I'd never be able to travel anywhere, but if others don't want to travel to countries where they have had curt Officers, please don't travel there, as it will make the lines shorter for the rest of us.

 

It's not always the immigration officer, it's often the person shouting at you to stand here, stand there, move there no please, no thank you's, no smiles, no manners - totally unnecessary.

[NLH Arizona]

It's not always the immigration officer, it's often the person shouting at you to stand here, stand there, move there no please, no thank you's, no smiles, no manners - totally unnecessary.

If I wouldn't travel to places where I didn't get a please or a thank you or a smiles, I be sitting at home and will have never traveled overseas.

 

When there is a lot of people to get through the lines, with people not following orders or talking and not paying attention, which every time I've traveled, they just shout at you to go here or there and they don't always have time for pleasantries. Maybe if folks paid attention, they wouldn't have to shout at them. If people take it so personally that they don't want to go back to that country, they sure will miss out on a lot in life.

[DYKWIA]

If I wouldn't travel to places where I didn't get a please or a thank you or a smiles, I be sitting at home and will have never traveled overseas.

 

When there is a lot of people to get through the lines, with people not following orders or talking and not paying attention, which every time I've traveled, they just shout at you to go here or there and they don't always have time for pleasantries. Maybe if folks paid attention, they wouldn't have to shout at them. If people take it so personally that they don't want to go back to that country, they sure will miss out on a lot in life.

 

I've travelled extensively across Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America. No where comes near to rudeness and mismanagement of crowds that I've experienced in the USA. It's not just the please and thank you' it's the incompetent management of these facilities that think it is acceotable to have people hearded like cattle for 3+ hours.

 

If you want to see an efficient airport look at Singapore. Within 45 mins of stepping off an A380 at rush hour you can be in your hotel room with a drink in hand. No, Singapore immigration aren't falling over themselves to be friendly, but they are efficient and professional. It also shows that if you design your facilities correctly people instinctively know what to do, they don't need to be shouted out.

[lynncarol]

I have been to a lot of places, including twice to Russia and a number of third world countries. Nowhere have I encountered such nasty Borderguards/TSA (or whatever they are) as I have at JFK airport and I am an American senior citizen who tries her best to 'listen and follow their orders'.

[NLH Arizona]

 

If you want to see an efficient airport look at Singapore. Within 45 mins of stepping off an A380 at rush hour you can be in your hotel room with a drink in hand. No, Singapore immigration aren't falling over themselves to be friendly, but they are efficient and professional. It also shows that if you design your facilities correctly people instinctively know what to do, they don't need to be shouted out.

Been to Singapore a number of times and, you are correct, they were very efficient. The worst experience was at Heathrow, where folks were treated you worse than cattle.

[DYKWIA]

Been to Singapore a number of times and, you are correct, they were very efficient. The worst experience was at Heathrow, where folks were treated you worse than cattle.

 

One of Heathrows main problems is the way some if the terminals have been developed - terminal 3 is awful.

 

It's ironic that some of the Airports with the biggest taxes and fees for passengers offer some of the worst facilities for passengers.

 

I think my record at Singapore is 23 minutes from stepping off the plane to hotel room - straight into an empty immigration all , luggage already on the belt (I have no idea how they do it so quickly) , waiting hotel limo, check in in room at hotel.

 

But my worldwide international arrival is 8 minutes from stepping off a flight at Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia travelling in First (only 2 of us) to the Tanjung Aru hotel and having a welcome drink in my room. Didn't even have to wait for our luggage. That's the way it should be! It was during the SARS crisis and Malaysia was happy to have tourists there spending money.

[martincath]

I agree. I've never met a Immigration Officer that was't professional, they are all extremely professional, to the point and some times curt. I've encountered the same style of officers in London, Bejing, Amsterdam, Kenya, etc., (just to name a few places I've traveled) as I have in the United States. Now, if I said I wasn't going back to a country after encountering a curt Immigration Officer, I'd never be able to travel anywhere, but if others don't want to travel to countries where they have had curt Officers, please don't travel there, as it will make the lines shorter for the rest of us.

 

While hands-down the handful of biggest a**holes I've ever interacted with at any border were CBP those were definitely a very small minority, and as soon as we got our Canadian passports we've had virtually nothing but pleasant experiences with CBP - on average we get more crap when returning home from our own Canadian CBSA folks than from anyone else anywhere we've traveled (to be fair, it's always been the Customs rather than Immigration side they've been surly about - every time we come home with very little stuff we seem to get hassle about why we haven't bought much on our vacations!)

 

 

I've got no beef with anyone doing their job professionally - and frankly I'd rather forgo polite chitchat when it's a long queue - but having someone repeat the question "Do you understand that you cannot work in the USA?" over and over at you for literally 20 minutes when you're trying to board a flight for a week in Disneyworld is neither efficient nor professional; ditto lambasting an 85 year old in front of a room full of people for doing exactly what you just told her to do five minutes before (in this case my granny who dutifully filled out the form she was handed and told to complete and was than verbally abused for being an idiot because the form was not needed for anyone over 80 and she had "wasted his time").

 

While both of these occurrences in particular really soured us on US holidays, we're glad that we assumed they were unusual rather than the norm as that has definitely proved to be the case. Sure, there have been a few other less-than-pleasant agents since, but in general we've found CBP officers polite, professional and pleasant. These days we get asked questions about the booze and food we plan to sample in Portland more often than anything else!

 

It's not always the immigration officer, it's often the person shouting at you to stand here, stand there, move there no please, no thank you's, no smiles, no manners - totally unnecessary.

Yup - it's generally not the actual CBP guys, but the TSA folks that get my goat. The difference between them - especially the ones supposed to be guiding the queues - and the CATSA folks up here is like night and day! Reminding people about liquids, shoes, electronics etc. may be unavoidably repetitive and boring but it doesn't have to be surly - I do find that the UK airport security flunkies are even worse than TSA though, it just doesn't seem quite as bad thanks to the generally-surlier levels of service in the UK compared to the 'have a nice day' politeness that's the norm in the US...

[Jack_Tar]

We were embarking onto a Celebrity Infinity in Vancouver last week going to Alaska. The USA immigration at Vancouver port were a disgrace. Firstly they made all non US or Canadian citizens sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through. This took over 2 hours. Then they decided to make the rest of us stand in a Disney queue to be seen, which took on average another 2 hours. Half way through the machines broke down, and so instead of fingerprinting and pupil iris photographing everybody they suddenly went to just stamping your passport and letting you through! It took us nearly 4 hours to get through. We arrived at the port at 11.30am hoping to be on board by 1pm. It was 4.15pm when we walked on board and immediately we were ushered into the Lounge for Emergency drill. Even in here we had to wait for all other passengers to board before they started the drill and we were not even given a drink of water whilst we waited! Imagine if in Southampton we made US Citizens sit and wait until all other passport holders had been allowed to board, there would be outrage! This will be the last time I travel to the USA via a cruise ship and I am sure many others felt the same.

 

 

That would have pi--ed me off as well.

I have to confess though, something must have changed since then. We boarded the Infinity on the 23/07, checked in at the Celebrity desk, no problems there. Up and down through security. Back down to the main hall where there was a line for USA & Canadians and another for visitors, at least we are not aliens any more, I remember those signs in the 90s. Joined a small queue through into TSA territory, no segregation, dabs and iris scanned. Now the shocker for me they didn't want to see our TSA forms, just stamped our passport and waved us through. Sorry, this is going to upset you, all in all on the ship within two hours of leaving our hotel, coming back no problems with Canadian customs.

Like a lot of other comments, getting back into our own country is more of a pain.

 

Dickie

[Kartgv]

I guess we've been very lucky - we only once encountered rude immigration/customs/TSA agents, and that was entering into Canada. That was 20 years ago, a small 2 lane road crossing into Alberta from Grand Teton National park. They basically ripped our car and luggage apart, even pulling up the carpeting. In our luggage was an ultrasound image of our soon-to-be-born 1st grandson, and they kept waving it in the air demanding to know what it was. They of course found nothing, but we were there over an hour. We later decided they were extremely bored, as we didn't see another car the whole time we were there.

 

Our more recent encounters going in and out of multiple countries have often involved very long lines with various people sometime shouting instructions, but all in all they just seemed to be trying to keep the lines moving. We'll be boarding a ship in Vancouver in September on a day when there are 3 ships in port, so are curious to see how that process goes - hopefully better than what's being reported here rather consistently.

[baronessk]

How was the SHIP? How was the cruise? I board her in less than two weeks!!!

 

We were embarking onto a Celebrity Infinity in Vancouver last week going to Alaska. The USA immigration at Vancouver port were a disgrace. Firstly they made all non US or Canadian citizens sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through. This took over 2 hours. Then they decided to make the rest of us stand in a Disney queue to be seen, which took on average another 2 hours. Half way through the machines broke down, and so instead of fingerprinting and pupil iris photographing everybody they suddenly went to just stamping your passport and letting you through! It took us nearly 4 hours to get through. We arrived at the port at 11.30am hoping to be on board by 1pm. It was 4.15pm when we walked on board and immediately we were ushered into the Lounge for Emergency drill. Even in here we had to wait for all other passengers to board before they started the drill and we were not even given a drink of water whilst we waited! Imagine if in Southampton we made US Citizens sit and wait until all other passport holders had been allowed to board, there would be outrage! This will be the last time I travel to the USA via a cruise ship and I am sure many others felt the same.

[markeb]

I guess since getting Global Entry, I just don't notice anymore in the US. I enter the US far more often by air than by cruise.

 

I don't know about the situation in Vancouver. At US airports, what you're seeing is usually NOT CBP personnel but airport staff (minimum wage or so and likely no benefits) trying to form lines and move them along to a CBP officer (decent but not great pay, but benefits). Unfortunately, it all adds up and the visitor just sees "CPB".

 

I do find it fascinating when I travel how things work. For instance, the UK, Canada, and Australia are all Her Majesty's subjects (interesting reading on what that really means, but bear with me here). In Canada, if I make enough trips, I can get Nexus or Sentry and use an electronic entry system. In Australia, with an electronic travel authorization, as a US passport holder, I can use the automated gate system. At Heathrow, I get to join the All Others line, and wait... And heaven help if you have a connecting flight as you'll go through all the security process all over again! (My favorite: losing my brand new contact lens solution because it was marked 120 ml in the US, only to buy the exact same product, in the exact same sized bottle, at Boots for GBP 12, marked 100 ml!). If I travel to the UK I think 6 times a year, I can join their expedited entry system; Citizens of the UK can join Global Entry for 42 GBP.

 

In Munich, there's a line to get in, and a line to get out. Immigration officers are generally courteous but efficient. Leaving, you can use the electronic gates (same in Amsterdam) with a US passport, but those gates don't open first thing in the morning.

 

I feel for the OP as that is not an efficient use of time, and yes, according to the CBP, the CBP CAN accept reimbursable work. It's unclear whether Vancouver would qualify, but it looks like the cruise lines could pay CBP for more agents on cruise days!

[Kamloops50]

We sailed out of Vancouver on the Solstice in May. There were 2 other ships with passengers embarking that same day. Wow ... it was really bad then, too!! We were told to wait until 11:30 AM to show up but our flight landed at 9:00 AM at YVR, so what to do?? Well, we just headed to the port and good thing we had as there were people already lining up and our wait was about 3.5 hrs in all, but heard others, that arrived later, had up to 6 hours of standing in lines and waiting. It was one line followed by another line and some pax got those green boarding cards but weren't told what to do with them so threw them away. Ooooohhhh.... there was an angry mob onboard. Not us, though ... we had breakfast on the flight so we weren't starving and as soon as they handed me that glass of welcome champagne, that experience was way off in the distance in my 'rear view mirror'!! :D

 

I still heard people complaining about it 8 and 9 days into the cruise ... geez!! I can't imagine they could even be enjoying their cruise if they were still letting that affect them so many days into their cruise.

 

But, yes, I agree ... Vancouver needs to do something about that embarkation process, especially when there is more than 1 ship involved. I said that on another post and got reprimanded by Canadians ... 'it is US immigration ... not the Port of Vancouver ... that is responsible'. Well, maybe so!! All I know is that there was only 2 US immigration officials for all those thousands of people and nobody around to direct you to the 'next' line or room in which they wanted you to wait so I see both sides being responsible for the chaos. Oh yeah, and that hall where people had to sit and wait after check in ... well, nobody did it ... so maybe the pax themselves were partly to blame. BTW ... the rest of cruise was absolutely fantastic!!

 

 

 

The first few three ship days can be a zoo. We do embarkation in Vancouver fairly regularly ( our home port). The problem usually is that the American authorities don't have enough staff to handle the numbers.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Texas Jake]

Quite honestly, as a US Citizen I have found the same to be true at the Peace Arch crossing. I seem to always get the rudest American even though they are holding my US Passport and I live 20 minutes from the boarder in Bellingham.

 

 

That is my experience in the southwest US with US Customs and Border patrol except I don't need a passport or passcard since I am 20 miles to 50 miles in the US and have never entered Mexico. At the interior border checks, every American citizen is viewed as a drug runner, lookout, mule or people smuggler. Be glad you do not have those interior border checks.

[NLH Arizona]

That is my experience in the southwest US with US Customs and Border patrol except I don't need a passport or passcard since I am 20 miles to 50 miles in the US and have never entered Mexico. At the interior border checks, every American citizen is viewed as a drug runner, lookout, mule or people smuggler. Be glad you do not have those interior border checks.

I went through one of those on my way from Arizona to Texas to pick up a puppy. I thought I made a wrong turn and was headed to Mexico, because I knew I was about 20 miles from there. When I got up to the guard, I said that I didn't want to go to Mexico and he laughed and explained what the check point was for. Then his radio said..."the white van" and they all went running.

[Tom47]

I have a NEXUS card and it gives me US Customs Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check, Canada Customs airport express line and land border express lines-- $50pp. Glonal Entry is $100pp. I also received an invite to UK program but didn't bother, as I have only gone to the UK twice. DW and I had to go for personal interviews. Since I could apply for UK program, I believe UK citizens could apply for US Global Entry. All US international airports have GE kiosks and some seaports. Sorry, don't know about Canada pre-clearance.

[rumpelstiltskin]

At the interior border checks, every American citizen is viewed as a drug runner, lookout, mule or people smuggler. Be glad you do not have those interior border checks.

 

Was stopped at one near El Paso during a cross country move.

Border agent asked to see inside the car trunk. After I popped the trunk open, he took one glance & sent me on my way. No chance of hiding smuggled people among my household belongings.

[Texas Jake]

Was stopped at one near El Paso during a cross country move.

Border agent asked to see inside the car trunk. After I popped the trunk open, he took one glance & sent me on my way. No chance of hiding smuggled people among my household belongings.

 

 

Once is okay. Being stopped daily and searched in the morning commute and evening commute is extremely annoying. Some agents will start asking questions such as why do you drive through here so often? Where do you work? None of those questions should be asked at the interior check point.

 

If I asked to exit the vehicle, I hand my Texas concealed carry handgun license even if I am not carrying. US CBP has no right to ask any questions concerning my CHL since it is a state license. The US CBP has no authority to enforce state and local laws and ordinances even though some agents attempt to do so.

 

My comments are to illustrate the complete lack of respect the US CBP has for US citizens who have never left the US. Several youtube videos exist for these encounters which can be a multiple daily event for some US citizens.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Texas Jake

[CruiseGal999]

I would be angry too. Does anyone know if this is standard operating procedure for U.S. Customs in Vancouver now? We did a Pacific Coast cruise from Vancouver a few years ago and this was not the procedure at that time..

 

Are you Canadian? I see Ontario in your profile. OP said Canadian citizens were processed and boarded very quickly. I think they were pointing out non - US and non-Canadian citizens.

[fshagan]

I've traveled quite a bit around the world and I have to say it's a rare occasion when I've encountered a "friendly" Immigration agent. They haven't all been rude but really none that were friendly.

 

They do a kind of "stress test" in the best of circumstances .... they stare for an extended time at your passport then look at you ... hard ... for what seems like an eternity. It's to increase your stress and break anyone that has contraband into a sweat. If you act nervous instead of pissed off, you get invited to a private room and get searched.

[caribill]

 

 

Joined a small queue through into TSA territory, no segregation, dabs and iris scanned. Now the shocker for me they didn't want to see our TSA forms, just stamped our passport and waved us through. Sorry, this is going to upset you, all in all on the ship within two hours of leaving our hotel, coming back no problems with Canadian customs.

 

 

What type of forms did TSA have for you to fill out? Going through TSA security (as Americans) we have never had a TSA form to fill out.

[martincath]

What type of forms did TSA have for you to fill out? Going through TSA security (as Americans) we have never had a TSA form to fill out.

100% sure this was just a nomenclature error by Jack Tar - since he was obviously referring to how things were done at Canada Place, this would have been CBP and the form spoken of almost certainly an I94.

[Jack_Tar]

What type of forms did TSA have for you to fill out? Going through TSA security (as Americans) we have never had a TSA form to fill out.

 

Sorry for the confusion. I’m from the UK and have to complete an online form called Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA)it’s under the visa waiver program, last for two years from date of application. cost $14.00 per application

100% sure this was just a nomenclature error by Jack Tar - since he was obviously referring to how things were done at Canada Place, this would have been CBP and the form spoken of almost certainly an I94.

 

Slight error in the name, should have been ESTA as above, it replaced the paper I-90 form.

 

Just realised why they were not interested, last time I was on a TA cruise and they would not have had any electronic equipment on board to do bio and fingerprints, so that’s why I need a printed copy for disembarkation to a USA island in the Caribbean.

 

 

Dickie

Edited August 1, 2017 by Jack_Tar
update

[di T]

We were embarking onto a Celebrity Infinity in Vancouver last week going to Alaska. The USA immigration at Vancouver port were a disgrace. Firstly they made all non US or Canadian citizens sit in the hall until all the US and Canadian citizens had passed through. This took over 2 hours. Then they decided to make the rest of us stand in a Disney queue to be seen, which took on average another 2 hours. Half way through the machines broke down, and so instead of fingerprinting and pupil iris photographing everybody they suddenly went to just stamping your passport and letting you through! It took us nearly 4 hours to get through. We arrived at the port at 11.30am hoping to be on board by 1pm. It was 4.15pm when we walked on board and immediately we were ushered into the Lounge for Emergency drill. Even in here we had to wait for all other passengers to board before they started the drill and we were not even given a drink of water whilst we waited! Imagine if in Southampton we made US Citizens sit and wait until all other passport holders had been allowed to board, there would be outrage! This will be the last time I travel to the USA via a cruise ship and I am sure many others felt the same.

I know exactly how you feel! We have had bad experience at Miami a few times once arriving after a long trip to the airport followed by the flight from the Uk! We were treated terribly and it took over 4hrs to get through! I try to avoid going to the States because of this. Dianne

[Globehoppers]

I'm not a world traveler, but I have taken a number of international trips in my career. I've never gotten the impression that the US immigration agent was on a power trip. They always seemed to me to be practicing standard and reasonable professional detachment.

 

Fully agree. Have been traveling internationally since 1950 and never experienced anything but professionals. Those who "complain" should have experienced entering/leaving the Soviet Union or Warsaw Pact countries during the Cols War period... Not a fun experience even with a diplomat passport.

 

That said, horror stories here in the US have significantly increased since 20 January. Even for US citizens and Blue passports, much less non-US citizens. Its not the actual behavior of the agents, rather the rude questioning even of us Americans as to why you traveled and what you did while outside the country. Have seen some folks singled out for the 1+ hour inquisition. Blue passport holders.