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U.S. Immigration. WTF?

297 replies

KennDodd · 19/06/2019 22:19

Why are they so rude?

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bellinisurge · 20/06/2019 07:21

They are the police, not customer service. It's their job to protect the border, not "be nice". Yes, you can tell there's a bit of comedy bad guy but it's not their job to make you feel smiley.
UK Border force often " unfriendly " too. Just doing their job.

orangeshoebox · 20/06/2019 07:22

I had a mix between outright rude and very friendly officers.
I usually get questions about my unusual (south london) Confused accent...

stay polite, have the papers in order and only answer the questions they ask.

ImpracticalCape · 20/06/2019 07:24

Yes they are generally aloof at best, nasty and unnecessary at worst.
I am however , baffled by why anyone these days chooses to stand in the queue to see a live person. Surely you just go to the kiosks with an epassport (available to US, UK and a bunch of other countries) and you don't need to face to face with anyone. And you are through in a minute.

Last time to SFO, LAX and BOS the kiosks were all up and running, I was through in seconds without a grilling but no one used them... instead choosing to follow sheep like into a huge queue.

LenizarLyublyu · 20/06/2019 07:26

Agreed. Nan and granddad said it's the worse experience they've ever had going into another country (they were going to Las Vegas on holiday) - and they've been all over the world with the navy and then the cruise ships my granddad worked in, everywhere else way more friendly.

LenizarLyublyu · 20/06/2019 07:28

I have a relative who , in the 50s, tried to take the piss out of them. He spent the night in jail. Which is ludicrous.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 20/06/2019 07:28

It was a really horrible experience. They couldn't take my fingerprints and got really arsey about it.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 20/06/2019 07:32

Some of the CBP officers I have come across at US immigration have been polite and reasonable whilst others are clearly on some sort of power trip and need urgent customer services retraining. Those people are completely wrong for the organisation they serve and should not be employed by the CBP. What some of them seem to forget as well is that without passengers arriving into the airport, they would not have a job.

Their roles can be difficult and I know their working conditions are not ideal in terms of pay. I have seen many immigration officers over the decades I have travelled to the US and its always a mixed bag. For example he last immigration officer I saw was nice because he saw we share the same birthday. Another officer's initial comment towards us as a family was, "how much money have you got?").

It does not help passengers from their home country being the US or any other nation when they finally arrive into US airports to see there are only three members of staff available to process what can amount to several plane loads of passengers - and all individually (this happened at Houston). The whole process needs further streamlining, it is far too wasteful and inefficient for both airlines and passengers. And there is no will to change anything.

Not all passengers get directed to using the automated passport machines and these anyway are not always without problems. A lot of pax get rejected by these machines therefore obliging said passengers to line up further to see an immigration officer. It all makes for making a long day even longer.

SherlockSays · 20/06/2019 07:35

I've never had rude ones.. in fact I've had lovely guys who have joked with me about my names (I have 5) and had ones that were overly apologetic about all the testing of milk he had to do for DD's formula.

SherlockSays · 20/06/2019 07:37

@ImpracticalCape the kiosks are generally only if you've been to the US in the past 2 years (they definitely are in Florida). Most UK passengers need to see someone face to face.

Troels · 20/06/2019 07:43

I've never met a rude immigration officer, like some of the others on here.
I met a customs one who started a little abrubt, when he asked me what was I was bring in from the UK, but soon smilied and laughed and sent me on my way without opening up anything, I think he was bored.

stucknoue · 20/06/2019 07:48

Only at the airport, the land crossing ones are lovely - the i5 crossing point were particularly niceSmile

bellinisurge · 20/06/2019 07:56

@LenizarLyublyu - in the 1950s, it wasn't so ridiculous. And, frankly, telling them they were being ridiculous is ..... ridiculous. They are the police.

Hoppinggreen · 20/06/2019 07:56

I’ve only been to America once, I found them very curt and formal but not necessarily rude. I have had lovely ones and rude ones all over the world but the nicest ones are at Liverpool airport
I think the reason people think they are generally rude is that they see them as Customer service reps like the airline staff and other people working at he airport but they work for Customs or Immigration and are there to protect their country rather than make your holiday experience better

bellinisurge · 20/06/2019 07:58

I agree @Hoppinggreen . People forget that they having nothing to do with the facilities management of the airport. You don't have a god given right to go into anyone's country. It is at their gift.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 20/06/2019 07:59

"I am however , baffled by why anyone these days chooses to stand in the queue to see a live person. Surely you just go to the kiosks with an epassport (available to US, UK and a bunch of other countries) and you don't need to face to face with anyone. And you are through in a minute".

Those machines are not for use by a first time visitor to the US; those people need to see a CBP officer.

I have been directed towards using the automated passport machines by airport staff. In Miami the machines worked fine for all of us, in Houston on our last visit we were rejected (as infact were 90% of all the other passengers because the cameras in the machines were not functioning properly). I did not choose to stand in a further line that moved at a glacial pace, I was obligated to do so!.

jackparlabane · 20/06/2019 08:10

You can't use the machines with children, either. US border officials are the most officious I've met in the world - most are just formal and often a bit grumpy - and I say that as an American. Brits may be lucky and get the 'welcome to America' treatment, but last time I entered with my US passport with visas in Arabic and Cyrillic, it was taken away for an hour for inspection/being a pain.

Couple months ago I had to do the visa waiver forms for my kids. Two hours it took me, and having to confirm that I have explained to the applicants - and confirmed they have understood! - they aren't allowed to spread disease nor conduct espionage, sabotage nor genocide, makes no sense when the recipient is under five...

And you have to waive your rights of appeal and various other things, and accept only the individual border guard can decide to let you in or not, not even ask to speak to a manager. Joy.

DramaRamaLlama · 20/06/2019 08:15

I am however , baffled by why anyone these days chooses to stand in the queue to see a live person. Surely you just go to the kiosks with an epassport

Current process in SFO is that you use a kiosk and then queue to see a person. Ludicrous.

DramaRamaLlama · 20/06/2019 08:16

Oh and as a Brit who travels on a visa as not eligible for an esta that's always fun Hmm

KennDodd · 20/06/2019 08:16

My son started crying because he was scared by the manner of the man barking questions at us, not giving us chance to answer, then barking the same or different question. We struggled a little to understand his accent which probably didn't help.

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bellinisurge · 20/06/2019 08:20

Have you made a formal complaint, op. To be honest, that's how they roll. Don't like it? Complain or don't go back.

KennDodd · 20/06/2019 08:22

American people, on the other hand, have always been lovely. People are comparing immigration to the police but US police have also always been polite and friendly (when we're asked if we can take their picture with our children) I know that's not quite the same situation.

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KennDodd · 20/06/2019 08:23

What good would complaining do though? I expect that'd just get you shouted at by another person.

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bellinisurge · 20/06/2019 08:24

But they are the police, op. Their job is not to be friendly. Their job is to protect the border. It is nice to be nice to you but not obligatory. I'm sure they are bored and underpaid and fed up of people assuming they are flight attendants.

Twistedbiscuit · 20/06/2019 08:24

Trust me, British ones aren't always nice when you don't have UK passport.

Indeed. I can assure you that some of them are absolutely revolting. I could tell you some stories.

KennDodd · 20/06/2019 08:31

What I don't understand is why they wouldn't be nice, surely being nice to others (which doesn't mean not doing your job) is the default human position.

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