Traveling internationally with GC

[jzgr24]

All

I was wondering if any of you has traveled outside the country with your green card, I was told recently that when you come back to the US even if you have a green card you are stopped at additional review at customs, not the usual booth you have to go thru, Im not sure if the person who told me this has just had bad luck or if its routine to go thru second inspection even when you have a green card.

Anyone here that can share their experience?

[gunit123]

nothing major, go through automated kiosk, prints the receipt. if receipt has X marked then u will be asked lot more questions.

no X , few question and on your way.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

All

I was wondering if any of you has traveled outside the country with your green card, I was told recently that when you come back to the US even if you have a green card you are stopped at additional review at customs, not the usual booth you have to go thru, Im not sure if the person who told me this has just had bad luck or if its routine to go thru second inspection even when you have a green card.

Anyone here that can share their experience?

It really depends upon so many factors. Some of those factors are human factors on the CBP side and some on your side. So depending upon what country you are returning from, they're just going to select some people randomly. It is not because you have a green card. I don't remember ever even talking to anyone upon entering the US except the very first time in 96.
Some people bring food and I don't mean just a little vacuum packed sweet. It will be some 25 lbs of grilled chilean seabass. And they bring fridges, freezers, and stoves. Yes, you will be stopped if you do all of that. If you wear a coat that looks like you glue 500K dollars to, then yes, you will be stopped.

I love it when people start spreading these rumors to justify whatever they did that triggered being selected for extra security screening. Don't look like you do not know where you're going. Know the airport. Look up the map ahead of time. Follow all rules regarding liquids, how to pack medications, carry on baggage. I always bring extra zip lock bags because there is always some clueless person in front of me who has all these things that should be in separate zip lock bags, which will hold up the line at the gate - on your way out of the US. (Both ways I suppose)

Join the trusted traveler program. you will be golden. Travel light. https://www.cbp.gov/trip-cancellatio...veler-programs
Once you become a citizen, you can do a customs pre check in through the customs app. You store your US passport in it. It's pretty neat. https://mobilepassport.us/

Congrats on your green Green Card!

[cali2018]

Secondary screening

You truly need a passport from a nation with VWP to start with to get the machines and fast screening. As an LPR you still dont got a US passport. So thats the first thing.

Next, as USCFFS mentioned secondary depends on lots of things. I got secondary last year cause I booked a flight last minute to visit my wife in the USA from Canada for Thanksgiving. Apparently all the bad dudes book last minute tickets and pay up dont plan ahead of time. The 10 other flights I took in the last 2 years nothing. The algorithms just work like that these days.

3 years flying to vegas a friend and myself both got secondary since we departed on different days but had plans to fly back together. Clearly another sign of bad dudes, had secondary on my next 2 flights then it went away.

So moral of story as stated there is no hard and fast rules and dont fear it.

[newacct]

You truly need a passport from a nation with VWP to start with to get the machines and fast screening. As an LPR you still dont got a US passport. So thats the first thing.

US permanent residents can use the APC kiosks.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

You truly need a passport from a nation with VWP to start with to get the machines and fast screening. As an LPR you still dont got a US passport. So thats the first thing.

Next, as USCFFS mentioned secondary depends on lots of things. I got secondary last year cause I booked a flight last minute to visit my wife in the USA from Canada for Thanksgiving. Apparently all the bad dudes book last minute tickets and pay up dont plan ahead of time. The 10 other flights I took in the last 2 years nothing. The algorithms just work like that these days.

3 years flying to vegas a friend and myself both got secondary since we departed on different days but had plans to fly back together. Clearly another sign of bad dudes, had secondary on my next 2 flights then it went away.

So moral of story as stated there is no hard and fast rules and dont fear it.

Almost looked up ?USCFFS?, then realized it was me. LOL. I like it.
Fun fact du jour. As a LPR, you don?t need a passport to enter the US. You?re only required to have your Green Card. Of course, it?s good practice to have it with you - or so says the CBP website.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

All

I was wondering if any of you has traveled outside the country with your green card, I was told recently that when you come back to the US even if you have a green card you are stopped at additional review at customs, not the usual booth you have to go thru, Im not sure if the person who told me this has just had bad luck or if its routine to go thru second inspection even when you have a green card.

Anyone here that can share their experience?

Never let that card out of sight. Once they?ve been out in circulation for a while, takes nothing for some official to pull a stunt at a foreign airport and do something weird to it or replace it. Who knows?
Where that card goes, you go. If they say they need to call USCIS to confirm the vailidity of your green card, just have that number stored in your phone. Same for the CBP number.
I used to show foreign agents my card, and not let them hold it. Lol, yeah, I was a real treat in my 20s.

[boogiewoogie]

It really depends upon so many factors. Some of those factors are human factors on the CBP side and some on your side. So depending upon what country you are returning from, they're just going to select some people randomly. It is not because you have a green card. I don't remember ever even talking to anyone upon entering the US except the very first time in 96.
Some people bring food and I don't mean just a little vacuum packed sweet. It will be some 25 lbs of grilled chilean seabass. And they bring fridges, freezers, and stoves. Yes, you will be stopped if you do all of that. If you wear a coat that looks like you glue 500K dollars to, then yes, you will be stopped.

I love it when people start spreading these rumors to justify whatever they did that triggered being selected for extra security screening. Don't look like you do not know where you're going. Know the airport. Look up the map ahead of time. Follow all rules regarding liquids, how to pack medications, carry on baggage. I always bring extra zip lock bags because there is always some clueless person in front of me who has all these things that should be in separate zip lock bags, which will hold up the line at the gate - on your way out of the US. (Both ways I suppose)

Join the trusted traveler program. you will be golden. Travel light. https://www.cbp.gov/trip-cancellatio...veler-programs
Once you become a citizen, you can do a customs pre check in through the customs app. You store your US passport in it. It's pretty neat. https://mobilepassport.us/

Congrats on your green Green Card!

It's very nice of you to bring extra ziplocks to the airport, they used to hand them out. I never pack my stuff in ziplocks and never get problems with it.
Granted it's usually just contact lens fluid bottles but still

Having traveled frequently i find it that it's usually the folks that bring tons of weird food, dried animals and god knows what that get pulled over for extra screening. Other than that i could be luck/bad luck.
I once got randomly selected for additional screening pre-boarding to a flight to the US. Got to board the plane last and repack all my carefully packed bags.