Mischadee From Sweden, joined Apr 2004, 271 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 1 month 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1782 times:
Does anybody else than me think that the green immigration card you have to fill in (from some countries) before entering the US is kind of funny? I mean, some of the questions they ask are ridiculous. I think some of them are: "Have you any plans of committing terrorist attacks?" or "Have you ever been prosecuted of any crime", something like that. And at the bottom it says: "If you have answered yes to any of the above question you may not be granted entry to the US". REALY?
I can't help but laugh every time I fill out this card.
Any thoughts?
Trekster From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1721 times:
I did laugh at the questions. I thought u would have to fill the departing bit when u leaveso i left it blank. He sent me to the back of the cue, even though it was 2 tick box's i needed to fill in
Leskova From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 6075 posts, RR: 72 Reply 2, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1719 times:
I always laugh when I read those questions - they are hillarious... things like "Have you ever, or are you planning to, take a child from the custody of a US citizen, that has been awarded custody", or all the drug related questions... I mean, even IF I were planning just that, how dumb would I have to be to answer YES to any of those questions?
I especially like the "if you answered YES to any of the above questions, please consult a US Embassy before commencing your travels" (or something like that) - considering that a lot of people, at least before the current changes if visa-regulations, received that card somewhere above New Foundland or even the New England states of the US...
That always made me wonder: is there a US Embassy somewhere between the arrival gate and the immigration counter?
But, in all honesty, people really should take more care when planning trips, not just to the US: even in cases where I'm certain that I don't need a visa, I'll always double-check: better be safe than sorry!
And I think these questions also have to do with the fact that, should you be caught doing something illegal in the US, especially something that you answered "NO" to on that form, they'll be able to deport you even faster, since you lied while entering the country.
N77014 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1686 times:
Leskova:
That IS precisely the point. While you waste away months of your life in the penitentiary on a narcotics conviction you'll bang your head on the cell wall hearing the judge with his "I told you so" rant when you were warned about the illegal narcotics section on the immigration arrivals card.
I just wonder if its more effective than the "Death Penalty for Drug Traffickers" I read stamped on my MNL landing card a few years back.
Cwapilot From United States of America, joined May 2000, 1166 posts, RR: 20 Reply 4, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1610 times:
Short answer...there are a lot of stupid people out there. You would be surprised how they answer those questions. Why is the US form being singled out? When my wife, an Indonesian national, was going on a 5-day trip to Europe with her parents, and I had to follow her around to 5 different consulates to get 5 different visas so that she could do the equivalent of driving through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, she was asked stupid questions like that, and more. The French and Belgian consular officials even added in some nastiness and snootiness (is that a word?) for an introductory taste of culture, I guess. The German guy, after asking who I was (her husband) asked her if she planned on marrying a German national upon entry to Germany! He didn't understand my "not unless bigamy is legal in Germany" comment. The form I had to fill out to get in to Indonesia asked if I was going to attempt to remove "fruits or livestocks" from the country. These things are not a US phenomenon.
Southside Irish...our two teams are the White Sox and whoever plays the Cubs!
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15871 posts, RR: 66 Reply 5, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 1563 times:
Cwapilot, I agree with you.
Also, if you are caught lying on your card, it's that much easier to unambigously throw you out of the country or prosecute you. If the questions were not there, and you were caught for one of the things, a lawyer would have an easier time getting you off.
Just a safeguard really, and maybe a way of discouraging people, although I do like: "Death Penalty for Drug Traffickers"
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
Geoffm From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2004, 2111 posts, RR: 7 Reply 6, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days ago) and read 1455 times:
I agree with Cwaguy - it's an intelligence test. The J1 visa I had about 8 years ago also had extra questions like "do you plan to assassinate the president?", to which somebody allegedly wrote "not sole purpose of trip".
The front page of the Singapore entry card reads something like the following:
"Welcome to Singapore.
Death to drug smugglers"
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days ago) and read 1435 times:
Just in case someone is interested, here are the questions from the I-94W US immigration card:
A: Do you have a communicable disease; physical or mental disorder; or are you a drug abuser or addict?
B: Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense or crime involving moral turpitude or a violation related to a controlled substance; or been arrested or convicted for two or more offenses for which the aggregate sentence to confinement was five years or more; or been in a controlled substance trafficker; or are you seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?
C: Have you ever been or are you involved in espionage or sabotage; or in terrorist activities; or genocide; or between 1933 and 1945 were you involved, in any way, in persecutions assosiated with Nazi Germany or its allies?
D: Are you seeking to work in the US; or have you ever been excluded and deported; or been previously removed from the United States; or procured or attempted to procure a visa or entry in the US by fraud or misrepresentation?
E: have you ever detained, retained or withheld custody of a child from a US citizen granted custody of the child?
F:Have you ever been denied a US visa or entry in the US, or had an US visa cancelled? When:________, Where:__________
G: Have you ever asserted immunity from prosecution?
Important: if you answered "Yes" to any of the above, please contact the American Embassy BEFORE you travel to the US since you may be refused admission into the United States.
Geoffm From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2004, 2111 posts, RR: 7 Reply 8, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days ago) and read 1410 times:
That reminds me: (F) is ambiguous, because yes I have had a visa cancelled, but "cancelled without prejudice" - it got replaced by a new visa with a slightly different work code. Nowadays I don't declare it and the immigration people have never said anything, despite flicking through the visas in my passport.
BigOrange From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 2358 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (9 years 1 month 4 days ago) and read 1385 times:
And if you say no to the communicable disease question and then admitted to a hospital with such a disease you can be arrested for lying to a federal officer and banned from the USA for life.
And the reason for the statement to contact the US Embassy before you travel is because the form is an exact copy of the regular I-94 form which you need to fill out to obtain a visa.
LTBEWR From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12335 posts, RR: 12 Reply 10, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1365 times:
As a US citizen, I of course don't have to fill out this form upon returning to the USA. The I-94 is used by those persons from countries where a visa isn't required to enter the USA up to 3 months and to confirm visa required pax to update/confirm info. The closest thing I can recall as to this card is my visa application for my trip to Australia in 1989. There was significant questions as to any drug use/trafficing violations. As to the child custody issue, there has been a number of cases where US citizen children have been taken by a male non-citizen spouse back to his home country (usually in Europe or the Middle East) - a very serious issue.
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15871 posts, RR: 66 Reply 11, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1349 times:
LTEBWR. Almost but not quite.
I-94W (W for waiver) is used by nationals of countries who do not need a visa if they wish to enter for 3 months or less for business trip or pleasure.
I-94 is used by nationals of all other countries or for nationals of the above mentioned countries when those nationals are in fact using a visa.
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
FlightLover From Moldova, joined Mar 2004, 338 posts, RR: 10 Reply 12, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1324 times:
Cwapilot,
I am confused why would you have to go to 5 consulates to get different VISAS? Belgium, France and Germany are all in the Schengen space and you only need one VISA for all of them. The VISA can be issued by any Schengen member state on the condition that you will enter that country first. After that you can travel freely within the Schengen space for the duration of the VISA.
Cwapilot From United States of America, joined May 2000, 1166 posts, RR: 20 Reply 19, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1214 times:
She started at the British consulate, then asked at the French consulate if she would need a visa, they said yes. She asked the French consulate if she would need a separate visa for Germany, they told her to go ask them (after a healthy taunting, of course), she went to the German consulate, where they saw her British and French visas, told her that she would need a German visa...and so on. Not one of them mentioned ANYTHING you had said. Her point of entry into Europe was to be Paris.
Southside Irish...our two teams are the White Sox and whoever plays the Cubs!
Worldoftui From Sweden, joined Aug 2007, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1194 times:
Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense or crime involving moral turpitude or a violation related to a controlled substance...............
This one always makes me laugh. "Moral turpitude?" Don't even know what it is, or if I would like it, but always answer no anyway!
Skyguy From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 461 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1194 times:
What can one expect from immigration authorities worldwide. They are after all government servants and that too somewhere in the lower pecking orders of the hierarchy. Paranoia is the state of their affairs and everyone is looked at as a potential drug baron or serial criminal, and certainly made to feel that way.
Being able to use their intelligence to single out who needs further examination and questioning and who to let proceed without further unnecessary hassle is way beyond any immigration officer. Logic too escapes them. It seems that some of the most useless and imbecile people end up becoming immigration officers and consular officials at embassies, a dead end job that goes nowhere.
AS far as the US Immigration form is concerned, yup, it IS a bit weird to read all those questions, but it is designed by lawyers who can pounce on it and instantly deport you on technical grounds if they deem that you have not answered the questions correctly.
As far as other countries are concerned, the warning is clear and no words are minced "Drug trafficking is punishable with death". You are not asked if you intend to traffick drugs and go through the formalities of having your answer evaluated, you are simply informed of the end result which is a deterrent.
"Those who talk, do not know, and those who know, do not talk."
Venezuela747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1407 posts, RR: 5 Reply 22, posted (9 years 1 month 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1066 times:
I know its illegal for your employer to ask you if you have had any criminal records. So i think you can get away with leaving those questions blank. Anyone who knows law can prolly clarify it for you and I
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From Sweden, joined Apr 2004, 271 posts, 
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The J1 visa I had about 8 years ago also had extra questions like "do you plan to assassinate the president?", to which somebody allegedly wrote "not sole purpose of trip".
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