TriNetre - Archive for April 05, 2005

(no longer updated)

After reading several cases of immigration check nightmares at the US airports, I was mentally prepared for a long "inhumane" process, but truth be told, things went smoothly. Or rather, it has gone well so far, the return leg still remains. I had made my last previous visit to US in 2003 and at that time had to go through some additional checks (conducted very professionally, I must add) and hence was expecting a replay of the same. I was pleasently surprised.

There were more checks at the Frankfurt airport than I have ever seen for any other flights, but except for the slightly longish wait, things rolled on just fine. I didn't have to take off my belt, though the shoes had to go for an extra round of screening of its own. Maybe it had a thick sole? At the US side, the winding lines were still present, but with about 5 or 6 counters, it moved pretty fast. Another issue I was worried about was that my original US visa was on an expired old passport. The US Immigration website mentions clearly that as long as I travel together with the newer and older passport (with the visa in it), it will be fine. Being a skeptic, I doubted that it will be that easy. The guy at the counter will surely raise some concern, I assumed. Not so. He took a look at both my passports, the visa and that was it. Two fingerprints and one mugshot later, I was out!

Nice work USCIS, though I would rather have not given you my biometric details. But then that is your law and being an foreigner, I am in no position to question it.