sfowler

On the whole I have had very little trouble.

But what I am trying to figure out is how they can expect you to be carrying bank statements & utility bills with you?? WEIRD.

Budman

I'm just guessing, but you're probably not getting the whole story.

indie

The reason they ask for bank statements is to establish that you have sufficient funds for your stay - a lot of countries ask for this when you request a visa.

Before I had my permanent residency, I did carry 3 mths worth of bank statements - marriage certificate,letter from husband's employer, letter from my university, letter from the department at UNI where I worked, in addition to the 1-20 and usual documents. This was before 9/11!!

Never carried my tax return around - but I do know my parents had to take their returns to the US consulate when they applied for tourist visas.

One of the criteria for tourist and other short stay visas is that you have to establish you will return to your counrty of citizenship and Tax returns I am told facilitate that by establishing a history of income, employment or, of property ownership.

P_M

I work with a Dutch citizen and he told me that when travelling overseas, he always takes copies of bills with him. This is because if he were to lose his green card while travelling outside the US, they can ask for these just to help establish that he truly is a US resident. However I think it would be ridiculous to as a US citizen for this, it's not like we carry around this stuff on vacation.

Eloise

All right, everyone, breathe deeply and count to ten...

I am not now and never have been anti-American, but I think even the most patriotic American and the one who -- rightly -- is very security conscious, has to acknowledge that there is something wrong with the way the U.S. is handling security now when Ian McEwan, one of Britain's leading authors, winner of the Booker Prize, whose novel "Atonement" was on the New York Times bestseller list for months and months in both hard cover and paperback, was refused entrance into the U.S. for reasons that were subsequently shown to be unjustified by any current U.S. law.

Even U.S. immigration authorities issued a reluctant apology for that little episode -- because he was Ian McEwan and it became something of a scandal.

How many other people -- who are less famous and have been refused entry into the U.S., but who would not make it into the media -- have been similarly handled and with as little reason?

I think the question bears thinking about -- without that suggestion being branded as "anti-Americanism" and worse.

And I refer those who would wish to claim that they're "probably not getting the whole story" to this article that appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/..._mcewan20.html

Marilyn

Eloise, I strongly agree with you. One of those "less famous" is a Canadian friend of ours who had a terrible time entering the US to attend a conference. His problem was similar to Ian McEwan's, if I recall correctly, having to do with whether the purpose of his visit was "commercial."

janeg

I think Mr. Diego13 on the other thread made that psrt up about bank statements & tax forms just to go thru customs on a flight.

Diego13

Jane: I thought you knew the difference between immigration and customs. Do you?

suze

Customs - your stuff
Immigration - your person

Some posters do seem to be confusing these or considering them one in the same, which they are not.

jody

Thank you , Eloise! I have been sitting here for hours trying to remember Ian McEwan and his troubles. He even had someone from the Unversity where he was supposed to be giving a lecture vouching for him !

Sally, I was wondering the same thing! I was afraid I'd have to pack a few more papers!!

janeg

ok, I have read the Ian McEwan story. How does it come up that he was going to be paid 5K to give a speech?

Eloise

JaneG: I don't understand your question.

The fact that he was going to be paid $5,000 was the reason why U.S. immigration refused to let him enter the U.S., although there is nothing in the laws of the U.S. that says that $5,000 is beyond the limit that one can earn as a "visitor." How did U.S. immigration know that he was going to be paid $5,000? Presumably, they asked and he told them.

It changes nothing about the fact that he was unjustly and illegally denied entry to the U.S. and that U.S. immigration subsequently went so far as to give him a "rare" apology.

And if U.S. immigration was prepared to apologize, I don't quite see why you should object -- or seem to object. As I said, I do not understand your question.

Carmen

He was coming to Portland as a guest of Portland Arts & Lectures program. I think he was delayed as a result of the immigration snafu.

SiobhanP

None of my relations who went to visit my family in America ever had to bring bills, tax statements etc. My granny used to sneak in a bag of sausages and black pudding...they should have been more worried about that then any tax statement

ira

>McEwan had been refused admittance to the United States largely as a result of the size of the speaking fees he was to receive during his visit. Visitors are allowed to receive honoraria for appearances before academic groups in the United States, but **immigration officials at the Vancouver airport** ruled that the size of McEwan's speaking fees ($5,000 in Seattle alone) were too large to be considered "honoraria."<

Emphases added.

Isn't this something of a tempest in a teacup?

A very low-level bureaucrat in Vancouver decided that speaking fees in excess of $5000 were too high to be considered honoraria.

In less than 24 hrs the problem was resolved.

Mr McEwan was able to get to his engagement on time.

The ICS apologized for the snafu.

111op

Perhaps, perhaps not. If this wasn't Ian McEwan, there would have been no apology. Perhaps this shouldn't be blamed on immigration, but it should be blamed on the rich/famous getting differential treatment.

And McEwan was advised to carry the apology letter from now on and the passport was still marked. So it's not really as if something hadn't happened.

janeg

Hey, hey, hey, Eloise. I made no judgement about the incident. I just didn't understand how the amount of Mr. McEwan's payment came up. Since I have never entered US as a non US, I may not understand the questioning that non US go through. I guess they ask what you are going to do here and how much money you will make & do you have enough to leave. Please reread my post & tell me what wording implied I objected and I will be more careful in the future.

ChatNoir

Much to do about nothing. People who have a bone to pick with the US government always give you half the story or drag out some odd case and then act as if the world was coming to an end. They would be the first to scream bloody murder if security was too lax and we had another 9/11 incident.

Hey, people make mistakes and we get lots of chances with millions going in and out of our country. Calm down and worry about bigger issues than this one.