Has the press convinced you to be afraid of Border Crossings? The Women’s Travel Group received 2 calls about border worry. Should you be afraid of immigration personnel here or in
Europe or in Mexico or of TSA? USA Today reports that people are increasingly anxious crossing borders, especially if they have unusual visas or complicated paperwork issues. Since 911 border officials have been more vigilant and that continues to today. Are you one of those who are afraid?
In the past, we women travelers were concerned about customs more than about immigration. Did we shop too much? Did we wear the jewelry rather than declare it?
Airport and immigration anxiety is not new. Within the secure areas of airports, travelers feel adrift. They are tired from flights, concerned about organizing trip paperwork (passports, itineraries, boarding passes, baggage tags, different currencies). We are bummed returning home to errands? work? family issues? On the way out the airport was part of the thrill; on the way home, the airport feels claustrophobic. When arriving in a non English speaking airport, like Mexico City or Paris, we might feel nervous.
Headlines are false. It is rare to be detained by immigration or customs. Who is really pulled aside? The ACLU says some people are stopped for no apparent reason. This happened to me. As a senior woman, “granny grey”, I was double questioned several times because I travel so much and alone. After visiting Iran (legally) with our group in 2016, I was taken aside for extra questioning. Before visiting family in Los Angeles for Thanksgiving, I was pulled aside again. This time for cookies. (I had 2 huge cans of biscottis which took this Granny hours to bake). I offered some to TSA; they remained serious. Big mistake, I still had to mess up and retrieve biscotti to prove they were just flour and sugar.
TSA personnel are not law enforcement officers; they are there to protect us. They are serious, and during tense political times, more so. They do not tolerate aggressive behavior or back talk. At the Virgin Atlantic line, I was behind a Palm Beach woman who objected to TSA’s rummaging through her expensive cosmetics. She became aggressive, insisting she would miss her flight. Bad idea, folks. TSA delayed her, as they needed time to go through tiny potions in each corner of her Louis Vuitton carry on. Let officials do their job and all should be fine.
Details and accuracy are important when you travel. Passports must be in good condition. Our group once had a traveler whose passport was water damaged. A hurricane drenched where her passport was stored. When our group arrived in Delhi,Indian officials accepted it; on return, immigration in the US chastised her strongly but let her through.
Official information must be accurate. Your passport must be valid for 6 months past departure date from most destinations. Showing less than 6 months left, you risk being rejected somewhere. Information must also be taken seriously. When my son was born in London, we registered him for a US passport. I thought it was funny to fill in hair color as ‘pink’. (He had no hair). Passport officials did not think it was funny; they changed it to ‘fair’. Official applications are not a place on which to joke around.
A few optional ideas for travelers. If you are traveling for business, bring your business card. If you went overseas to a wedding or special event, bring the invitation. One family member came from Asia for a family wedding in Virginia; immigration officials asked to see the wedding invitation as part of the check. Similarly I was asked by a UK official for proof that my business was in New York. He wanted to see a return ticket to the US. Both incidents were probably to prevent illegal work. (One needs a work permit to work in most other countries). Consider Global Entry or a Trusted Traveler Certification like Nexus for Canada crossings. Know the stamps in your passport and be prepared to explain any which are unusual.
Has the US border ever been really closed to citizens? The Southern border was closed for a few hours after the Kennedy assassination. Some ports of entry were closed for a few hours under Reagan, after the abduction of a DEA agent. In 2020, Canada and Mexico borders were closed to non essential travel due to Covid; they never closed to citizens.
So mind your manners, have your documents in order, respect immigration officials, be patient and all will be good. And I forgot to add, declare the jewelry you buy. Join us to our Fantastic Spa and Fitness trip in cool weather in Ixtapan de la Sal Mexico. No visas for US citizens, speedy immigration processes, modern airport, welcoming staff. Award winning The Women’s Travel Group can be found here. Contact us here. Simply call us here: 646 309 5607.
