Passport Dilemna

[mick]

Originally Posted by suebuttons

Hi, I had a problem with my passport. We travelled on the 21st of December to MCO, my passport runs out March 18th. I was spoken to by the immigration officer and said because I didn't have 90 days on my passport I would be fined 585 dollars and he had every right not to allow me in the country, luckily he let me off, I was told I needed to be out of the country by the 1st Jan or their would be a warrant for my arrest.
when we looked online for any information we couldn't find anything .

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If this ever happens to you again or if you get even close to that rudeness and ignorance you should ask to see his supervisor.

This is an extract from the US CB&P web site

Our Pledge to Travelers

We pledge to cordially greet and welcome you to the United States.
We pledge to treat you with courtesy, dignity, and respect.
We pledge to explain the CBP process to you.
We pledge to have a supervisor listen to your comments.
We pledge to accept and respond to your comments in written, verbal, or electronic form.
We pledge to provide reasonable assistance due to delay or disability.

He was absolutely and aggressively wrong on every count

Mick

[suebuttons]

Mick, the immigration officer even went over to his supervisor and spoke to him, then the supervisor said that they weren't going to fine me. So I think possibly they got it wrong and they were covering their tracks.

[Posiesmum]

We flew on 9/2. DH had 3 months left on his passport. At twilight checkin the woman was very stroppy with DH telling him that he might not be allowed to enter the US. I firmly insisted (!) that she was wrong and she backed down. Then she said I didn’t have an esta! I had a print out so just slapped it on the desk and she muttered something about a ‘slow running system’. Not the relaxing twilight checkin experience we were hoping for.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by suebuttons

Mick, the immigration officer even went over to his supervisor and spoke to him, then the supervisor said that they weren't going to fine me. So I think possibly they got it wrong and they were covering their tracks.

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They were likely 'track covering' Sue as they are incorrect. Your 'fine' tale is the first time I've heard that nugget! UK citizens only require the duration of their trip in pp validity. They need to read their own CBP website re the 6 month club HERE - where it clearly states:

Visitors traveling to the United States are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States. Citizens of the countries listed below are exempt the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay.

there are approx 130 listed exempt countries, of which the UK is one.

Originally Posted by Posiesmum

We flew on 9/2. DH had 3 months left on his passport. At twilight checkin the woman was very stroppy with DH telling him that he might not be allowed to enter the US. I firmly insisted (!) that she was wrong and she backed down. Then she said I didn’t have an esta! I had a print out so just slapped it on the desk and she muttered something about a ‘slow running system’. Not the relaxing twilight checkin experience we were hoping for.

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Hiya PM... another Dibber encountered similar whilst checking in for a BA flight. Dibber held her ground, offerred the official Gov rules and the agent accused her of being argumentative. The agent rang a Supervisor and came back with the 'we'll let you fly this time', an out and out crock, possibly the agents attempt at keeping face after likely being told by the Supervisor they were wrong and to check-in the pax.

When we return in May hubs will have 6 weeks validity on his pp, no pp validity mention when admitted at Atlanta in November.

[Peko]

These incidents, while exceptional, are still enough to make you slightly apprehensive. One of my kids' passport expires a few weeks after our return from the next family trip to the US, and I decided not to renew the passport because I don't yet need to, and it would have meant getting a new ESTA.

However, despite the fact that I know all the rules, am a very experienced traveller and have visited the US dozens of times, I won't relax entirely until we are all through immigration. However rare, you only have to meet one ignorant or poorly trained individual at check in or immigration to get into a stressful situation, and you still have to get them to accept you are right.

[Floridarules]

After years of being on the dibb and reading this question many times (do I need 6 months validity). There does seem to have been a lot of incidents recently involving immigration questioning the rule.

In all honesty, I would renew rather than deal with the stress. I suspect a lot of travellers would feel the same.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by Peko

These incidents, while exceptional, are still enough to make you slightly apprehensive. One of my kids' passport expires a few weeks after our return from the next family trip to the US, and I decided not to renew the passport because I don't yet need to, and it would have meant getting a new ESTA.

However, despite the fact that I know all the rules, am a very experienced traveller and have visited the US dozens of times, I won't relax entirely until we are all through immigration. However rare, you only have to meet one ignorant or poorly trained individual at check in or immigration to get into a stressful situation, and you still have to get them to accept you are right.

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I agree, my DD will have just over 3 months on her passport when we travel in October. We have a few other holidays booked before then, so decided as she has valid ESTA too, we will renew after the October trip. However, I am stressing (as I am prone to 😀 ) that we could be questioned over having just 3 months on it.

[stonemad]

HI
Mine was out two weeks after our trip and I had no bother. The girl at checkin just reminded me to renew.

[Craigybaby]

One of my daughters has 4 days left on her passport when we return in September, but as we are not going abroad next year and she has a valid ESTA I am not bothering to renew.
I will tale a print from the DHS website just in case we get a stroppy / uninformed officer.

[ChrisS]

The joys of US travel Understandable that non ESTA holders renew pp up to 9 month afore expiry, but unfortunate that some mis-informed immigration/check-in/travel agents, who should be trained/self educate re official UK/US Gov rulings, subsequently cause concern/worry for valid pp/ESTA holders.

My pp was due to expire March 2016 whilst in Fl, I made use of the 9 month rule and renewed in 2015. For US immigration/entry I must carry my expired, B2 visa holding, pp.