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What not to say at US preclearance?

VonLuck

Can anyone give me some tips on what not to say when going through US preclearance in Dublin airport? I've heard stories of people going on a short trip for work purposes getting grilled because they didn't have an appropriate visa for it!

If I'm doing a bit of remote working is it best not to mention it?

Also, I am visiting my girlfriend who is living there at the moment. Is it best not to mention that either? I'm worried they'll think I'll overstay my visa and try to live there with her permanently!

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[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058330777/what-not-to-say-at-us-preclearance

I think you are over thinking this.

Why would you mention work if you are going over on a tourist visa?

All they will want to know is where you are staying, why you are entering the US (holiday) and when you are leaving.

You have to fill out the ESTA online, don’t leave it until the last minute.

Deep Thought

You should have your ESTA.. so visa should be no issue ( unless you ain’t Irish and need specific visa)

they will ask why you are going, who you work for, where are you going and when coming back.

I say the same thing.. going to xx, work for company YY, going to a global workshop and returning end of week.

they get annoyed if your don’t voluntarily share that info and need to keep asking you questions, so give the whole spiel in one go.

no need to mention anything else

Buddy Bubs

Ah the yanks and their self importance. I remember a guy in airport asking me loads of questions but like he was my friend. Asking me about my job and what time I start in the morning, weird stuff, am I in an upstairs or downstairs office

I'm going on my holidays, leave me alone

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600210#Comment_121600210

You are trying to enter their country, their game, their rules.

Donald Trump

I'd recommend not starting by shouting "Allahu akbar" at them anyway

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058330777/what-not-to-say-at-us-preclearance

Firstly don't mention anything about work, don't even imply for a second that you will be remote working.

Tell them you are visiting a friend (which you are).

If you are going for a long time i.e. close to the 90 day limit, tell them you are going traveling also, but make sure you have a plan of what this travelling will be.

Ash.J.Williams

Answer the questions asked and don't add to the conversation

Donald Trump

Read the allowed purposes under the VWP (assuming you will be trying to enter under that). You can go to work related conferences if I remember correctly. But you can't go there to do work.

They can go through your stuff if they want so no point saying you are going on holidays if your suitcase is full of work documents or brochures etc. Remote work - say nothing.

The DayDream

Just don't say anything about working remotely. You're visiting your girlfriend. They can't and won't, assume that means you will overstay and deny you entry. If anything that would only cause more issues for a future with her together if you wanted to move there, it would be stupid to do that.

It's actually not that common to get the 3rd degree if you're from Ireland, they sometimes chat to you more simply because American people often like Irish people or have Irish ancestry. But then also the airport cops/homeland security are known to be at the top end of the wanker scale (if you ask a normal cop they will tell you that.)

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600241#Comment_121600241

If they see a work lap top then you can have issues. You can do training on the ESTA. Say you are doing training and visiting your partner.

The bigger issue is does your company know that you are going to be working outside of Ireland. There are serious issues with bringing work outside of Ireland.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600201#Comment_121600201

ESTA or a visa only lets you walk up to immigration, it's still up to the officer at the desk to allow you into their country.

A2LUE42

It is how you phrase things. I have seen people grilled for saying they are 'going for work', which in an Irish sense they mean that their employer is sending them for a short work-related trip. But they interpret it as going to the US on a short visa, but looking for employment.

If you say that you are going for some in-person meetings with colleagues or a conference, they don't bat an eyelid.(For Employment related trips)

As previously stated above, if you are going for a short visit to see your girlfriend, then just say that. If they ask about work, it is to establish that you work in Ireland and will be returning to it, so better not to say that you will be planning to work remotely while vacationing.

Deep Thought

OP.. I go everymonth

I travel on business , I bring a work laptop.

A lot of scare mongering here.

tell them where you are going, who for, what for and for how long.

dont just say for work as yes.. they hate that and expect you to tell them and not make them ask questions.

Deep Thought

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600259#Comment_121600259

I travel with work laptop., iPad and phone..never a problem.

Stop scaremongering.

unless you are a utter ass while talking to the officer it’s 3 minutes to get through.

[Deleted User]

Way overthinking this OP.

Im going on holiday, I’m staying with my partner, I’m coming home in X days/weeks”

thats it. You’re done. They’re happy.

Donald Trump

Main potential issue in theory, if the girlfriend is a yank, would be if they suspect you are going over there with the intention to get married there.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600747#Comment_121600747

That's way above the interest of the guy or girl at the desk in Shannon or Dublin.

As long as the op has their ESTA, their passport, their return ticket within 90 days and doesn't mention the word work then they will be fine.

Glaceon

I've been through the US preclearance several times as my wife is from there. On most occasions they just ask me the purpose of my visit and how long I'll be staying for. Take my fingerprints, stamp my passport, and off I go. But there were two exceptions. On one occasion, they asked me where my wife was (she was in the US citizens lane), and also wanted to know where I worked and how much of a salary I was making. The second occasion was when I went over for Christmas just gone. Asked me nothing, took my fingerprints and didn't even stamp the passport!

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600795#Comment_121600795

CBP Officer at the desk has full unquestionable authority to admit or deny. When you go under visa waiver, you also waive your right to appeal their decision. I didn't say it was a high likelihood - I said "potential" and "in theory". What the immigration official is essentially doing (after checking your paperwork is otherwise in order) is forming an opinion on whether or not you will abide by your visa waiver terms. They will ask - for example - where you are working. This is not for having a chat or getting to know you - it is to see whether you have something pulling you back to Ireland.

It is a serious enough offence to plan to go there for the purposes of marriage except under their special Fiance visa. People who go there and do get married will be grilled about it and have to convince the immigration that it wasn't planned. Easy enough after getting married by Elvis in Vegas at 4am some Sunday morning. Less easy for certain other setups.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600853#Comment_121600853

Can you stop intentionally trying to scaremonger with absolutely fallacies?

Jesus Christ there’s as high a chance they’ll think he’s off to marry the Mrs and live illegally as they are to suspect he’s a Martian man sent to spy on the US and steal state secrets.

Ludicrous and only mentioned in an effort to troll.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600920#Comment_121600920

Everything I said is true. Just because you are ignorant of something does not mean that that is not true. And you should not be posting that something is not true - when it is as - if you know anything in relation to the matter. What you are doing yourself is actually trolling.

It is better to be aware of these things just in case. The CBP Officer might not immediately launch a CSI-syle investigation on every individual that rocks up to the desk, but an unaware visitor might indeed inadvertently give the impression that it might be a possibility by saying something that would otherwise be normal conversation and innocuous.

You guys seem to have a problem differentiating between someone telling you that X can in theory happen, with saying X is definitely or likely to happen.

JIdontknow

Have often travelled with a work laptop, phone, etc. and never any issues at all. I did once make the mistake of answering what is the purpose of your trip with saying "going for work" which is a common Irish expression but interpreted differently - I meant spending time at a US branch of my company for work purposes. You are over thinking this, you're going on holidays, visiting a friend. It really isn't as scary as it may sound in this thread!

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600920#Comment_121600920

How is that trolling? Bizzare conclusion to come to and a taunting post if you ask me.

OP is doing things that cpb will take an interest in so needs to be careful what they say to keep it straightforward, not lie but don’t volunteer too much.

working remotely
visiting their us girlfriend

cpb are a collection of very different characters, some nice, some friendly a fair few a55holes but that’s their job to weed out unwelcomes and each have their own way of doing it. They check through thousands of people each week so have a good read on people and know how to extract information.

i would recommend keeping it simple and state that you are going for a vacation, call your girlfriend a friend and if asked are you working say no outside of emails / emergency.

you need to remember these are powerful people, they can flag you on their system and you will deal with it during future visits.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601269#Comment_121601269

Good advice.

Here is an online resource verifying what I said

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/can-fianc-enter-visa-waiver-married-green-card.html

It explains the illegality of entering with intention to marry, and subsequent possible difficulties with trying to regularise that situation. The link shows that the practice would be illegal - not that the OP is doing it.

The OP is not intending to go and marry their gf, but that does not mean he would be able to convince a suspicious CBP Officer that that is the case. As I said, the officer make the decision on the spot and you waive your right of appeal under VWP. The OP does not have to be doing X to be denied - it merely have to be suspected that they might do it.

Where he would be more likely to run into trouble would be frequent and extended visits under VWP if it got to that. After a VWP denial he would have to apply for a visitor visa. In which case traveling to meet a partner would definitely make it more difficult to obtain

Is it likely to arise - no. But would it be impossible for the OP to inadvertently say something stupid that results in their denial of entry - no.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601269#Comment_121601269

and if asked are you working say no outside of emails / emergency.

Why even say that, just say no.

Former Former Former

The visa waiver allows you to travel for business. I have entered the States four or fives times a year for the last decade and every time I say "I'm going on business to my company's HQ". They're not going to refuse you entry for checking a few emails.

Just be honest. The absolute worst thing you can do is be nervous and stuttering as you're trying to keep your story straight.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601350#Comment_121601350

i was coming from the angle of not encouraging to tell complete lies which your post would be.

im verging on scare mongering and what ifs, but the OP may have a work laptop and an iPad so the cpb may ask why have you both with you, this provides a backup to the story and avoids opportunity for the cpb to do down that avenue of questioning.

Dial Hard

Put the laptop in your checked bag, problem solved.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601511#Comment_121601511

You're not meant to check anything containing lithium-ion batteries due to fire safety concerns. I've never tried so can't say what would or could happen if you did.

SleazeMerchant

I went to visit my girlfriend on the 24th December haven't been over in 14 years, avoided pre-clearance because I flew through Iceland but at Immigration I wasn't even asked any questions just passport scanned and waved through, so really depends on who you get.

MakersMark

Wear a MAGA hat