After a couple of years of being hauled in for "a bit of a chat" by US Homeland Security each time I visited the states thanks to a bit of incorrect computer entry by US customs (Cornwall) when I flagpoled in 2007. I decided to avail myself of the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program.

Having sent in the information I had on the incidents with nice scans of supporting documents I waited.... then after 4 months I got a nice letter back basically saying:

We may(or may not) have made changes to the records we may (or may not) have on you. Also, for security reasons we are unable to tell you what information was changed. and gave me a Ref no. to use when booking any trip to the states.

Roll on 2012, and my company once again sends me to a conference in the US (Las Vegas), so when they're booking my trip, I make sure and give them the ref No.. I land in the states fully expecting to get asked in for a chat again but lo and behold, I'm waved straight through with US customs barely looking at my passport.

I think this is the first redress process I've used which has worked first time

BTW Vegas wasn't bad either (just too dam hot)

Obviously no US pre clearance in your neck of the woods unless flying out of Calgary/Edmonton or Winnipeg.

If you do a Privacy Act request to CBP for your entry record that will usually give you a clue as to what the problem was, apply on G-639.

I'm still not entirely clear on what my problem was, seemed to be that I had the same name and similar DOB to someone who is dead.

I knew exactly what the problem was. Some idiot at the Cornwall check point put what should have been a "did not enter US" as a "refused entry to the US" on a flagpole trip I did for a Canadian TWP in 2007.

I'd also have expected them to give me a problem when I applied for the ESTA's I also needed for travel as you supply exactly the same information to obtain those, but the ESTA's were granted in less than a minute.

A friend had an identical name to somebody who was on the list as 'most wanted'. He always used to 'flag up' when entering the States. Luckily it was always resolved quickly due to the 20 year difference between my friend & the wanted Felon plus the officer using common sense rather than a thicko trying to make a name for himself.