On 6/04/05 17:59, in article
1gulz6r.dxsq7ufjnrnwN%stanislas.kertanguyde@lapost e.net, "Stanislas de
Kertanguy" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > This biometric thing is just getting pretty ridiculous IMHO, and this
    > obsession of USA with border-controlling "terrrrrrrrrists"
    > counter-productive. Just my two cents.

Worth more than 2 cents! I agree. Hysteria took over
but it was partly orchestrated in order introduce a
sort of authoritarian conservatism. What is ironical
is that the party supposedly against "big government"
is doing the power grab number. American libertarians,
who are ultraconservatives are not in agreement.

Earl

On 6/04/05 18:27, in article [email protected], "Keith W"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
    > As does everyone else, which is why most of those questions
    > are on the form. It almost gurantees some immigration official
    > can deny you access if he wants to.

I would say yes. The INS is known for this kind of treatment,
they being a law onto themselves. They will do it in all
legality. They can send you home on the next plane out and
hold you in detention until you go.

    >
    > e.g.
    > You lied on your Visa Waiver form Question A - I can tell you
    > have a communicable disease from the way you sniffle and
    > you must be crazy visiting Minneapolis in Febuary :)

In fact, they won't say it but it is AIDS they are worried about.
But this could be said if you suffer from tuberculosis.

People will lie, they know that but they will only jump if
something is serious.

Years ago we went to Portugal from the US with our 4 yr old
daughter. A couple of days before returning to the USA
she came down with some horrible looking sores on her legs
and we gave her some antibiotics. We then put band aids on the
infected spots and took the plane back to NY, then on to
California. We were worried about INS in NY but they did not
spot a problem. We went to our doctor and found she had
impetigo, probably caught from some Portugese children she
was playing with on the beach a Nazaré. The antibiotics
we had had already started to work before we left the
country, but we did not know what the hell it was, the
disease was common in the US in the 1930s when I
was a kid but pretty well unknown now.

So yes, I think minor lying to authorities is a necessity at times.
Telling the truth can get you into trouble. My wife,
a former bureaucrat says, "never talk to much to a person
in authority, never offer information". Just answer questions
truthfully if possible, plausibly if necessary.

With American officials smile and act friendly. You know
"it is a nice day" kind of stuff.

Earl

[email protected] writes:

    > Additionally, for years, British and Irish citizens needed visas to
    > visit the US, but US citizens did not need visas to visit Britain
    > and Ireland.

US citizens do not need visas to visit Poland.

Polish citizens do need visas to visit the US. They also have to pay
quite substantial fee for a visa _application_. Something like half of
them are denied...

MJ

On 6/04/05 18:53, in article [email protected], "Michal
Jankowski" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Polish citizens do need visas to visit the US. They also have to pay
    > quite substantial fee for a visa _application_. Something like half of
    > them are denied...


Well, I think that is because the Poles helped Bush with the Iraq war.
Imagine what would have happened if you didn't!

Earl

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 18:09:17 +0200, Earl Evleth <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >B
    >Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense
    >or crime involving moral turpitude

I remember that one clearly. At the time I last went to the US, I was
with my boss. When I asked him what it meant, he stared deep into my
eyes and simply said "No-one caught you doing anything of the sort,
did they?".

They let me in.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Earl Evleth <[email protected]> wrote:

    > "Michal Jankowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    > > Polish citizens do need visas to visit the US. They also have to pay
    > > quite substantial fee for a visa _application_. Something like half of
    > > them are denied...

    > Well, I think that is because the Poles helped Bush with the Iraq war.
    > Imagine what would have happened if you didn't!

Meanwhile, Slovenes are included in the visa waiver programme. Go
figure.

cheers,

Henry

On 7/04/05 1:25, in article [email protected],
"Deep Foiled Malls" <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

    >> Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense
    >> or crime involving moral turpitude
    >
    > I remember that one clearly. At the time I last went to the US, I was
    > with my boss. When I asked him what it meant, he stared deep into my
    > eyes and simply said "No-one caught you doing anything of the sort,
    > did they?".


On the previous form they asked women if they were coming to the US
to practice prostitution!

In the 1950s one question was "Have you ever been involved in an
organization planning to overthrow the government?" There is a story
that a British writer wrote down "Yes, Sole reason for visit".
A Brit would do that. But these days one can not kid around, one can
not use the word "bomb" on the airplane in any way ("Boy, that movie
bombed") since people can overhear and hysteria levels are high.
One just sits there during the flight, and one gets through the INS
without fooling around. But it is best not to act grim and certainly
smile a lot. But for God`s sake, don't joke around. Remember the
expression "have a nice day". Or similar lies.

Earl

Earl Evleth writes:

    > On the previous form they asked women if they were coming to the US
    > to practice prostitution!
    >
    > In the 1950s one question was "Have you ever been involved in an
    > organization planning to overthrow the government?" There is a story
    > that a British writer wrote down "Yes, Sole reason for visit".
    > A Brit would do that. But these days one can not kid around, one can
    > not use the word "bomb" on the airplane in any way ("Boy, that movie
    > bombed") since people can overhear and hysteria levels are high.
    > One just sits there during the flight, and one gets through the INS
    > without fooling around. But it is best not to act grim and certainly
    > smile a lot. But for God`s sake, don't joke around. Remember the
    > expression "have a nice day". Or similar lies.

Makes one wonder if the trip is worth it.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

(snip)
    > Have you ever asserted immunity from prosecution ?
    > (???? What does that mean)

They're asking if the person was ever accused of breaking the law in
some country and that he used the fact that he was not subject to that
country's laws to avoid being prosecuted. This would most likely be in
cases where a person was a diplomatic representative to a country and
had diplomatic immunity there.

It gets around the fact that a diplomat can't be arrested. If a
diplomat is arrested, then once it's determined that he is a diplomat
it's as if the arrest never took place. So, a person who once held
diplomatic status, and who was accused of committing a crime while
holding that status, would be able to truthfully respond "No" to the
previous question about whether he had ever been arrested.