How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13
How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
After holidaying in Mexico I entered the US by air while on transit to Australia on January 30th this year, in order to enter the US I used my Italian passport under the VWP (therefore there was no I-94 form) but on my flight out of the US (Los Angles to Sydney) I was forced by airline representatives while at the self check-in kiosk to check into the flight with my Australian passport (i.e. different passport to which I entered the US).
This means the following: I entered the US on an Italian passport under the VWP and left the US the same day on an Australian passport that hadn't at the time been registered under the VWP. Both the passports have exactly the same biographical information in regards to full name, DOB, gender etc except of course they have different passport numbers, date of expiry and citizenship etc.
QUESTION: Has my departure from the US been correctly recorded with CBP/US Government since I used two different passports? Do they know that the Italian that entered the US in transit was the same person as the Australian that left later that day? (my flight from the US to Australia was on my return ticket so it should have the same PNR locator as the flight I originally entered the US) I understand that CPB matches manifests in order to record passenger departures but how would they do that in my case?
Some extra information: I have recently applied for an ESTA (VWP) for my Australian passport and it was approved with a 'travel authorised' message does this indicate anything at all?
This means the following: I entered the US on an Italian passport under the VWP and left the US the same day on an Australian passport that hadn't at the time been registered under the VWP. Both the passports have exactly the same biographical information in regards to full name, DOB, gender etc except of course they have different passport numbers, date of expiry and citizenship etc.
QUESTION: Has my departure from the US been correctly recorded with CBP/US Government since I used two different passports? Do they know that the Italian that entered the US in transit was the same person as the Australian that left later that day? (my flight from the US to Australia was on my return ticket so it should have the same PNR locator as the flight I originally entered the US) I understand that CPB matches manifests in order to record passenger departures but how would they do that in my case?
Some extra information: I have recently applied for an ESTA (VWP) for my Australian passport and it was approved with a 'travel authorised' message does this indicate anything at all?
#2
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Some extra information: I have recently applied for an ESTA (VWP) for my Australian passport and it was approved with a 'travel authorised' message does this indicate anything at all?
Rene
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Thanks for your answer... are you sure they would be able to recognise me as the italian and me as the australian as the same person just from matching the manifests? or would they see two different people with the same DOB, full name etc. i.e. an Italian maybe still in the US and an Australian with no entry record who departed the US?
I have done some research and the only thing I can see is that they could maybe match me based on my PRN locator as I guess it would have been the same as my first arrival flight as my flight out of the US was the return flight on the same eticket with the same airline made through one booking.
I have done some research and the only thing I can see is that they could maybe match me based on my PRN locator as I guess it would have been the same as my first arrival flight as my flight out of the US was the return flight on the same eticket with the same airline made through one booking.
#4
American Expat
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,598
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
He sees you when you're arriving
He knows when you depart
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Immigration Man is coming to town
He knows when you depart
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Immigration Man is coming to town
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
what's with the rhyme? haha
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Seems a perfectly reasonable question to me. If I were OP I'd want to take both passports next time, to ensure that all bases are covered in case there are any questions. After all, it requires some joining up of relevant data which may not have happened automagically.
#10
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
We always (correctly) advise people who have had problems when using one passport that their problems will not go away if they just attempt to use a different passport - they are the same person, just using a different passport doesn't change that and they should assume that CBP will know that they are the same person - for them that is the "worst case" scenario and they should expect it to be what happens.
This is good advice, but the OP's situation is different - he *should* assume what is the "worst case" for his situation - which is that there is no record of the "Italian" having left the US because the departure record for the "Australian" did not get matched up with the "Italian". I think that he should definitely carry both passports with him in future and, since he now has ESTA approval with his Australian passport it might be a good idea to use that passport for future visits to the US.
#11
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Do folks on ESTA still get a little tab from the I-94 attached to passport these days?
Previously, folks could send that tab to where ever the address was to send it to show they had left the US. Just wondering if they don't get the passport tab, what they would do now?
Previously, folks could send that tab to where ever the address was to send it to show they had left the US. Just wondering if they don't get the passport tab, what they would do now?
#12
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
No - the green I-94W has been phased out (for air travellers, at least, not sure about people who enter at a land border.
I also wonder about people who arrive by air, in possession of a return ticket as required, but who for some reason actually depart the US by a land border and then return to their country of origin without reentering the US. Say someone comes to the US with on a round trip ticket from London to New York but changes their plans and decides to drive up to Toronto and return to London direct from there - it seems that there would be no record of their departure.
I also wonder about people who arrive by air, in possession of a return ticket as required, but who for some reason actually depart the US by a land border and then return to their country of origin without reentering the US. Say someone comes to the US with on a round trip ticket from London to New York but changes their plans and decides to drive up to Toronto and return to London direct from there - it seems that there would be no record of their departure.
#13
American Expat
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,598
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Of course, anyone seeking entry on the VWP can easily be denied entry. The US government must realize that there are lot of people with multiple passports. If they had a knee jerk response in such cases and were erroneously kicking people back under this scenario we surely would have heard about it by now. I would not be overly concerned, but travel with documentation of timely departures from the US. There is really nothing more that could be done. The fact that they don't even bother with the green form anymore at the airport would seem to indicate that they are confident in getting the information through other means.
#14
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Forgive me if I don't have so much confidence in the systems used by the US government always having completely correct information. Look how often people immigrating to the US have trouble getting a social security number because the "aren't in the system".
#15
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 4,891
Re: How do they know that I have left the US in my situation!!?
Albeit involving completely different circumstances, I'm going to give the same advice as I mentioned in this thread. If for whatever reason anyone ever needs to try and prove that they left the USA when they claim they did, they should keep the following evidence:
In the OPs case, they are also well advised to continue travelling with both the Italian and Australian passports.
- Boarding pass stub from their outbound flight
- Luggage tag from that flight
- Credit card receipts from any on-board purchases
In the OPs case, they are also well advised to continue travelling with both the Italian and Australian passports.