codyVA

does USCIS or any other federal agency have any kind of rights to look through my bank account and its history? could they do that at the port of entry? just curious,

Ray

Anything you have in your possession can be inspected at the borders of any country....but they are hardly likely to phone your bank for a reference..

Stuart Brook

Ray wrote:

    >>does USCIS or any other federal agency have any kind of rights to look
    >>through my bank account and its history? could they do that at the
    >>port of entry? just curious,
    >
    >
    > Anything you have in your possession can be inspected at the borders of
    > any country....but they are hardly likely to phone your bank for a
    > reference..
    >

Dept of Homeland Paranoia can if they suspect you're money laundering,
or a potential terrorist.

crg

Yes, they can.

Under 8 U.S.C. §1357(c), officers or employees of the INS are authorized to search without a warrant any person (and their effects) seeking entrance into the United States for evidence which may lead to the individual’s exclusion from the country if the officer possesses reasonable cause to suspect that grounds exist to deny admission to the United States under the INA.

Oliver Costich

On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:43:54 +0000, codyVA
<member27336@british_expats.com> wrote:

    >does USCIS or any other federal agency have any kind of rights to look
    >through my bank account and its history? could they do that at the port
    >of entry? just curious,


It's just like at your home. You can make any rules you want about who
is admitted.

codyVA

ok, so everybody agree with it but the next question is if any of you or somebody you know experienced that?
I'm gonna make a hypothetical sytuation:
somebody is trying to get into US on B2 visa and imigration officer is suspecting that this person did work illigally during last visit (but no evidence). Could they check if this person has got a US bank account and if, the account history? Or they rather have more important cases to worry about?

meauxna

Oh dear. Hadn't you heard about the Payroll Matching System in the US? Your wages are compared against your bank account regularly here to make sure you are depositing what you were paid. I think anomalies are reported at all POEs and when the cops pull you over for traffic infractions.

I'm sure Ray can vouch for the veracity of the above statement, but I hope Stuart, Oliver and Craig have a sense of humor today.

Ray

I knew the hypothetical situation would emerge soon.. so you worked illegally on your last visit ...but why did you use a bank ..Records man Records. Walk into your nearest USCIS office... Scream out I am a sinner.. and fall down on the floor begging for mercy.. It will have no effect on the USCIS ..but it will amuse all the others in the office...

Stuart Brook

codyVA wrote:
    >>does USCIS or any other federal agency have any kind of rights to look
    >>through my bank account and its history? could they do that at the
    >>port of entry? just curious,
    >
    >
    > ok, so everybody agree with it but the next question is if any of you or
    > somebody you know experienced that?
    > I'm gonna make a hypothetical sytuation:
    > somebody is trying to get into US on B2 visa and imigration officer is
    > suspecting that this person did work illigally during last visit (but no
    > evidence). Could they check if this person has got a US bank account and
    > if, the account history? Or they rather have more important cases to
    > worry about?
    >

The reality is that if they suspect, the person would either be refused
entry or put in expedited removal. They have absolutely No need to seek
proof by looking at bank accounts etc. The law states that they must
presume everyone entering the US is an intended immigrant, and the
person seeking entry must prove otherwise. On that basis, they can,
with little evidence at all, refuse entry.

Stuart Brook

meauxna wrote:

    >>ok, so everybody agree with it but the next question is if any of you
    >>or somebody you know experienced that?
    >>I'm gonna make a hypothetical sytuation:
    >>somebody is trying to get into US on B2 visa and imigration officer is
    >>suspecting that this person did work illigally during last visit (but
    >>no evidence). Could they check if this person has got a US bank
    >>account and if, the account history? Or they rather have more
    >>important cases to worry about?
    >
    >
    > Oh dear. Hadn't you heard about the Payroll Matching System in the US?
    > Your wages are compared against your bank account regularly here to make
    > sure you are depositing what you were paid. I think anomalies are
    > reported at all POEs and when the cops pull you over for traffic
    > infractions.
    >
    > I'm sure Ray can vouch for the veracity of the above statement, but I
    > hope Stuart, Oliver and Craig have a sense of humor today.
    >

I do ... and that's pretty good. But the fact is that suspicion is all
the CBS need to refuse him entry. They have to prove nothing. It's the
person entering that have to demonstrate evidence that they did not do
what it is that the Immigration folks suspect he did.

crg

The people at the border are generally looking for three types of violators. Terrorists, smugglers, and illegal aliens.

You're high up on their list of priorities.

codyVA

thanks everyone, my hypothetical case has been solved. I bet we helped a lot of people to realize not to work illigaly and even more, not to keep any records

Rete

Why did you think they were stupid and didn't already know the fine points of defrauding the US Government?

Honey, bunch, they all know how to work the system and milk it dry. Many of them have lovely homes bought and paid for with their illegally accumulated assets. Granted for the most part they are hard working individuals and some even pay US taxes under an individual taxpayers identifiction number. The government just has a difficult time connecting the dots in the proper sequence.

Curious

codyVA <member27336@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected] om>...
    > > The people at the border are generally looking for three types of
    > > violators. Terrorists, smugglers, and illegal aliens.
    > >
    > > You're high up on their list of priorities.
    >
    > thanks everyone, my hypothetical case has been solved. I bet we helped a
    > lot of people to realize not to work illigaly and even more, not to keep
    > any records :)

I think that most people who work illegally get paid in cash and those
who gets check (in case the employer turns a blind eye) do not deposit
these checks into their bank account.

I used to wonder why people would go to grocery store t cash their
paychecks.

Oliver Costich

On 9 Sep 2004 11:01:08 -0700, [email protected] (curious)
wrote:

    >codyVA <member27336@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected] om>...
    >> > The people at the border are generally looking for three types of
    >> > violators. Terrorists, smugglers, and illegal aliens.
    >> >
    >> > You're high up on their list of priorities.
    >>
    >> thanks everyone, my hypothetical case has been solved. I bet we helped a
    >> lot of people to realize not to work illigaly and even more, not to keep
    >> any records :)
    >I think that most people who work illegally get paid in cash and those
    >who gets check (in case the employer turns a blind eye) do not deposit
    >these checks into their bank account.

If they get paid in cash, why do they get phoney SS numbers?

    >I used to wonder why people would go to grocery store t cash their
    >paychecks.