Lost_in_between

I am British & planning to travel to the USA in the summer however, I was planning on going to Syria for a visit before going to the USA. However now people are telling me that if i have a Syrian entry/exit stamp on my passport i will be refused entry to the States.
PLEASE can ANYBODY help me by confirming if this is true!!!!!

dbark

Sorry I can't help. You might be better trying in the US Visas section:-

http://www.britishexpats.com/forum/f...splay.php?f=31

They're pretty good in there on all the legal stuff.

Lost_in_between

Thanks anyway i'll try the link you suggested

Manc

Complete dogs turd.

They questioned me about a Tunisian stamp, and asked what I was doing there. (He seemed bemused that people go on holiday there!!)

They might ask you what you were doing there, but so long as you don't answer "working for the Hezbollah" then you should be ok.

Lost_in_between

Well I hope thats all they do!! Because I really need to be in the states this summer, but it would really suck if they deny me access because I decided to holiday somewhere they dont like

Englishmum

Mmmmm - Syria is very different from Tunisia or Morocco though isn't it? Syria is apparently behind the bomb which went off in Lebanon the other day.

I was pulled to one side at Heathrow one day when I was flying with American Airlines and questioned as I had a stamp for Dubai in my passport so I guess it's fairly routine for a percentage of people who've been to the Middle East. However, stamps from certain countries know to harbour terrorists like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq are almost certainly going to raise a red flag. (Hadn't Richard Reid who tried to blow up the AA plane from Paris by igniting his shoe been to Syria and conveniently 'lost' his passport?)

I don't think the original poster is going to be 'banned' from entering the US per se, but will need to expect to definitely be thoroughly questioned and need to account as to what he/she was doing in Syria (for example if the O/P was on an archealogical dig organised through a museum that would be fine)....and I'm afraid to say that if he/she is of Middle Eastern extraction or ethnic origin then it could very well raise eyebrows with US immigration.

It may be worth a phone call to the US Embassy in London?

Manc

He didn't know it was a Tunisian stamp until I told him

Arabic writing all looks the same. It could have been Libyan for all he knew at first.

anyways, I think the general consensus is to just have a decent legit reason as to why you were in Syria.

Lost_in_between

This whole thing seems to be getting worser & worser by the minute. I was just hoping to go visit Syria and maybe do some shopping!!

Dan725

Not trying to be racist or anything, but do you look like a westerner or a <<offensive words removed>>?

This really does have some impact on the US officials - but even then, in the worst case scenario, you'll only get a barrage of questions. If you look like a westerner, you won't have any trouble getting into the US being a Brit passport holder and all.


The only place they pull that "I'm not letting you in the country" shit is if you have a Syrian entry stamp on your passport, and try to get into Israel, and vice versa - that really does matter there.

Go to Syria, have fun, don't worry about it.

Lost_in_between

Is a holiday legit enough! I mean especially with all the goings on at the moment! I would rather just not go - to be on the safe side, but my mother is insistent that she'll go & take the risk when we get to the States!!!!

Dan725

Lol, thats so true! I've got a collection of unusual ones in my passport and they always have trouble with them, the immigration muppets 9/10 times don't even know where these places are!

rincewind

10/10 for effort though

Dan725

Of course it is. Don't worry yourself, really. There are thousands of businessmen going back and forth from the UK/US/Europe and the middle east on a dialy basis.

Really, this is a total storm in a teacup and not worth mentioning

Lost_in_between

Well in reply to your previous question I am a rag head by which I mean i'm a muslim who covers up her head and all the rest, however the reason of concern for me is the fact that I have just recently come back from the States therefore wouldnt it look a bit strange that I made a stopover to enemy of state #1 before I go for another visit!!!

Dan725

Sorry if I caused offence with the first remark.

But like I said, the chances are you will get questioned as to what you were doing there, given the perceptions of the not so fast immigration officials, but at the end of the day, if you have a legit reason for going, honestly, don't worry about it. It'd be really remiss of them to not let you in.