going through customs with a laptop

[Florianns Man 7]

My honey is coming her on the 20th of August

she will be bringing her laptop but is concerned because she isn't using a "proper and legal" operating system since at one time she had to reload everything into the computer due to a virus. Naturally she wants everything to go smoothly so she is asking me to ask all you fine folks what do they look at when she goes customs. Do they do anything specific with laptops??

thank you

also we would like to know since her port of entry is Seattle and she will then board a flight to Minneapolis will she need to grab her luggage for the immigration process and then get it back for her next flight??

(I probably know these answers but "nobody" ever believes me so "we" would like a few other opinions)

Edited July 30, 2010 by Florianns Man

[Sklith 0]

Have her computer boot windows xp through a USB flash drive?

[AdamW 2]

First POE she will need to collect luggage. No problem on laptop either. I haven't found a "legal" piece of software anywhere in southeast Asia. I've never had someone check mine or my wife's laptop for legality. Good luck on everything.

[newLife2010 1]

F Man,

First of all congratulation, you lucky

She shouldn't have any problems with the laptop. The security people are not going to ask for the operating system disk or sit down and confirm if the os/software is "proper and legal". That' not their job. All they are going to do is have her put it thru the scanner to make sure it is a real computer without any surprises inside. And they might ask her to boot it up, again to make sure it is a legitimate peice of technology that works. So make sure that her laptop is in working condition when she boards. If they ask her to boot it up and it doesn't they might keep the laptop as a securiyt precaution and she WILL NOT get it back.

I have personally gone on many international trips with sometimes 2 laptops without any problems. And yes I had some software that was not "proper" . Only problem they had was with my kindle and they ask me to boot it up so thay could verify if it works. Alot of my family and freinds have traveld overseas without any problems with laptops.

Same precaution goes of any electronics device: Cell phones, mp3 players, ebook readers, cameras, etc....

SO RELAX.

About the luggage, it would help if they are all connecting flight i.e. all the flights are one itenerary. Usually, when you enter into US from international fligh you will be on the international terminal of the airport and your connecting flight will be on the domestic terminal. For that reason they will dump all the luggage into the international terminal and you are supposed to carry your luggage to the domestic terminal. You collect your luggage from the internation terminal on your arrival. Now this is where the single itenerary with connecting domestic flights help. When you collect your luggage they will direct you (or ASK about it) to a seperate line where you can put your luggage back for the domestic flights right there in the international terminal. This way you don't have to carry it around and won't have to go thru security again. Also, if its all a connecting flight you won't get charged the extra bag fees that are popular now a days on the dostic flight, especially if you have already paid the for the internation flight.

Sorry for the long and winding answer. But, figured I should put down as much info as possible from my own personal experiance.

Safe Journey for her.

[JimVaPhuong 4,864]

They will x-ray it to make sure it looks like a laptop on the inside. They may ask her to turn it on to make sure it functions like a laptop. They're only verifying it's a laptop and not a bomb. They have no way of determining if the OS is licensed, and they wouldn't care unless she was bringing in a shipment of laptops.

[payxibka 10,048]

not a K-1 fiance(e) visa topic... moving thread

[pgrin 2]

They can ask to log in to computer. They may search for .jpg files, .mp3 files and .avi files looking for child porn and illegal downloads. You can refuse to log on and they can confiscate the laptop. I do not know what they do if they find offending files.

[RICARDO4EVA2 199]

naah they wont ask to view laptop... most they'll do is Scan the lap top thru an xray machine to confirm there are no illegal items being taken into the country and hidden within the device. i've travelled for years and have never been asked to do that.. no have nayof my friends/families.

[MalaysianGirl 26]

I brought my netbook with me to Chicago and back, and they never once asked me to switch it on or anything. So I don't think there's anything to worry about.

[rlogan 2,036]

They can ask to log in to computer. They may search for .jpg files, .mp3 files and .avi files looking for child porn and illegal downloads. You can refuse to log on and they can confiscate the laptop. I do not know what they do if they find offending files.

I've come through with laptops for years and that's what they did with me many times - look through jpegs and ask me why I could afford to travel so much, what I was doing, etc. Not looking for bootleg operating systems.

Because I am a male coming in alone from Asia they're hoping for the big child porn score. Traveling with my wife now they never look.

I saw a U.S. Citizen coming in from Korea in the other line once, and he started objecting to their search of his computer. The guys with guns came crawling out of the woodwork like ants, swarming all over him. So just keep a low profile and do what they ask.

[pgrin 2]

I have had to log on to my laptop several times at the POE and they did searches as I describe. As I said I do not know what would happen if they found anything as I did not have any files of interest. Coming from the PI the main concern would be illegal music downloads in mp3 format. It is standard practice and readily available in SE Asia and so common you forget you have them on your hard drive. Just tell her to make sure to delete any mp3 she may have. While the searches are not universal they do happen and can be painless if you are prepared.

P

[rlogan 2,036]

That's interesting about the music. I have never downloaded anything overseas.

I remember now one crossing where they were being really obnoxious about laptops -

They asked me to show them the kind of work I did with the computer and I thought that was pretty strange but I showed them. I saw them asking another guy to give details about who the people were in the pictures with him - I didn't see the pictures but I could hear the whole discussion. Just mundane stuff in front of flower gardens and at the ocean. It seemed like they were trying to trip the guy up... "I thought you said this was your aunt."

Maybe they were looking for something that day.