Girlfriend grilled at airport immigration

[visajourneyor 1]

Basically there is this girl who is an american citizen , we met 6 months ago online. After my tourist visa was denied to see her, she said that she'll come and see me. So i book her a ticket and we're planned to meet in bahrain (I work in saudi arabia). When she returned to the states, she was stopped by immigration and grilled for 3 hours, everything was searched thoroughly , her stuff and phone etc,she was asked questions about why she went there and what she did there, and she had to give them my info and she said that now they know everything about me, and i told her that they ALREADY know everything about me since i applied to the tourist visa and provided my information. They accused her that we both had something to do with ISIS,then they told her that i will try to marry her in order to get to the states and do some shady stuff there. She did defend me and told them that I'm a well educated guy (graduated from the top 2nd university in the middle east which happens to be an american institution) and working a good job and earning well. So they told her " well the guy that bombed new york recently had a bachelor's degree"!!. Then she said that they had her name in the law enforcement files so she became so stressed out because she thinks that this will ruin her career and future.

When she first arrived she texted me saying that we can't communicate anymore in any way and we can't see each other anymore, and if she explains why she will get arrested and stuff ,but i guess she said that because of the heat of the moment.She was afraid that the FBI is probably monitoring us and that she had to cut all ties. Later when she calmed down she allowed me to call her and she explained everything as i stated above and that she is so afraid and she doesn't know what to do and she feels that her life is ruined. She said she will never ever step in the middle east again and will certainly never go to lebanon in order to meet my family (as planned before).

The only red flags i can think about in her case is that she's barely 20, no travel history , fresh passport and traveling alone to a middle eastern country for only 1 week. I mean i saw a lot of users on this website who visited their lovers in the middle east, did anyone face such scrutiny when returning to the states? or do you know of anyone who did? is this thing normal?

[visajourneyor 1]

Here's one more thing worth mentioning. 1 week before leaving, she was drugged at some party, and later mugged. She woke up with her purse missing with all her belongings in it, including her passport, phone, and all the money she withdrew from her bank account. She had to communicate with me through her mom's phone, and after some research we found out about some fast passport service. I sent her money so she could handle the expenses ,and she was able to get her passport 2 hours before her flight. She missed her flight and had to pay extra to join another one.

When my friends and family heard about that the first thing they said is that she scammed me. I couldn't think of that, she's is financially well off (well she was), and she had a very good job waiting for her when she had to return. Why she would waste 6 months of her time talking to me and then travel half the globe away for something less than a 1500 $ in cash and gifts? We really loved each other, we got really intimate when we met, and she told me that the things she did with me she would never do with any guy because she trusted me that much.

[Georgia16 2,858]

And your question is?

I personally think it's great they check people who choose to travel to the middel east with all there is happening.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Georgia16

[visajourneyor 1]

And your question is?

as i stated, is this thing normal or is she making all this up

[Cheezees 1,514]

How in the world would we know?

[Georgia16 2,858]

as i stated, is this thing normal or is she making all this up

I won't say it's normal but yes I do believe people who have travelled to the middel east and especially certain countries will be inspected when they get home.

I know Denmark keep very good track of all people doing that and I'm very sure US does too...

[visajourneyor 1]

I personally think it's great they check people who choose to travel to the middel east with all there is happening.

There's a difference between checking vs grilling,shouting,embarrassing and saying that they would kick me out if she tried to get me there

[Georgia16 2,858]

There's a difference between checking vs grilling,shouting,embarrassing and saying that they would kick me out if she tried to get me there

Well we weren't there so we can't say what is going on.

But it's an interview technic I guess, I don't know I'm not working at the border.

But what is it you are worried about? That she will drop you?

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Here's one more thing worth mentioning. 1 week before leaving, she was drugged at some party, and later mugged. She woke up with her purse missing with all her belongings in it, including her passport, phone, and all the money she withdrew from her bank account. She had to communicate with me through her mom's phone, and after some research we found out about some fast passport service. I sent her money so she could handle the expenses ,and she was able to get her passport 2 hours before her flight. She missed her flight and had to pay extra to join another one.

When my friends and family heard about that the first thing they said is that she scammed me. I couldn't think of that, she's is financially well off (well she was), and she had a very good job waiting for her when she had to return. Why she would waste 6 months of her time talking to me and then travel half the globe away for something less than a 1500 $ in cash and gifts? We really loved each other, we got really intimate when we met, and she told me that the things she did with me she would never do with any guy because she trusted me that much.

Well, the CBP could be just cautious about US citizens especially young women travelling to Middle East alone..

It is all over the news on how ISIS lured young naive European/USA girls to join them overseas.

If she is financially well off, why did she need you to send her money to buy air tickets and for new passport expenses??

[visajourneyor 1]

If she is financially well off, why did she need you to send her money to buy air tickets and for new passport expenses??

i bought her the ticket as a courtesy. However i had to send her money to pay for her new passport since she lost all her cash and money when her purse got stolen.

[Georgia16 2,858]

i bought her the ticket as a courtesy. However i had to send her money to pay for her new passport since she lost all her cash and money when her purse got stolen.

??? She could have gone into the bank...

[visajourneyor 1]

??? She could have gone into the bank...

she withdrew all her money from the bank and had the cash in her purse . she made that because she was withdrawing several times before and that would cause her problems which i couldn't remember now

[wheresmykoala 52]

If it's of any help to you, I think this is common, at least with being grilled. A girl I knew was traveling around Europe with her boyfriend, who looks Middle Eastern, and apparently security grilled them about where they were going, their plans, etc and were very harsh. In the end it's for added security because any activity/involvement with the Middle East will set off red flags to border security in countries such as the U.S or those in Europe, especially with all terror threats going on.

[Georgia16 2,858]

she withdrew all her money from the bank and had the cash in her purse . she made that because she was withdrawing several times before and that would cause her problems which i couldn't remember now

Seems odd....

[Cheezees 1,514]

she withdrew all her money from the bank and had the cash in her purse . she made that because she was withdrawing several times before and that would cause her problems which i couldn't remember now

You may not realize but you are making the case for her being pulled aside and grilled. All of her stars are "misaligned". A very young American woman with zero travel history withdraws all her cash over a series of a few days and hastily applies for a passport (with what ID, may I ask?) for a short trip alone to the Middle East, with a ticket bought by a foreigner she met just 6 months earlier online, whose tourist visa was recently denied.