Wife with Green Card is traveling to Iran for 3 weeks -- Good Idea?

[mcpt35 4]

Hello,

 

My wife is traveling to her home country of Iran for three weeks and then returning to the US. Any issues she should expect when returning?

 

Thanks!

[TBoneTX 48,514]

Thread is moved from General Immigration Discussion to the Working & Traveling forum.

36 minutes ago, mcpt35 said:

Any issues she should expect when returning?

Maybe extra grilling in secondary.  She should be prepared to explain her entire whereabouts, and perhaps to show CBP several photos of her activities with family, etc.  Others here may have further advice.

[Dashinka 26,277]

Co-worker is a naturalized citizen, and he went back to Iran earlier this year and had no issues returning.  His wife (also Iranian and also a USC) is there right now and will be returning soon.  I suppose a lot depends on the CBP officer, what questions are asked, and how busy the PoE is.

 

Good Luck!

[OldUser 10,991]

Did she ever claim asylum from Iran? If yes, travel is risky.

[JD2 204]

Consider getting Global Entry before departure.  Some people get conditionally approved within days and can get an interview near their home.  So it is worth a shot even with an imminent trip.

[OldUser 10,991]

1 hour ago, JD2 said:

Consider getting Global Entry before departure.  Some people get conditionally approved within days and can get an interview near their home.  So it is worth a shot even with an imminent trip.

Good idea. If this person been to any of the suspicious countries in the last 10 years though, applying would be a waste of time I think...

[S2N 591]

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

Good idea. If this person been to any of the suspicious countries in the last 10 years though, applying would be a waste of time I think...

Getting GE approved is mainly about customs and less about security. I know a guy with a secret clearance who gets denied GE every time he applies because he tried to bring back booze into the U.S. when he was 20.

 

Security they do a decent job of vetting before arrival for everyone. I’m sure there’s some exceptions, but the main thing they care about is you’re not a customs risk.

Edited 3 hours ago by S2N

[OldUser 10,991]

35 minutes ago, S2N said:

Getting GE approved is mainly about customs and less about security. I know a guy with a secret clearance who gets denied GE every time he applies because he tried to bring back booze into the U.S. when he was 20.

 

Security they do a decent job of vetting before arrival for everyone. I’m sure there’s some exceptions, but the main thing they care about is you’re not a customs risk.

I disagree, in my understanding GE is more about security and less about customs. GE is only available to citizens of select countries who exchange info about their citizens with US authorities.

 

You may not be eligible for participation in the Global Entry program if you:

 

* Provide false or incomplete information on the application;

* Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants (to include driving under the influence);

* Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;

* Are the subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state or local law enforcement agency;

Have been denied for the purchase of a firearm;

* Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation; or

* Cannot satisfy CBP of your low-risk status.

 

As you can see, at least 3 or 4 items in the list are about security and only 1 item is about breaking customs / agriculture regulations.

 

The background checks is the big part of getting approval. 

 

Source: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/eligibility

 

I'm a strong believer, travel to countries like Syria, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and others significantly reduce chances of getting or keeping GE membership.

[S2N 591]

41 minutes ago, OldUser said:

I disagree, in my understanding GE is more about security and less about customs. GE is only available to citizens of select countries who exchange info about their citizens with US authorities.

 

You may not be eligible for participation in the Global Entry program if you:

 

* Provide false or incomplete information on the application;

* Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges or outstanding warrants (to include driving under the influence);

* Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration or agriculture regulations or laws in any country;

* Are the subject of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state or local law enforcement agency;

Have been denied for the purchase of a firearm;

* Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation; or

* Cannot satisfy CBP of your low-risk status.

 

As you can see, at least 3 or 4 items in the list are about security and only 1 item is about breaking customs / agriculture regulations.

 

The background checks is the big part of getting approval. 

 

Source: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/eligibility

 

I'm a strong believer, travel to countries like Syria, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and others significantly reduce chances of getting or keeping GE membership.

It was created for frequent travelers who know the customs declarations rules to minimize time CBP officers have to spend asking questions — just like Nexus and Sentri, the focus has always been on customs.

 

The information sharing it focuses on is also customs based — it’s why you have countries like Argentina, which has a top calibre customs enforcement agency, having GE but not ESTA. It’s a program to minimize customs screening, with security being a secondary focus — they primarily screen for security while you’re in the air, not at the airport, so a fast track on that doesn’t cut down on time spent with the officer.

 

Its why people who travel to those high risk countries get sent to secondary but don’t have GE revoked, but people who order off-brand iPhone cases from Temu get it revoked. Same with my friend with a S clearance — he’s not a security risk at all, otherwise he wouldn’t be cleared, but he’s a customs risk.

 

Obviously travel to non-friendly countries might slow it down, but unlike ESTA it’s not prohibited to have travelled there. You’ll pretty much always get an auto denial if you’ve ever had a customs violation, though.

Edited 1 hour ago by S2N