Not getting passport stamped when entering USA from abroad
I (a US citizen) recently returned from a trip abroad. When I entered the US via San Francisco (SFO), I had to do a bunch of stuff at a machine: scan my passport, answer a few questions, and take my picture. Then I received a receipt from the machine with a bunch of info on it.
When I walked up to the US Customs Officer, he stamped my receipt, but not my passport. When I got my luggage and passed through the last part of customs, the stamped receipt was taken.
What's the deal? In the past, I would usually get an ADMITTED stamp in my passport.
Best Answer
If you used an Automatic Passport Control (APC) machine, you will not receive an "Admitted" stamp. It should have been stamped onto the print out instead.
Admitted stamps are sometimes presented in US Passports by US CBP: Wikipedia is ever helpful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Us_stamp_2.png You can see that the "you must leave by" line has been left blank. However apparently it is not universal. You can ask if you want one. See this web link for some more reports: http://ask.metafilter.com/205231/To-stamp-or-not-to-stamp
I am told by colleagues that it is helpful to have a stamp for filling out tax returns if you are domiciled outside the USA and wish to prove how much time you spend outside the US.
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Answer 2
Stamping is not a must. These days technology is catching up fast, everything is recorded electronically. The moment you, airline or the passport control officer scan your passport, the job is done. Stamps are a mess, though it looks good it consumes space in passport for frequent travelers.
I have traveled to all countries in Europe (as non EU citizen, holding residence EU permit), some countries dont even care to stamp, they just scan my permit or passport and wave me. It happened many times, but sometimes i get stamped the good old way :))
The bottom line is you dont need to worry too much about stamping, that is the job of border control, i am sure they know how to play the rules safe. All you have to do is just enjoy the travels, and rest will be taken care of :))
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