Upon entering the United States, is it ok to ask the US immigration agent not to stamp one's passport, and if so, would they always/typically agree?
When entering the United States as a permanent resident, US immigration agent sometimes doesn't stamp one's passport. Upon entering the United States, is it ok to ask the US immigration agent not to stamp one's passport, and if so, would they always/typically agree not to stamp it? Motivation: reduce passport renewal frequency.
Best Answer
Get Global Entry—US permanent residents are eligible if you otherwise meet the program requirements.
I cannot 100% guarantee that nobody will stamp your passport under any circumstances if you have Global Entry, but the normal flow at major ports of entry is that you use your green card at the kiosk and you'll never hand your passport to anyone from CBP unless you're singled out for special attention.
Pictures about "Upon entering the United States, is it ok to ask the US immigration agent not to stamp one's passport, and if so, would they always/typically agree?"
Do they stamp your passport when you enter the US?
At the port of entry, upon granting entry to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. immigration inspector, provides you an admission stamp or paper Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record in your passport.Can a US citizen travel abroad without a passport?
U.S. citizens under age 16 may present a birth certificate or alternative proof of citizenship when entering by land or sea. All travelers must have a passport book for international air travel. Please note that hospital-issued birth certificates, voter registration cards, and affidavits cannot be used.Can a US citizen be denied entry back into the USA?
The same is true for lawful permanent residents: you generally cannot be denied entry to the United States, but declining to answer questions may result in delay or further inspection. Refusal by non-citizen visa holders and visitors to answer questions may result in denial of entry.What documents do I need to reenter the US?
A secure document is a passport, U.S. permanent resident card, or Stateless travel document, Re-Entry Permit, NEXUS card, U.S Merchant Mariner Card, military ID or emergency travel document issued by an embassy or consulate.Five Mistakes NOT to Make at your Immigration Interview
More answers regarding upon entering the United States, is it ok to ask the US immigration agent not to stamp one's passport, and if so, would they always/typically agree?
Answer 2
We on this site are not CBP officers and they are not forthcoming with the minutiae of their jobs (although they did answer confirming the N days/N+1 days out rule) and so we can only guess.
The prevailing wisdom on this site is you are better be boring at the border. Be like everyone else. Make an unusual request like this and you stand out. Not a good idea. Not at all. You might think your request is reasonable -- but it's very obviously not, that's the very nature and the function of the passport -- but the officer will not necessarily agree with your stated reason. They might think you want to be able to hide/deny your visit to the United States to someone for who knows what reason.
So the reaction to this request can vary from "sure" to "you are not allowed to enter the United States, have a nice day".
Answer 3
One way you can avoid having your passport stamped is by not having it with you. A permanent resident normally does not need a passport to enter the US; a green card is sufficient.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Liza Summer, Matthias Groeneveld, Enric Cruz López, Samson Katt