CBP
USA-CANADA
I am always being stopped for questioning and inspection when clearing immigration and customs. What can I do about that? If you have repeatedly experienced intensive inspections going through customs and immigration upon entering the United States after foreign travel, your name, or another person's name that is the same or similar to yours, may be entered into the CBP data base (the Treasury Enforcement Communications System - or TECS system).
If you suspect your experiences result from an incident in which you were involved, and for which there are mitigating circumstances, please include as much information as possible about that incident and an explanation you believe is relevant along with your request for relief from repeated inspections.  If you have been advised your problem is that you appear to have overstayed a previous visit, you will have to provide evidence that you did  not.
It is important to understand that some referrals for additional screening are for reasons other then information in law enforcement databases, such as the circumstances of your travel or random selection.  Even if your request results in a positive outcome for you, there is no guarantee that you will not be referred for a secondary inspection for other reasons in the future.

Under the Freedom of Information Act guidelines you may ask to receive a copy of any information CBP has on file about you.  (If you need the record of your entry and exit for purposes of applying for LPR or Citizenship status, this is the authority under which you make that request, although you should be aware that our records only go back to 1982.)  Requests for copies of your file must be accompanied by the above information, and they must be signed in ink.  If a third party is making a request on your behalf, they must submit a U.S. Form G 28 authorizing them to do so.  Records of travel may not be complete if you had legal permanent resident status and traveled by car between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico.  FOIA requests should be submitted to:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Attn: Mint Annex Building, FOIA Division
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229

Please note that the FOIA is not intended to provide a mechanism for asking questions of CBP. FOIA requests are intended to provide access to certain records under the control of the agency from which you request them. If you have questions concerning, for example, the reason why an action was taken, or to request a correction of records, then you should contact DHS TRIP or CBP's Customer Service Center
Which countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?

Currently, 35 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program, as shown below:

Andorra Iceland Norway
Australia Ireland Portugal
Austria Italy San Marino
Belgium Japan Singapore
Brunei Latvia Slovakia
Czech Republic Liechtenstein Slovenia
Denmark Lithuania South Korea
Estonia Luxembourg Spain
Finland Malta Sweden
France Monaco Switzerland
Germany the Netherlands United Kingdom
Hungary New Zealand

US-VISIT Traveler Information
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT program provides visa-issuing posts and ports of entry with the biometric technology that enables the U.S. government to establish and verify your identity when you visit the United States.

In many cases, this process begins overseas at a U.S. visa issuing post, where a traveler's biometrics—digital fingerprints and a photograph—are collected and checked against a watch list of known criminals and suspected terrorists. When the traveler arrives in the United States, we collect the same biometrics to verify that the person at our port is the same person who received the visa. Immigration officials use this information to help them make visa-issuance and admission decisions as part of the visa application process or entry inspection.

Unlike names and dates of birth, which can be changed, biometrics are unique and virtually impossible to forge. Collecting biometrics helps the U.S. government prevent people from using fraudulent documents to enter the country illegally. Collecting biometrics also helps protect your identity in the event your travel documents are lost or stolen.
How long can I stay in the U.S., and can I go to other countries while I'm in the U.S. on a B1 or B2 visa?
B1 and B2 visas are usually issued for a term of 10 years. Each visit may last up to six months, although some categories of visitors may apply to extend their visit for an additional 6 months. During your visit to the U.S., you may visit Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean islands (not Cuba)for up to 30 days and re-enter the U.S. as long as you re-enter within the period noted on the Form I - 94 which you received when you first entered.

For instance, if you come to the U.S. on July 10, 2008 on a B2 Visitor Visa, you may go to Canada and/or Mexico on or after November 10, and reenter the U.S. any time up until January 10. But because the six month period is up on January 10, 2009, you will also have to depart from the U.S. on that same day to avoid being an "overstay" (unless you applied for an extension of stay.)

If you visit other countries such as England or Costa Rica, then return to the U.S., your re-entry will be considered to be a new admission, rather than a re-entry from a contiguous country in the course of your initial visit, and the admission inspection may be more strenuous. The Officer inspecting you will want evidence that you intend to go back home to your country of citizenship to live as opposed to returning again and again to the U.S. after visits to other countries. Remember, a B1 or B2 visa allows you to come to the U.S. to visit. If the CBP officer suspects that you are actually trying to be a de facto resident, you will be denied entry.

Re-entry is, of course, dependent on your continued eligibilty to enter. If you have been arrested or committed an illegal act resulting in a warrent in your name since the time the visa was issued, you could be denied re-entry.

Will I be arrested when I re-enter the U.S. if I have unpaid traffic tickets?
CBP strongly advises you to pay your traffic tickets, particularly moving violations. While unpaid tickets would not subject you to arrest unless a warrant is issued, you may be subject to a more intensive inspection if your record is not clear.
Can I be admitted into the U.S. if I have either a misdemeanor or criminal record?
The U.S. does not deny entry to persons with a "Driving Under the Influence" conviction - although if there are multiple convictions for this and or other misdemeanors, you could be denied entry.

Generally, any convictions for drug possession can result in denial of entry. If the conviction was long ago, you might contact the U.S. Embassy, Office of Consular Affairs in your country to obtain a waiver. Other misdemeanors may result in denial if they were recent.