Behind the Scenes at the US Border at San Francisco International Airport

On Monday, I met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and toured the airport screening process for those entering the United States which included deferred inspection, border checkpoints as well as holding areas for those who were denied entry to the United States.  My tour guide took the time to explain his viewpoints on some nebulous areas of the law, including determining when a permanent resident had “abandoned” his or her US residence by remaining outside the United States for too long (another discussion entirely, but suffice it to say, you’re best served to limit your absences to less than six months).

 The most important thing I learned from my visit is that courtesy will get you a long way with these officers.  Although they are quick to point out that entrants have no right to counsel at the border, they also agreed that if you are courteous, and in secondary inspection proving your admissibility, they will contact your attorney for more information in some circumstances.  Courtesy + attorney involvement = admission to the US.

 Of some limited comfort, the officers are required to process an entire flight within 59 minutes.  This does not include time spent in secondary inspection for those who are detained, but at least our government is setting SOME goals for expeditious processing for foreign nationals (and US citizens when they enter the country).  Of special note, there are no special provisions for those with connecting flights, so keep that in mind when connecting through San Francisco to other destinations.