Visiting several times a year?

[paradise found]

Hi everyone.

Last November, I started this thread:
http://www.orlando-guide.info/forums/topic_25741.asp

...basically asking how often you could visit the US each year
on the Visa Waiver Program, and I was very pleased with the replies,
especially the very first response, which was from from normajohnp,
who said that they had been five times in the past year, staying
between 2 and 7 weeks, and had not received any hassle at all.

However, on our most recent visit back in May, the Immigration
Officer was really nasty to us, almost reducing my wife to tears

He kept looking at the previous stamps in my passport
(five visits in two years, not one, no visit longer than
three weeks), and kept asking why we had made 'so many'
visits to the USA!!!!!

As always, I was polite/humble, and I said that we just loved
visiting and/or touring the US, and we come as often as we could,
but this still didn't impress him, and he started grilling me about
my job (I'm self-employed, which he didn't like at all!), and then
demanded to see our return tickets, by which time my wife was
getting really upset, and even I was getting worried...

Perhaps we were just really unlucky, and caught an I.O. on
a particularly 'bad day', but he processed the couple in front
of us very quickly, so I'm wondering if five trips in two years
breaks some kind of secret 'guideline' they have??

If so, does anyone have any suggestions what we can do to
avoid such nastiness next time?

I was thinking of renewing our passports early to 'get rid of'
the old visa stamps - is this a good idea, or am I being paranoid?

We want to visit Florida/rest of US more, not less in
the future, but not if there is a risk of being sent back home for no
better reason that the I.O. is jealous that we get more vacation time
than he does, which is what seemed to happen here!

What do people think - was this an isolated occurance,
or is there something about our pattern of visits which
would seem 'suspicious' to most Immigration Officers?

any help/advice appreciated,


~ MARK ~

[Genie]

I think you were just unlucky the year we bought our home we went 4 times in ONE year and nobody said a word !

[pieman790]

We have visited the US 3 times in one year and 5 times in two years and have never been questioned about this other than to be asked the purpose of our visit.
Think that Genie is right in that you have just been unlucky on this occassion.

[E. Cosgrove]

I think you were just unlucky, I went 4 times last year and have already been twice this year, and not only to Florida but other parts of the US as well.
My hubby sometimes gets extra questioning as he works for an oil company, but on the whole no problems.
I sometimes think they have a problem with how much holiday we get from work, I get 41 days and hubby 50 days which is almost unheard of in the US.
Good luck on your next trip.

[Lynnes]

We went 4 times last year and have been once this year with no problems at all. I suspect there may be something in the jealousy theory.
I was told that the I O had been told to be more polite to people, but that was only word of mouth.

[Rhosyn]

I have been 3 times in 9 months and never been asked any questions. I have read that this has happened to somebody else on another forum. I think you were unlucky.

[Paula D-S]

I think you have nothing to worry about. My parents have been over 10 times in the last 18 months and have never had any problems.

[normajohnp]

Hi Mark, You have just been unlucky. My sister on her last visit was asked for her return ticket. We travel with our two & half year old grandson and he comes out with us everytime. I allways expect them to grill us as he has his fathers surname on his passport.When they ask the reason for the visit I always tell them we are on holiday and they usually just ask if we have a home there. ( I think this must be a standard question for people who visit a lot )We have been twice already this year and will be going out for three weeks in July. You really were just unlucky.

One thing I have found is that they do not like you to be to freindly/chatty when you get to the desk, untill they have looked at all your bits and pieces. I think it makes them think, you are up to something. [msnsmile2]

norma.

[paradise found]

Thanks for all your reassuring comments!

MARK

[dolphinv]

We have a family friend who is only 19, last year he traveled out with us to florida on 3 occasions and to New York & Cape Cod with his family on two other occasions. He was asked why he was in the states so often and to see his return ticket. The 'IO' also seemed a bit miffed that he had so many holidays at 19!!