Scary Airport Story...
 

So just 12 hours ago, I was at the Boston Logan International airport and was going through security. A friend was seeing me off... and when I went to the person who checks IDs, he looked at my passport, didn't even flash UV light onto it but immediately started flipping through all my visa pages slowly... He stared at me afterwards and then after a few seconds just handed me my passport. I don't know what happened... My friend who knows about my status was scared for me and said her heart stopped for a few seconds while this happened. I didn't look back at the guy because I was too scared, but my friend said that the TSA officer smiled after I left. I thought my life was over while he was flipping through the pages...

I have a strange feeling the person knew I was undocumented but let me go. :\ I was unlucky this time to have my visa pages checked, but lucky that the TSA officer didn't care... I feel he either didn't really check my passport and was pretending to as he didn't flash my passport with UV light (the airport was deserted today too) or he was being kind...

Anyways, a story I thought I'd like to share. I thought I'd never be checked for visas back there but it happened. Luckily nothing happened... I guess the lesson is that anything can happen.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

It happens all the time that the officer flips to the visa page. But nothing will ever happen as long as you possess a valid passport. I never heard a story that anyone got caught for possessing a passport with expired visa.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

Are you sure? I was under the impression that some people get detained for having a valid passport with no visas at all (not expired but completely blank).

Perhaps my fears were unwarranted.

Just to be clear, I have a valid passport with no visas. My friend commented on how my passport looks so new and empty. :P

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

Wow I didnt know u can fly with only a valid passport with an expired visa from ur home country ??? :?:

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

Never heard of a single story that people got detained while having a passport with no visa.

Most people got detained for flying without passport, having an expired driver license etc... It was easy to fly without a positive identification back then, but they're getting tougher now. The Harvard student was caught flying without a passport.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

oh, so that's what he was doing. I was scared to death to fly because of all this rumors. What if you don't have a state or government license of any kind? But you have a valid passport from your country with no visa? I probably wont try it, but I want to make sure.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

Yea Its pretty often they pull that move.
I Fly quite a bit, so ive learned to just keep my finger bookmarking my photo page just to flip it to it. Thats really all they need to see (And the validity to date of the Passport itself), but they always wanna be sure, or just curious. So they flip thru to see visas or expiration dates. You dont need a Visa to fly domestically.
Only bad experience ive had flying, was being detained for like half an hour for "extra" screening. I got screeened/searched with 4 or 5 different types of Metal Detectors, UV lights, Air Chambers, And other machines i didnt even know existed, took off damn near all my clothes, then i was released. All because only ID i had on me was a College ID, when i was 19.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

Don't even think about flying with your college ID in this anti-immigration atmosphere. Flying with college ID could possibly get you detained. The Harvard student got detained a few months ago because he was flying without a passport but with a college ID.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

I don't think it would be a problem to fly with a clean passport.

You know, you could always say that the passport, which contains the visa, has expired. Thus, you have to fly with a new passport though your immigration status is still legal.

Just to get technical, an expired visa doesn't indicate illegal immigration status. What would indicate your immigration status is the I-94. The I-94 would denote your current status and when your status will expire.

Re: Scary Airport Story...
 

The problem is that I dont have a visa at all. That is what I was asking. Flying with a passport with no visa at all and no type of government issued ID. Basically this is what I have:

1) A passport with NO visa at all, not even an expired one
2) No government issued ID