Which country in Europe will stamp my passport?

[spudqueen]

When I left the USA last year my visa waiver form wasn't taken off me. I have written to American immigration with details but have since thought that the best way to prove I left the States was to have a stamp in my passport from somewhere else. Where can I go cheaply (ryanair or similar) that will stamp my passport?

[dzug]

If you left the states last year it's too late to do anyhing about it with passport stamps - 90 days was your maximum stay and a passport stamp over a year later is not going to help you one little bit in terms of proving you didn't overstay.

Don't know of anywhere in Europe that still stamps (British) passports. Russia probably.

The evidence the US authorities really want is the boarding pass stub from your flight, but other evidence is acceptable. Have a read of
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/dhs/cbp/i94.html
if you haven't already

[spudqueen]

Thanks dzug, but I did say that I have already written to American immigration. I have sent all my details off, including the green card, boarding pass etc but they do not let you know if everything has gone through okay. I have a trip to New York booked for next year and obviously don't want to be refused entry. I have copies of all the things I sent to American immigration and will keep that with my passport, but as I said I think getting another stamp in my passport would help.

[dzug]

Morocco might be your answer - Easyjet fly there I believe. I'm fairly sure you will get stamped in and out. Or fly to Malaga and do a day trip from there.
I'm not convinced it will make any difference though - if they've lost what you sent you've got the copies to back your story up. A stamp now will do nothing to prove you didn't overstay - just that you are out of the US <now> but <could> have been there until last week.

Still it will be a nice trip to Marrakech...

[henneth]

Apart from taking the I94W form (the visa waiver), which they should have done in your case, they also swipe the passport if it's a machine readable one. Perhaps if you have one of those then there will be a record of your departure from the US.

[Gef]

Surely the best way to prove that you left the States is by arriving again on a flight from outside. (Sorry for being silly but I couldn't resist.)

[spudqueen]

Gef - apparently it doesn't! Someone on this site earlier this year was saying that, in fact that was what alerted me to this problem, I didn't realise until then that it was a problem. Oh dear, I'll cry all the way home if I'm refused entry to New York.

[dzug]

Gef, OP needs to prove that she left the USA within 90 days of arrival there - not just that she has left.

[AllYourBase]

Perhaps take a bank statement or something that showed activity in the UK in that period in question, like a reciept from a UK shop, a ticket from the cinema, or a parking ticket.

[spudqueen]

Allyourbase - it's quite difficult to find things that have got my name on - American immigration suggested credit card reciepts, but they don't have a name on. I'm probably panicking for nothing, but I really don't want to be refused entry!

[JonnoGenie]

You might have read some of the er... issues.. I have been going through.

What they want to know is that you left, and when. You were right to send in your I94/W stub and boarding card, and you were very wise to keep copies to have with you next time you try and enter. Do not lose them!

As another poster said, After 90 days (max) of entry you would be classed an an 'overstay' so getting another passport stamp from elsewhere now is much of a muchness.

In fact, the airlines have lost 5 exit cards of mine (from a multitude of visits over 15 years), but it took me many years (approx 7) to find out which visits were a problem. They wouldn't even tell me the problem was missing exit cards, just that was 'a problem' on my records!

The first missing record was after entering in March 97 going to Miami, the second, also March 97, also going to Miami. So as you see... as I re-entered within 90 days and could not have overstayed on the first trip was not really the main issue for them. They just had no record of me leaving, and it sent up red flags.

I reckon they must have lost billions of these exit cards, and it is a pain in the derriere. I keep all my boarding cards (for obscure reasons), I even had those relating to the 'missing' exits from 10 years ago. Once they finally told me what the issues were, I sent them the info they wanted the next day.

That was a month ago, I'm still waiting to hear that my record has been physically corrected.

To the OP. Don't worry. You've done the right thing. Take your copy records with you.

Talking about this very issue with USC&BP in Washington recently, they suggested in future:
- Take a copy of your exit card (also note it's # in your diary)
- Note your departure in your diary (airport, flight #, airline)
- Request an exit stamp when you leave the US (apparently!)
- and/or request an

[JonnoGenie]

- and/or request an entry stamp on arrival back in England (apparently!)

Good luck, and don't worry.

[spudqueen]

Thanks for that JonnoGenie - I'll certainly make sure next time that someone takes my visa form off me, and I'll make sure I keep my boarding pass. Don't you expect to hear back from them though, both myself and my friend were told that they never reply, you just have to wait until you go to see if you can get it!

[JonnoGenie]

Interesting SpudQueen re: not expecting a reply... I specifically requested one after speaking to the very man in Washington who said he would be making the corrections... but a month later I'm not holding out much hope.

The irony would be, that his office had already written (in reply) to me three times earlier this year, telling me that 'after rigorous checks etc. your records have been corrected, and you will not have problems processing through C&BP in future'. Only for this guy in DC, to subsequently tell me on the phone specifically what the 'live' and outstanding issues are/were!

Sadly, I think having to deal with this kind of beaurocracy is putting people off visiting the US.

[spudqueen]

JonnoGenie - good luck on your next visit to the states! Mr Spudqueen reckons it won't be long before we all have to have a visa to go then all this stuff with the visa waiver form will be in the past.

[JonnoGenie]

Yes but. As much as the Americans hate the Visa Waiver scheme, the day they scrap it is the day that the economy of Florida goes down the drain.