Advice: traveling home VIA US airport with record

book_lover

OK thanks Inside.... as the holiday was a cheap deal they don't allow changes without 100% penalties. Plus we flew that way as it's the only available route.

book_lover

ps I'm certain the visa waiver form would come through ok - it's more about the checks they may do there. and whether they would be nasty enough to send him back to Mexico or let him carry on home

peachyprice

They don't have access to our PNC so he would have to have raised suspicions in the first place. Someone, on a family holiday, only transiting, is not very likely to get stopped.

book_lover

That's reassuring - thank you Peachyprice.

benjus

IMO the only reason he's likely to get stopped is if he starts acting nervous while going through immigration. I imagine that border immigration officers are well trained in spotting signs that someone has something to hide.

book_lover

thanks benjus. I don't think he will, he's quite a calm character.

Voyager2002

book_lover wrote: »

We're not going IN to the US, only transiting. But we need an ESTA, ok. We will tick no. But - if they decide to check and find he has a record, what could they do, given he is already headed home?

ETA I expect the repercussions would be worse if we were transiting on way TO the holiday, because he would be sent home and not reach Cancun.

No, so far as US Immigration is concerned he is applying to enter the USA, and you need to enter the USA in order to get to the departure point for your flight to the UK. A friend of a friend once tried to transit the USA on the way to South America, did not give a 'satisfactory' answer to the question "why do you want to enter the USA?" and so had terrible trouble catching their onward flight.

The fact that this will be on the return leg makes no difference at all to them.

BTW your flight from Cancun to the USA will actually be on American Airlines, but with a code-share ticket issued by BA.