Dealing with immigration

Strangely enough, I have had little or no problems dealing with immigration in Japan, though I have heard a few horror stories. Oddly for me, I always seem to have problems with English immigration, even though for the last 8 years I have come to the UK every summer (my wife is an Anglophobe, funny she didn't realize I am only by blood part English).

They either don't like my passport (gasp, it has been used?!) or this last time that we weren't staying in a hotel that she knew (we tend to use holiday flats as we cook sometimes). I know though that they have records like the US, showing our entry and departure dates, so why does she suddenly think that we are going to overstay now? So the immigration officer asked if we had an ongoing ticket, which I showed her, but I was annoyed as no one else that I noticed was asked to show one. Must be my American slavic face?!

People, at least I, show their passports, return tickets, hotel vouchers or everything I can offer before being asked to avoid any hustles esp. at the Heathrow.
I was a bit surprised to see the immigration guy confirminig my hotel through a computer under the desk, though I don't know what the Japan's immigration does to toursts.

Maybe you were a bit too relaxed to come to an English speaking country.

And speaking English at that, hoo boy! Makes me want to spend my money elsewhere!

I've heard horror stories at Heathrow too. Apparently, this applies also to tourists, students, EU nationals and so forth - no one's excluded from the Royal treatment at the airport. Luckily for me though, I never had any problems when I lived in the UK for a couple of years.

I think I am fortunate that I don't have much trouble getting in the UK although I found them keeping some people from the Middle East from lining up with the main group. Instead, I saw them being taken into another side and asked to hold their passport in their hands.

About getting into Japan, I remembered one time I had filled in my landing card completely and even checked it twice before I handed it to the immigration staff. The lady, however, said I missed filling in the name of the friend that I am going to visit. I ended up filling in the complete name, his address, his mobile and home phone number ... I almost took out my friend's business card to show that there exist such person haha..

The weidest experience I have, however, is from my own country. I remembered one time I was invited to attend an academic conference at Standford U with my other classmates. They checked in the flight with no problem but me... being suspected even with valid passport, valid visa and invitation letter from the university! The reason they suspected me is also so silly... was because I only had 1 piece of hand carry and 1 piece of checked lugguge with me! I thought the airline does not like passenger with too much lugguge, which proved to be wrong. That airline staff asked me if I was going to stay for two weeks, why on earth I only had two pieces of luggge... I was shocked to be suspected by this reason and with all the valid document with me at that time! Since he is controlling my fate of broading to the plance or not, I answered him kindly that I had my overcoat on that I only need to carry some clothes underneath which did not take up much space..... Reluctantly, he issued me the boarding pass finally but I was upset to be suspect by that reason.... When I told my friends this story afterwards, they always teased me that I should have answered that staff ' I am a shopping freak that I plan to buy all my clothes and an extra suitcase there, can't I? ' well.... thinking it afterwards, that airline staff is just being responsible, which is his job securing the Hong Kong reputation of not sending out illegal immigrants...

I have never had any problem with the immigration, apart from the hassle of going all the way to the immigration office and queuing to change visa status or renew my visa.

In airports, they have made me remove my shoes or check my bag while they didn't for my wife or other people, but that is not visa-related, as it was as much for leaving Japan as for entering and for flights within Japan. I was a bit shocked as I very rarely get asked to remove my shoes or have my bag checked in other countries (even in other Asian countries). But these are "security officers" (maybe the police) not "immigration officers".

Maciamo said:

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I was a bit shocked as I very rarely get asked to remove my shoes or have my bag checked in other countries (even in other Asian countries). But these are "security officers" (maybe the police) not "immigration officers".

Click to expand...

Right.
For example, in South Korea, the only thing I was surprised was not their cute different explanations between English and Japanese in some tourist places, but the strict airport security that you cannot bring unnecessary batteries on board. I did not have anything but my briefcase, but had to wait for my small envelop containing the batteries at Narita.
And in some airports outside Japan, ultra-high tech metal detectors could react my cotton facial towel in my pocket...
Also, I was so suprised to find a security gate out of order, and nobody took care of it in an Asian airport.

As I probably said here, the J immigration staffs become more flexible than used to. Soon after they finish handling the people with the J passports, they start dealing with non-Japanese. If you get frustrated with the J custom officers, just travel as lightly as possible.

In Japan I haven't had much trouble. Coming back yesterday night though, I thought I would be there over night in the UK. Instead, the airport was like a ghost town at night for our 9 p.m. flight!

Maybe those terrorist guys are on to something! But seriously, my hats off to Scotland Yard and the hard working police in the UK as a serious terrorist incident was avoided.