Leaving the USA?

[Hartington]

I am in Canada at the moment. My journey started when I flew London/Seattle I had completed my ETAS and I was NOT given an I94W and the US immigration didn't ask me for one. I have a stamp in my passport saying I entered the USA and that's all.

My journey took me from Seattle to Juneau to Skagway and then I crossed out of the USA into Canada by land. 4 days later I crossed back by land and my tour manager simply took my passport (along with all the other passports from the tour all of which were US or Canadian) to the US immigration and again, no I94W. I never actually saw the US immigration.

I eventually boarded a cruise in Seward and travelled down the coast stopping in various US cities before terminating in Vancouver. I entered Canada this morning.

To the best of my knowledge I have never left the USA. I asked the cruise line (whose documentation only referred to giving uo the I94W) who spun me a line that the Canadian people would scan my passport and then send the details to the US. That didn't happen and the Canadian immigration officer just laughed when I asked him - he didn't have a computer!

I'm going to have a go at the cruise line, but does any one know what should have happened?

[muppetbum]

The paper I94W is being phased out. The ESTA replaces it for flights/cruises etc ( anything apart from land crossing)

As I understand it the passenger manifests which are submited as part of the enhanced passenger info stuff are used to record your exit from the USA

[Hartington]

That's what I thought/assumed. Now, I've never had a problem in the past when, on a couple of occasions, the I94W didn't get pulled at checkin; I simply kept it and gave it back when I next entered the USA. But now I have no real material proof about what happened (short of taking cruise documentation with me next time I visit).

I seem to recall there's an address in the USA where you could send your I94W in the past. I might try and write them a letter, see what happens.

[YorkshireTyke]

........I might try and write them a letter, see what happens.

You are joking ?

The Black Helicopters will be surrounding you anytime now.

My first wife entered the USA as passenger, filled in the 1-94 correctly, then left as crew, so no one knew to pull the I-94 out of her passport, and then we got married, so she had to leave the airline.

3 years later she got a letter - to her address in England, telling her that she was still in the U.S. illegally.

I don't think she ever went back, so I guess she has been there illegally for a good number of years now - even tho' she is actually residing in Sussex.

Ain't bureacracy wonderful ?

[muppetbum]

The info you need is here

Embassy of the United States London, UK - Visa Faqs (http://london.usembassy.gov/faq-vwp.html)

However I'm curious as to why you think you are going to have a problem?

The FAQS state that if you traveleld by commercial carrier then its not a problem even if you didn't surrender your I94W. I know this for a fact , my OH travels to the states on business all the time , he always keeps hold of his I94W in case he travels again within its validity. If not he simply bins it.
Being doing this for years.

The jury is still out as to whether the address in Kentucky is actually one large garbage pile or if they actually do anything with returned cards :)

[ZFT]

Tell that to Mrs ZFT. She got put through the wringer at Miami a few years over a I94 perceived cock up. She actually had done zilch but the immigration treated her appallingly. She too still had her I94 and they maintained she couldn't/shouldn't her left the USA some 10 days previously without surrendering it.

[MathFox]

When I stayed in San Diego last year, I took a day-trip to Tijuana. Didn't see any US official (or US immigration office) near the gates (for pedestrians) leading to Mexico. On the way back I just asked for re-admittance on my existing waiver.
Yes, you can leave the US without immigration noticing. I had no issues, because my total stay in the US was less than a month. Might be different if you leave to get another three months stay after a previous three months.