what information is pulled up when immigration officers scan your passport photo page in airports when traveling internationally?

Question

Is it an entire database of your travel history and criminal record and how do immigration officers use it to determine if you can enter or leave a country? What red flags can pop up from your passport photo/bio page? Cheers!

In: 161

Answer 1

Long time international traveler here.

Back in the day you used to have to fill out a customs form. It had the basic info like your flight, name, etc. If you had declarations, it had that.

Now with the advent of post 9/11 passports that are RFID equipped? It’s all embedded in that. When you book your ticket, they log your passport with the flight and in the US confirm your passport before you get on the flight. That starts you in the system.

I’m also a “known and trusted traveler” so it contains a lot of my past travel information. Once entering Canada, they asked when I’d last been there. “Hmm, like 3 months ago?” I forgot I was in Montreal not in Toronto. I got sent to immigration and we rehashed all my trips to Canada.

Another time, I got flagged and immediately sent to immigration and the guy asked me, “Do you still live at [old address]?” Again this was Canada.

“No”.

“Yeah our system flagged you, we need a new address”

I had to get some stuff done for my Nexus card and I was in Canada for like 10 minutes once. The US CBP asked “Why are you back so early?” I had crossed at one bridge and went back across the other (Bridge Ave and Rainbow Bridge). It’s a pretty common profile for drug runners and I immediately popped. It’s also common for what I was doing (retina scan).

So depending on the level of traveler you are, they may know a lot about you.

At the very least they know what flight you came on, what airport you originated out of. As far as US Canada relations go, they share criminal records across borders and many an unsuspecting traveler has been popped trying to go into Canada with a previous DUI conviction. I had a colleague who had a minor weed offense. Every time he went to Canada, he got sent to secondary immigration. EVERY. TIME.

So it depends, but probably a lot more than you think.