If you have traveled to a foreign country after President Obama signed HR 515 / International Megan’s Law into law on February 8, 2016, please complete this survey to help gather details about the effects of this legislation. We will also share this data with the RTAG group for incorporation into their travel matrix. Thank you.
Go to International Travel Survey
I am about to apply to have my passport renewed. There is a box on the where you have to fill in for criminal details if any.
Has anyone recently applied for a renewal? Any info please?
Thanks
I applied a year ago. ‘Got both the passport and the card. Encountered no problems at all.
(I don’t recall answering anything regarding criminal convictions.)
[Convicted felony involving teenager, 20 yrs. ago. On “Cali-forever” Registry.]
It would be interesting if the survey asked if the IML is affecting future travel.
I would very, very possibly not plan trips 3 weeks in advance and as I understand it, it is now a requirement to notify the federal criminal regime that far in advance of any trip.
I also definitely will be considering destinations based on the effects of the federal criminal regime notifying foreign governments.
I think the Survey is a somewhat buried within the post, but after reading carefully, I did find the link to the Survey. It may be helpful to have that Survey Link as a Link on the Menu perhaps?
Cuba is starting to look better to me, and Castro once said he would take any American that wanted to live there.
So, what countries has anyone recently travelled to? I plead to a battery over 20 years ago/not child related/expunged. I’ve had no issues visiting Canada/Costa Rica/Dominican Republic and the Philippines. This was 2-3 years ago. If I’m not mistaken, this law affects child related offenses? Please only respond if your truly knowledgeable. Thank you
I understand that Butan has no political or diplomatic ties to the U.S.. Could this be a possibility. Once there, I assume travel would be easier to other destinations. Please let me know.
FYI, Fellow RCs: It is my intention to travel to numerous European countries – as many as possible, as soon as possible – AFTER receiving my “uniquely identified” passport probably in Spring 2017. I want to see for myself the response of European countries to the presentation of a “uniquely identified” American passport.*
And you can be certain I will provide a full report on this website upon my return to the U.S.
*It’s history in the making as America steps forward to join the likes of Nazi-era Germany and the totalitarian former USSR. 😬
My final destination is my home in Uban , Thailand, where my family is and wife’s remains are.
If I move to Spain and apply/ receive citizenship, can I then use that passport to obtain Thai visa?
I have friends there and in Germany that will welcome me with open arms( they think the U.S. is a pompous joke of a nation!) so I could go either place.
I have a question, let’s say I want to relocate to a country that let’s me in, and gives me a visa, and eventually residency. Let’s say I need to come back to the US, and visit for a death in the family. Do I need to register with the state that I come back to? Do I need to notify someone 21 days before I go back to my new home country?
Also, let’s say I fly to a country that I want to live in, and I’m denied that the border, and they fly me back to the good ol’ USA. Can I fly right back out to some other country, or do I need to give another 21 days notice?
Also, does anyone know if they are going to expire our passports and make us get new ones, or are they going to just give us new ones when we renew?
Also, is there some sort of government agency who will answer some of these questions (like the stupid new law said there would be), or are they just leaving us as in the dark as possible?
@ Steveo and Quint: When the State Department posted the new Passport notice, I was able to speak directly with a high-level State Department official who stated, “If they were to revoke or invalidate a person’s passport, that individual would received WRITTEN notification, by U. S. Mail, from the State Department.”
Thanks guys. So, just to be clear. Even if I only want to come back to the US for a few days for a family funeral or something, i’ll have to be in the US for at least 21 days?
Thanks,
Steveo
From what I understand your connections/Route dont count but the destination you will reside for the reported change in Permanent Transient or Temporary Residence does…. so if I went to Panama for example left Miami but was turned around and flew back to Miami I would not be in Florida long enough to have to report I am back to my Permanent Residence but would simply book another flight to a connecting country I could enter only passing via air or land with Panama still as my destination. Land entry is by far easier than air. I could be wrong but what I read it would still be compliant. If I drove to Nicaragua from NY as a friend I know did you would register at least here that you are going to Nicaragua by land and the amount of days. I would not report all the passing countries I would be driving in and out as I would not even be in them long enough and sometimes you dont even get border checked depending. Now if I walked over to Mexico and stayed yes of course that would need to be what I reported as my vacation but if I continued to my reported destination?. I know Florida has a amount of time I believe its 24 or 48 hours if you dont go to the reported place you would have to go back and report you are still in Florida back at home. I believe as long as you are honest and simply attempting TRANSIT to get to your reported destination you would not have to re-notice and do another 21 days etc. Denial from 1 entry to a country is often at the discretion of the agent so a Denial at Mexico City Airport might not have the same results as Tijuana crossing or others via land or air Cancun via a cruise etc.
Thoughts?
Here is an article I found. I thought this might be a good tool for our cause.
For many, it also drove home the reality that in the Soviet Union, which required them to carry internal passports stamped “Jewish,” they would never be more than second-class citizens. Some began to claim the right to leave.
Sources :http://www.aish.com/jw/s/Saving_Soviet_Jewry_A_Retrospective.html
@David, are you still here? You said you were able to get into Europe with 21 days notice, but then you changed itinerary last minute. Did you have connection in Europe and was your itinerary changed with the countries and flight number too or something else?
Anyone knows a travel insurance that covers people like us who need to be put back on the plane and back to the US and pay extra $$$?
iTravelInsured has a policy which features “Cancel for Any Reason and Interruption for Any Reason coverage is included at no additional cost.” Most insurance, as you may know, requires a medical excuse, note from doctor, etc., hardly applicable when you have to turn around in the foreign airport and head home the day you arrive.
You can check out here: https://www.itravelinsured.com/travel-insurance/travel-lx-insurance
As of November 16, 2016 @ approx. on San Francisco’s news channel KTVU.com on live TV announced that
the EU would start charging approx. $6.oo (USD?) for checking U.S. Traverlers for Criminal Activity and will prob. STOP allowing RC’s into EU or most of Schengen including Finland according to the released news.
Searching online for more info on this terrible new ruling for travelers to their Countries. If so, we can FORGET about all or most of International travel let alone the Identifier chosen by our Government to ID us and stand out let alone EU running background checks with others without enough info to show our arrest dates and rule us out of entering their respective domiciles.
Has any body sued a Crusie line yet for the discrimination of stopping us from cruising due to our past back ground history with no restrictions what so ever in our past or present. Can some one please answer this question please.
I am the resident of a foreign country, but I am also a US citizen. I will be traveling through the US soon, via Florida, And then returning to my home, via Florida, about a week later. I am very worried I will not be allowed entry into the country I live in, because of IML.
Travel is getting out of hand hurting people it was not meant to hurt and causing damage to Families.
Back over 5 years ago I was accused of touching a girls breast on the outside of the shirt. Long story was my Attorney and a bad Judge who has since been removed forced me to take a deal. The charges had been filed incorrectly and was actually a Level of PBL punishable by life! because of a allegation of Weapon or serious injury both not true. To streamline I fought back won a 3850 Hearing and was re sentenced to a 3rd Degree Felony for Attempted Sexual Battery. Time served no sex probation etc. Because of the original charge in Florida you Automatically get PREDATOR status although I had 1 charge and not underage but a 33 year old woman. (This all started from a girl asking for $250,000 to settle and her friends have done this to other men) The civil was dropped her Attorney walked off the case I was re-sentenced by a new Judge and Predator status vacated (I also won my own Motion to the Appeals court.
I traveled with no problems multiple times especially to Costa Rica even last year and November under the worst charges no issue. (Life Sentence Charge Predator Status) This was vacated and re sentenced nunc pro tunc back to original date.
I registered like I always do and gave my 21 days notice etc. When I arrived in Costa Rica they let my wife in and then something caught her eye on my passport scan so she said she needed to ask somebody something. 20 minutes later she tell us I cannot enter because the USA has sent a request via Interpol that I should be denied entry and they want me back. My wife and I showed my registration that reflected I was allowed to be in Costa and had been under a year ago and almost every year for 18 years. Never had a ticket or trouble in 18 years and spending holidays as always with our Family (I have no history of any sex Tourism less anything underage) A supervisor showed me a computer letter that said it was clear I must be turned away the USA wants me back. I need to fix it and I can come back but not on that day. My wife cried we tried to show more info but they talked yet to another person who said they must follow the Interpol Request and I told them it was just a notification I was coming. He said NO it was a return order from my Country. I was taken to a area in the Airport with security and made to sit like 12 hours for the next flight back. I was told I needed to sign papers but I did not. They told me the reason for the return was not listed by Interpol. I was eventually showed a green Costa Rican form that the guy simply checked a box AFTER talking to me about why and what it could be so I was honest. They wouldnt give me a copy of the Interpol Alert as they said it was confidential!. I did take a photo of the paper they kept and did not sign it but a very nice security officer told me it was not related to the Interpol letter but simply a form to give me a quick reason Costa Rica was deporting me. They did not want to pay for my connection and I was going to be stock far away from home but a nice Security guy went to Bat for me and I did get the trip all the way back. I was told I was not banned but that for today I couldn’t enter try another time date or place. I was actually shocked what I was told but I am not going to put that out here. Once returned to Florida with no bags as I lef them with my wife who is still in Costa Waiting for me or will come back soon. I got the usual 2nd check and again a very nice Customs and Emigration agent greeted me I told her my story and she said she doesn’t see anything in the computer that would have prevented my entry to Costa and she did not show USA or Florida wanted me back. In fact she said I would not have been allowed to even get on the plane if what Describe was valid. I checked and my online registration is showing I am in Costa Rica and all looks good. I was told even by my security I should go to Nicaragua or Panama and simply come back by land or fly again the next day. I would have been in my window to do this. My wife and I decided to wait to hear from a lawyer here as she contacts one in Costa before we decide if to go back. I would need to register travel again now next week as a emergency etc. This has destroyed my Family they are all upset. I own property and employ people and I cant even get back. I have been married 18 years and we have all the documents for me to become a Resident and Citizen but you must be in the country to put in the required docs and in person. Please anybody offer some advice. I am also willing to hire a lawyer both her and In Costa Rica but they are insistent the issue is with USA/Interpol and if I get that fixed to come back. I will also scan and post the redacted letter to share. I believe this is a good example for Janice or others to show how unjust this system is hurting good working people of all ages and economical status. I own mulitple companies and my wife is a Realtor!. Who is this protecting and who is it punishing? Costa Rica is losing my Car Rental Hotel and Resort stay and instead I leave a depressed wife at her Moms alone for Christmas. Something has to be done and I want to know why I was even listed with a green . notice based on my lack of threat to anybody and how we can legally see the documents sent. Does a green notice go out 1 time for 1 Country? or each time? I know people have ways around the system but I am looking to simply follow the law but not be unjustly penalized by it. I could be a Murdered and I would have entered no problem. I am willing to take legal action with others or alone on this issue. I also spoke to a nice lady at FDLE and she said although they did report me to Interpol (not sure why but she said they always do as before) it was just a notice to Travel and they had no such instructions to Deny Entry! everybody pointing to Interpol who has no number to call
Thanks
This is where Janice should consider filing subpoenas essential to the IML lawsuit.
If everything is accurate in the stories above it sounds like they aren’t just giving notifications as they say they are and instead are restricting travel. It’s being done under “confidential” statues to hide it no doubt.
Copies of the “confidential” interpol paper would be great.
Thanks, Robert, I thought the process was fairly standard and easy, not involving the stonewalling that you and apparently others have encountered.
I suppose we could individually sue and conduct discovery, but this would presuppose a high degree of free time and sophistication that most of us do not possess.
Also, most of us just prefer to hunker down and keep out heads low.
And why shouldn’t we? All of us to a one degree or another have been battered by the legal system.
I’m not saying this is good or bad, I’m just saying it is true for most of us.
Thanks again for the information,
Good Luck & Best Wishes to Everyone
James
Sorry if this is in the wrong post… Once again asking about domestic travel. Maybe we have a new person in the group that could give me there opinion. I’ve emailed Janice but I received no response. I had a 10 year registration that’s expired. However uncertain as to what federal/state laws I need to follow. I need someone’s opinion on my travel plans. I’m going to South Carolina for 7 days 6 nights my layovers are in Detroit and Atlanta. Michigan and South Carolina are sorna states. Not sure how to stay legit or if I even need to register/ tell someone ect.