International Travel 2022

I received an unmarked passport. Anyone know what to do (who to call?) to get it marked? I don’t want to mess up my vacation plans. I tried emailing, calling and visiting the passport office with no luck.

Not all Schengen countries are friendly to RSOs!!!

Long story, but I hope this helps someone not go thru what I did

I recently traveled to Spain, based on trusting what we read here that it was safe and would not have any issued, but that was a bad idea, there is NO safe place to travel that is 100% for sure.

When I got to passport control, they read the computer and right there, stomach sank and new it was going to be a problem. I was pulled aside, brought into a room and sat there for 3 hours with no updates no one telling me anything.
Finally, they moved me, had me sit again for a 2nd ‘interview’ which they did the basic questions of what I was doing and where I was staying and other qualification to enter the country. They asked me how much cash I had and my intinerary, I had $500 and plans to do a side trip to Morocco but had not finalized them as I was waiting on some other details. Turns out, they said (lied) that I did not have enough money per their requirements and because I did not have my flight and other info, they used that to deny me entry – again, a lie. They said I could hire a lawyer or use a public defender as it was their law I needed to be represented before they sent me back.
They brought me into a room AKA airport jail where I was searched, all my electronics taken and most of my personal belongings locked up. I was able to get some numbers off my phone as there was a phone in the room that allowed me to call anywhere, but of course when you don’t have access to search, makes things very difficult.
I called my brother in the US, middle of the night for him and had him search for lawyers, called a ton, and that phone BTW had a 3 min limit, a pain to have to redial every time. I was able to find one and after telling him my story, he said this was all BS, but would cost me $300 for him to come down to the airport and represent me (the US would be $1000s). When get got there, he learned that they were using those reasons as excuses to keep me out but the real reason was the notification they got from the US. Their law says anything after 15 years the slate is clean, so what they were doing to me was basically illegal by their own system. The problem (one of many) is they see this notice and it is how they interpret it, which for most in the worst way, as the US has intended, my crime had no victims and it was over 20 years ago, but in their eyes, they see someone who committed the worst crimes imaginable and there is no way to explain otherwise.

I did call the Embassy and she said there wasn’t anything they could do as long as I was being treated ok, they cannot help in this kind of situation

They brought in an interpretor for me and we met with the airport judge, which was just another officer to listen to the story and prove I should be allowed entry. Before we met, my brother was able to book my flights and I was able to get my proof I had plenty of money to prove to them their claims were BS. Turns out, that judge agreed, but because his boss said because of the notice from the US – specifically said that, they still denied me entry. I got lucky because this lawyer was good and he had a ‘nuclear’ option, (another $200) they have an all night court and he knew that what they were doing was wrong, which turns out he was right. This started at 8am when I got in, and it was 1am when I got the call that the judge said we won – relief, right, nope, They made me stay in this room all night, food was horrible, and in the morning they were supposed to release me, but they didn’t. Turns out, they tried to appeal the decision and introduced the real reason to deny me, but the judge said they didn’t present that initially so he said nope and to let me into Spain. That didn’t happen until 10am the next day and they finally let me go. In the 20+ years of being in the system, I never spent one night in a jail or holding cell until now – 8.5 years after being off of probation.

Happy ending right, nope, part of the plan, which we did disclose to them was I was to come back thru Spain to go back home, we didn’t realize this before I was released and when I asked my lawyer, he said there is a good chance they would deport me back to Morocco! Soooo, I tried to find a way to work around not going back thru Spain and there really wasn’t one, but found one to go thru Germany with a layover in Spain, of course, but didn’t think I would have to go thru passport control again, which I did! They looked at the screen, again, but I was prepared with the letter from the judge and my boarding pass, he called his supervisor and they did let me go thru. So that change cost me another $400 in fees and an extra night in Germany. When I left Germany – coming into Germany you do not go thru passport control (more on this in a sec), but on the way out, the passport guy saw the stamps and I told him a bit of the story, he laughed and said it was BS too. Oh, and of course, was searched at US customs coming back too, yay!

The rest of my trip was amazing, this was the 8th country I have traveled to since I was able to, but the first I had any problems getting in, and it was a Schengen country.

Here is what I learned and suggest for anyone traveling out of the US –
READ the entry requirements going into the country, money, plans, etc, do not give them ANY excuse to deny you entry
Fly into a country you know you can get into and make your connections from there, if you are denied, then you are deported there, not back to the US – following all proper registration requirements – if available
Once yor are in Europe, you do not have to go thru passport control in most Schengen countries, except the UK, since they are not part of the EU anymore and pretty strick at their borders. Not sure about Eastern EU, but there is always a risk like it was in Spain.
Take a train if practical, they check passports on the train, but I don’t think they run them like they do in an airport.
Print a list of all your contacts and important numbers so if they do take your phone, you have access to that information.
Bring plenty of cash

If anyone says that the registry isn’t punishment and that IML is only to ‘prevent sex trafficing’ is complete and total BS. I have about 18 months before I can even try to get off the registry, I do just about anything to make that happen, this sucked! These laws need to change!

I have a question for all you world travelers. We all heard about Airbnb doing background checks and banning registered sex offenders from their properties. Is this only happening domestically, or is this also happening to American registrants seeking Airbnb properties overseas?

Florida has although I dont know of anybody who has recieved it a lW that says you have 3 weeks to reply to any mailed address verification letters or you can be violated. I will report my out of the country address to avoid the issue as it appears to drop off the Registry once travel period pre disclosed has expired. I usually get a knock on the door every few months. I dont see any rules saying i have to answer but they are always nice and Respectful. I am afraid they will just keep coming back if I dont answer upsetting my neighbors why cops are at my door all the time.

My letter from the Marshalls office stated Green notices had not been sent because that law requires a underage charge however they quote another that lets Travel Notices be sent if they want. I also did a Inquiry with Interpol and confirmed a Greebn Notice was never sent but a travel Alert was. All I can say is the system is not applied equally and regullary. I have beeb denied 2 tines to a country then gone back 3. As somebody also pointed out you are dealing with many moving parts and people.

From my experience AirBNB is a toss up as I have used them. Also you can Host I have had some succsess and 1 failure. You can get creative by putting the House in a Real estate Trust to keep ownership secret. Also use a third party they have them both here and many International. They will combine Airbnb,Vrbo and many others. They list under the company name and from what I know dont care unless somebody knows. You pay a small % but get a dashboard and they do lots of the work. Some even let you eent from your own website. I cant give more detail but search and you will find a company that works for you.

This is True However I and people that Travel like me also have done various entry into some crazy places that do Biometrics and have NEVER been denied. Its what those countries actually do with the info. Now A Interpol Green Notice or a Travel Notice that basically says this “Deviant” is coming to your country wink wink is a different matter. Some places simply deny you for that or a seperate inquiry to the Registry. I have actually been told it wasnt so much the charge just the fact I was on one of the USA states Registry git me denied. As Notorious has stated many times here is a multi prong smorgasboard of Info that catches you. One size doesnt fit all and the system has its issues often due to Human and Implemntation problems.
the Registry and notifications should be abolished.

I was reading a Wikipedia article on Roman Polanski. One thing stood out to me and could ease a lot of minds here. His 1977 international warrant for rape brought about a “red notice” from Interpol. Yet as of today, Interpol no longer recognizes or enforces that red notice and isn’t bothering with him.
this tells me that Interpol has a more common sense approach to our offenses than Angel watch. As such, I am far less concerned with them issuing “green notices” for my misdemeanor offense.