Hi mexmarv,
I have worked on your question on and off since you posted it and
because of a special interest in all immigration topics, I searched
extensively for an answer. It is always more difficult (if not
impossible) to prove something that doesn't exist rather something
that does, and that was the wall I was coming up against. Briefly, it
is highly unlikely that USCIS has a record of your U.S. arrivals and
departures, at best they have your most recent re-entries, but really,
it's not a high priority for them. Actually, they probably have a
better record of your car than of you! The Customs License Plate
Reader (LPR) records the arrival and departure of vehicles crossing
the border and the BVS (Biometric Verification System) is in place for
nonimmigrants. LPRs are admitted into the U.S via the "for U.S.
citizens" line and are not screened in the same way nonimmigrants are.
However, while thinking about your question again, it occurred to me
that there *is* a way for you to find out for sure! You can request
FOIA / USCIS to release copies of all documents regarding your U.S.
arrivals and departures.
FOIA
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Contact:
"Please note: ALL FOIA REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING. Form 639
may be used for this purpose, but is not required..."
http://uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/foia/index.htm
FORM G-639
G-639, Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act Request
http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/g-639.htm
INFOPASS
"As an alternative to waiting in line for assistance at your local
USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through our
internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system, visit our
website at www.uscis.gov. Use the InfoPass appointment scheduler and
follow the screen prompts to set up your appointment. InfoPass
generates an electronic appointment notice that appears on the screen.
Print the notice and take it with you to your appointment. The notice
gives the time and date of your appointment, along with the address of
the USCIS office.
Use InfoPass for Appointments."
http://infopass.uscis.gov/
Additional Links of Interest:
The ABC's of Immigration: Preserving Green Card Status During Trips Abroad
http://www.lexisnexis.com/practiceareas/immigration/pdfs/web964.pdf
LPR
LPRs currently being installed at ports of entry along the southwest
border are used to record the arrival and departure of vehicles at the
U.S.-Mexico border by electronically reading vehicles' license
plates. The LPR system works by electronically recording the front and
rear plates of vehicles as they pass through the port. The system then
digitizes the information and sends that information to a Customs
information database.
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/custoday/jul2000/lpr.htm
LPR technology makes recording license plates a snap
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2001/December/custoday_lpr.xml
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) monitors vehicles entering
the country, recording their license plates with a date and time of
entry using automatic license plate readers.
http://ai.eller.arizona.edu/go/intranet/papers/kaza_ITSC05_mutual_info.pdf
BVS [for nonimmigrants]
BVS LaserCard Biometric Verification System
http://lasercard.com/downloads/data-sheets/P003_BioVerSys.pdf
Automated Entry-Exit System: Key to National Security
http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters19fa
[1998]
98-89 EPW Immigration: Visa Entry/Exit Control System
CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
NUMBER: 98-89 EPW
TITLE: Immigration: Visa Entry/Exit Control System
AUTHOR: William J. Krouse and Ruth Ellen Wasem
DIVISION: Education and Public Welfare Division
DATE: Updated May 4, 1998
INS does not currently track arrivals and departures for immigrants
(non-citizens admitted for permanent residence) and has had only
limited success in tracking arrivals and departures for nonimmigrants
(non-citizens admitted on a temporary basis).
http://countingcalifornia.cdlib.org/crs/ascii/98-89
I was glad to work on this for you and am glad I finally thought of a
solution. If you have any questions, please post a clarification
request and wait for me to respond before closing/rating my answer.
Thank you,
hummer
I searched the USCIS and the CBP Border Patrol websites in addition to
many searches on Google. Some of the terms used:
uscis record of arrivals departures entry exit u.s. lpr green card
immigrant tracking entries re-entry permanent residents mexico border
customs foia vehicles trips abroad |
