Bringing laptop at POE

[SCFsnoopy 0]

I took a laptop into the States, no problem with customs... (POE Anchorage, Alaska) ... however since I was drilled by DHS because they thought I was trying to illegally immigrate, they wanted to turn it on and search my files for any evidence they could use against me. Not that there was anything on there anyway, but it just so happened that the laptop's monitor had died during my stopover in Taiwan so even though the computer still worked, they couldn't see anything because the screen just turned bright green. They could have hooked it up to an external monitor but they didn't think of that themselves and decided it wasn't worth the effort

As far as actually bringing a laptop though, it's a non issue. You'll notice that most airline permit you to take your personal hand luggage AS WELL AS a laptop bag (unless you're a woman and you've also got a purse/handbag). I've personally taken a small suitcase, my handbag, AND a laptop bag on a flight though... just depends who's working that day as to how much they let you bring on the plane.

[Nicoxcx 1]

I also carried my laptop threw POE, no problems at all it is very rare that they would ask to switch it on etc;

Anyone who doesn't carry a laptop on the plane is a brave soul, the baggage carriers have smashed things in my bags that I didn't even know were smashable.

[Mikkel 0]

Hi,

I just want to know if someone has tried bringing a laptop at their point of entries? My point of entry is LA and I will be entering on a K1 visa this July. I want to bring the laptop my fiance gave me from US when he came to Philippines. Are there requirements? Will I have problems with customs? What do they usually do to your laptop?

Thanks.

You'll have to take it out of the case and place it my itself in a plastic bin so it can be X-rayed.

That's when you LEAVE Baron, in order to take in on the plane. When you arrive you do not do that unless asked by customs.

They scanned my stuff just after going through customs at JFK, so got scanned both ways. Also both ways in Kiev. Not a problem.

The distinction is that the inbound scan at US Customs is by selection.... I have had it both ways....

The inbound search isn't "by selection". Unless you've been pre-screened at International departure airports with TSA pre-clearing stations, International arrivals are all required to go through at minimum one security check. Connecting passengers go through customs, and then pick up their bags and carry them to the transfer belt. Even if your destination is the POE, you're still processed through an area with bags that have not been screened, and that by TSA definition makes you ineligible for access to "sterile" areas without passing through security.

[forever_green 0]

Bring it. there would be no problem with that. I have always bought mine everytime I go to the US. The last time I went to the US, as a CR1 visa holder, I just noticed that at my point of entry, all of us (that means not just the new immigrants), who have laptops were instructed to handle the laptops to the guy at the xray machine. They inspected the laptops separately from the rest of our carry on luggages. They did not open the laptops, though. They just touched the bags, look a little, and run them separately to the xray machine.

[TrueNorth 0]

When my hubby and I came down from Canada I had brought my laptop and the officer had gone through all our stuff while we were inside waiting at the desk. I didn't know what he was doing out there but he was gone a long time. We had been married in Canada so the officer comes back and asked me what the To Do list item I had about going to the social security office was about. That was a To Do list file on my desktop. I told him I had to get my name changed to my married name and get a new Social Security card, which was the truth. He was okay with that.

They will take your stuff out and go through it. And this guy even left all our luggage out because he couldn't (or just didn't) put it back in the trunk so we were out in the freezing rain shivering trying to get it all back in.

[Krikit 1,164]

Post not contributing to the discussion has been removed. Rnmcm, please keep that type of "advice" for the Off Topic forum. Thank you.