Laptop question?

[Anichka 0]

Hey there everyone! I am not sure where to post this, so sorry in advance if I am posting it in the wrong area. Soooo, I know this question may sound kind of stupid (not may, but more likely is :-D) but my fiance is asking me to ask someone anyways. So, here is the deal, he's wondering if security and immigration control will be taking his laptop and usb hard drive at the airport to look through it when he will be leaving Ukraine and coming to America on K-1 Visa? he's coming to Los Angeles (LAX airport) Once again sorry for the very strange question, I was forced into asking it :-D He's just worried because he has a huge collection of music on his laptop (100GB) and so that they won't think it's piracy or something. Thanks everyone for your time!

Edited February 11, 2010 by Anichka

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Technically, they can take these things and look through them, but I have never heard of them doing it for someone with an immigration visa.

[Dave and Helena 0]

I went through secondary with my laptop once. They lifted the lid of it but never powered it up. I came on VWP at the time but I'd assume they are less "suspicious" when you come on a K-1.

[payxibka 10,045]

Hey there everyone! I am not sure where to post this, so sorry in advance if I am posting it in the wrong area. Soooo, I know this question may sound kind of stupid (not may, but more likely is :-D) but my fiance is asking me to ask someone anyways. So, here is the deal, he's wondering if security and immigration control will be taking his laptop and usb hard drive at the airport to look through it when he will be leaving Ukraine and coming to America on K-1 Visa? he's coming to Los Angeles (LAX airport) Once again sorry for the very strange question, I was forced into asking it :-D He's just worried because he has a huge collection of music on his laptop (100GB) and so that they won't think it's piracy or something. Thanks everyone for your time!

They might look at it but I have never had an issue with a laptop leaving Ukraine

[rsn 135]

Hey there everyone! I am not sure where to post this, so sorry in advance if I am posting it in the wrong area. Soooo, I know this question may sound kind of stupid (not may, but more likely is :-D) but my fiance is asking me to ask someone anyways. So, here is the deal, he's wondering if security and immigration control will be taking his laptop and usb hard drive at the airport to look through it when he will be leaving Ukraine and coming to America on K-1 Visa? he's coming to Los Angeles (LAX airport) Once again sorry for the very strange question, I was forced into asking it :-D He's just worried because he has a huge collection of music on his laptop (100GB) and so that they won't think it's piracy or something. Thanks everyone for your time!

I'm not sure how they would be able to claim that the music on his laptop is pirated. In fact, unless there is proof that he downloaded these files from illegitimate sources, there really is no way, as far as I can tell, that he could find himself in trouble.

[Joe_&_Nadiya 1]

Hi!

I brought my laptop from Ukraine because I have a Russian keyboard and many personal info on my hard disk. My laptop was always with me during the trip ( like hand luggage ). I've passed security without any problem. They just scanned it that's all. But we went in JFK airport. But it was no problem to bring my laptop with me in the USA.

[Anichka 0]

Thanks everyone! I also keep telling him there shouldn't be any problems, but he is flying for the first time in his life and is nervous about everything

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hey there everyone! I am not sure where to post this, so sorry in advance if I am posting it in the wrong area. Soooo, I know this question may sound kind of stupid (not may, but more likely is :-D) but my fiance is asking me to ask someone anyways. So, here is the deal, he's wondering if security and immigration control will be taking his laptop and usb hard drive at the airport to look through it when he will be leaving Ukraine and coming to America on K-1 Visa? he's coming to Los Angeles (LAX airport) Once again sorry for the very strange question, I was forced into asking it :-D He's just worried because he has a huge collection of music on his laptop (100GB) and so that they won't think it's piracy or something. Thanks everyone for your time!

They never checked my wife's at her intial POE and have never checked mine in many, many trips. I always carry it on which means it goes with me through many airports and no one has ever asked anything except to take it out of the case. Laptops are such a normal thing on airplanes anymore, they simply do not even raise an eyebrow.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

They might want him to power it up and maybe run a program--to show that it is a laptop (due to recent "undies-bomber" incident), but I doubt they would be bothered about a collection of songs (as probably several of the officers would have a collection of songs--including pirated--on their computers at home/office).

[Joe_&_Nadiya 1]

Thanks everyone! I also keep telling him there shouldn't be any problems, but he is flying for the first time in his life and is nervous about everything

It was also the first international traveling in my life But I didn't think that it could be some problems with bringing the laptop over here.

[HeatDeath 430]

I have never had my laptop (a MacBook) even looked at by US customs, but once, coming back into Canada, I got pulled into secondary and given the once-over. They opened up the laptop and used the "All pictures" smart folder in Finder to take a look through any images I had stored. Looked at about a dozen at random and closed it back up. Had no interest whatsoever in music files. Take that for whatever it's worth.

[~Johnny~ 27]

Never had a problem with laptops. I go all over the world and bring one with me everywhere. Only time I ever had an issue (small...very minor 1 min delay) was in Miami POE. Coming in from Peru, the TSA decided to bomb sniff my laptop. Which, is basically them running a swab along the side and then putting it in their analyzer to see it had bomb making residue. One minute later, good to go. 99% of the time they just scan them trough security x-ray without powering up.