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> a lack of proof (in the case of tourists) of continuing ties to their origin country. As a digital nomad this is what worries me when I go to the US. I would

> a lack of proof (in the case of tourists) of continuing ties to their origin country. As a digital nomad this is what worries me when I go to the US. I would never want to live in the US but try convincing a border guard... I'm alway extremely nervous when encountering an immigration officer in the US because they are much more aggressive than the ones I've encountered in other countries (and I've traveled all over Europe and Asia).

kasey_junk 10y ago
You've never encountered an immigration officer in Asia that flat demanded a bribe? Cause I have. In China I was required to register with the authorities every time I switched hotels. I've had interactions with Canadian border agents that was very unpleasant and seen German border agents armed with submachine guns take people off of trains. Now, I think we (the US) should change the way our border officers behave & I think demanding access to electronic devices is dumb & harmful, but border patrol everywhere are agents of the state and can be scary to interact with. For the record I've also had great interactions with Chinese, Canadian, German & American border agents.
- nicolas_t 10y ago
  I've had to pay a bribe in Southeast Asia but the officers were friendly and nice about it and it's expected. Likewise, I lived for 4 years in China and needed to register at the police station whenever I came back in the country but it's easy and it's not a huge issue. I know what to expect in those countries and I know that there won't be any issues so long as follow the official or unofficial (in the case of southeast China) rules. In the US, I don't like the arbitrariness of the border agents , I'm never sure if I might have an issue or not (like the article about the French academic). And, while not all US border agents are agressive, the most agressive agents I've met were all in the US.

kasey_junk 10y ago

You've never encountered an immigration officer in Asia that flat demanded a bribe? Cause I have. In China I was required to register with the authorities every time I switched hotels. I've had interactions with Canadian border agents that was very unpleasant and seen German border agents armed with submachine guns take people off of trains. Now, I think we (the US) should change the way our border officers behave & I think demanding access to electronic devices is dumb & harmful, but border patrol everywhere are agents of the state and can be scary to interact with. For the record I've also had great interactions with Chinese, Canadian, German & American border agents.

nicolas_t 10y ago
I've had to pay a bribe in Southeast Asia but the officers were friendly and nice about it and it's expected. Likewise, I lived for 4 years in China and needed to register at the police station whenever I came back in the country but it's easy and it's not a huge issue. I know what to expect in those countries and I know that there won't be any issues so long as follow the official or unofficial (in the case of southeast China) rules. In the US, I don't like the arbitrariness of the border agents , I'm never sure if I might have an issue or not (like the article about the French academic). And, while not all US border agents are agressive, the most agressive agents I've met were all in the US.