Immigration and Passport Control officers monitor visitors arriving in a country. Most travelers are only in contact with Immigration and Passport Control officers for a few minutes during their trip, but they serve an important purpose.

Officers are stationed at airports, train stations, boat landings, and other places where people can enter a country. Upon arrival, an immigration officer will inspect a visitor's identity papers, usually a passport indicating a person's country of origin, and asks a series of questions like:

• How long will you be staying?
• What is the purpose of your visit?
• Whom are you visiting?

These questions are asked to be sure that visitors plan to return to their home country, and are not going to stay in the country permanently. This scrutiny is also used to ensure visitors are tourists, students, or other legitimate visitors. Immigration officers also receive people seeking asylum from persecution at home.

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Text: ; Ewen Ku, Editor