When you arrive in the United States, you will have to go through the Port of Entry (POE) where the location can be in airports, land border crossings, and seaports. In the Port of Entry, you will be inspected. Did you know the things that will be checked there? Here are what you need to know about the things that Immigration POE officers will check to you when you arrive in the United States.
Immigration Inspection that You Go Through at a U.S. Port of Entry
When you are at a port of entry in the United States for immigration inspection, there you ask for permission to enter the country. You will have to explain your purpose to go there and also how long you will be in the country. You will be given permission by the Customs Inspector when you apply for entry at a U.S. port of entry. However, you need to obey your stated activities and timelines.
For your information, as explained on the VisaPro, there are four different parts to every encounter in the inspection, including immigration, customs, agriculture, and public health.
Things That the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officials Do at a U.S. Port of Entry
What CBP officers will do to you in the U.S. port of entry? The things that they will do is to review your passports, visas, and other supporting documents. It is done to every foreign national who arrives in the United States.
You will meet the CBP officers at a primary inspection station where the officers will ask you some questions to confirm your identity and nationality. Since you are asked about your identity, so here you have to show your passport and other required documents. And then, the officers will determine whether you can enter the US or not.
You may also have to be ten-printed where your fingerprints will be taken. Besides, your digital photograph will also be taken. If everything is okay, the officers will allow you to enter the US and determine how long you will stay there. Also, you may be informed about your admission status.
Being Asked About Your True Purposes to Enter the U.S.
As explained earlier, in the U.S. port of entry, you will be asked by CBP officers about your purpose to enter the United States. If they think that your explanation is not enough, they will require more documents and also ask for you to go through another inspection. They can even search your luggage or personal devices to find out your true purpose in the United States.
Power and Authority of CBP Officers
The thing that is done by CBP officers at a U.S. port of entry is to do immigration inspections. Since that is their task, as cited from VisaPro site, they have absolute power and authority and it means that they have full jurisdiction to decide whether someone is permitted to enter the United States or not. You only can enter the United States if the CBP officers allow you and place an admission stamp in your passport. If then the CBP officers doubt you, they may conduct a secondary inspection. Let’s say that the officers believe that you are having contraband or violating regulations of immigration, they may take you to secondary inspection.
Things to Know About Secondary Inspection
When you are required to go through the secondary inspection, it means that you will be inspected more comprehensively than the first inspection. It can even take several hours.
The things that you will go through in the secondary inspection is that you will be asked by the CBP officers more detail about your trip in the United States. Additional proof of your identification and documentation may be required to support your identity and confirm your purpose to visit the United States. In this inspection, your belongings may be inspected as well.
Some Possible Questions from CBP Officers
Actually, when you are in the port of entry, the CBP officers can ask you everything. However, there are some possible questions that they will ask you and you have to be ready for the answers and also the evidence to prove your answer. When you answer the questions, the most important thing is that you have to answer them politely. You also have to keep calm and be honest.
Here are some possible questions that will be asked by the CBP officer as also explained on the Nolo site.
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Why are you visiting the United States?
When you answer this question, answer it honestly and your answer needs to match your visa or the legal requirements for accepting you without a visa. It means that if you have a B-2 visitor visa, you will not say that you are entering the U.S. to find a job, right?
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Who will you be visiting in the U.S.?
By asking this question, the CBP officers want to make sure that you have a clear plan while in the U.S.
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Where will you stay in the U.S.?
Again, this question is also asked by the officers just to make sure that you have a clear plan about what you will do in the U.S. Just answer it honestly and make sure that you know where you will stay while you are in the United States. If you do not know where you will stay, it is possible that the CBP officers will question whether you need to be allowed to enter the U.S. or not.
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How long will you stay in the United States?
If your coming to the United States is for staying in the U.S.permanently, this question may not be asked to you. However, if you come to the U.S. for a short term, this question may be asked. By asking this question, the CBP officers want to make sure that you do not stay there longer than you should. Let’s say that you enter the United States on a work visa. If so, you will be accepted to live in the US for the amount of time based on your job or program. So, it is important for you to know your immigration status and the expiration date.
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How often do you come to the U.S.?
This question is asked by the CBP officer to find people who are using a tourist visa as a way of living permanently or working in the U.S. If you are determined by the officer that you are misusing the visa, you will be rejected to enter the U.S.
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Have you visited the U.S. before? If you have, how long did you stay there?
Let’s say that you previously stayed in the U.S. longer than you originally planned or were allowed to. If so, the officer will ask the reason about it and also require the evidence of your answer. For example, you stayed in the U.S. for a month for vacation, but then you were sick and it was impossible for you to leave the U.S. so that you stayed longer. In this case, you have to be able to give the evidence, such as medical documentation.
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How much money do you have for this trip?
This question is asked to the temporary visitors. You have to make sure that you can cover your expenses while you are in the U.S.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
