What can immigration ask you when you arrive in the United States?

Although you can have the visa for United States, The person who has the last word so that you can enter the country is the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, who will be in charge of interviewing you at immigration control, whether you enter by air or land.

The agent will see if you really intend to make a temporary trip or stay to reside illegally. He will ask you the reasons for visiting the country and, depending on your answers, he will determine if he will let you pass or if you will go for an additional review to verify what you say. The maximum length of stay is usually six months.

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WHAT CAN IMMIGRATION CONTROL ASK YOU WHEN YOU ENTER THE UNITED STATES?

When it is your turn to pass the interview with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, he will request your passport and your ticket. You will then need to stand in front of a facial recognition technology camera and, if necessary, put your fingerprints on a scanner.

Then he will ask you a series of questions to find out the reason for your trip and determine how long you can stay. Next, take note of the most common, according to the ViveUsa portal:

1. Where are you going?

• The first question is almost always related to your arrival destination. You can say which city you are going to, if they ask you to be more specific, they will ask you for the address of the hotel or the house where you will stay. It is good to know it by heart or have it on hand (written down or printed).

2. Reason for the trip

• Your answer must match your visa type. If you have the B1/B2, which is for tourism and business, you must answer that you are going for a walk, shopping or visiting friends or relatives. It can also say that you are going to social events or attend business affairs such as a consultation with business partners or a convention, short-term professional training, etc. The important thing is to carry out activities according to your visa.

3. Who are you going to stay with?

• If you’re staying at a relative’s or friend’s house, they’ll likely ask you their name. If the person legally resides in the United States, there is no problem. But if he lives there undocumented, you could get him in trouble by revealing his identity.

4. How long do you plan to stay in the United States?

• The officers must ensure that your visit to the United States is temporary. You must show him the reservation of your return flight to your country of origin. If you already have it, print the sheet and show it when going through migration. If you do not have a return flight already booked or you are traveling by land, you can mention the tentative date of your return. The duration of your stay should make sense with the activities you will do.

5. When was the last time you traveled to the United States?

• CBP has a record of your entries and exits into the United States. With this question they can know if you are lying about your immigration history. If you don’t remember, you can check it on the page https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home. There comes the history of up to 100 records in the last 10 years and the city you arrived at.

6. How much money do you bring in cash?

• They can ask this question to verify that the person who crosses does not exceed the allowed limit of US$10,000 dollars or has what it takes to survive the days they go. Although many use a credit card, you can take about US$50 in cash for each day of your stay.

7. Are you coming to the United States with someone?

• People who arrive in the country in company must clarify if they are friends, acquaintances, work colleagues or relatives, as well as specify the reason why they are traveling together

8. What do you do?

• You must say what your occupation is (what you work in or if you are a student, for example) and the answer can be a reference to your economic status.

9. Do you have food or plants in your luggage?

• US Customs and Border Protection has restrictions on some products. “Meat, milk, eggs, poultry, and their products, including products made from these materials, such as dry soups or bouillon, are prohibited or restricted from entering the United States, depending on the types of animal diseases that occur in the country. country of origin”, they write down. You must tell the truth because it can be verified through a scanner.