Hello World! Welcome Friends! Entry into the United States is generally straightforward, but you need to take care of the customs and border protection formalities. It’s not quite like crossing a state line or two… it’s more serious than that!
You could spend hours, days, weeks researching how to proceed through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but what if I told you there are only ten things you really need to know? If you follow these simple rules when entering the USA from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean then this will make your life a whole lot easier.
1. Bring Your Passport!
The biggest mistake people make is forgetting their passport or assuming they don’t need it because they’re flying in from somewhere else in North America. The passport is the only document you need from your own country. Having a valid US visa or green card will not substitute for a passport!
If you have dual citizenship and aren’t sure which of your passports should be presented, you can speak with immigration lawyers to guide you.
2. Declare Everything You’re Bringing In!
This should be common sense, but so many people don’t do it. The USA is a very wealthy country and, as a result, travelers can bring in more than they need – especially those who have been on an extended stay abroad or have been shopping at home before departure. Even if you don’t have anything to declare, write ‘NONE’ across the top of your customs declaration form anyway because CBP agents may ask if you have any dutiable goods. Some travelers wrongly believe that they only have to declare items that are over US$10,000 in value. This is not true. All items you are bringing into the USA must be declared, including each person’s clothing and footwear, regardless of value.
3. Declare Your Money!
Travelers entering the USA from anywhere other than Canada or Mexico must fill out a FinCEN105 form declaring all cash they are carrying. Travelers carrying over US$10,000 (or equivalent) must make a declaration to a customs officer when they enter or leave the country using Form 105. There is no legal requirement for citizens from visa waiver countries to declare amounts less than 10,000 USD while entering the United States. Anyone who has been outside of North America recently might find that CBP agents ask if they have any foreign currency to declare. If you are carrying more than US$10,000 in cash then be ready to show the agents documentation of where it came from.
4. Be Ready To Prove Where You’re Going & How Long You’ll Be There!
Nobody expects this, but CBP officials might ask how long you plan on staying in the USA. The questions are pretty standard and are easy enough to answer if you’ve got some idea of what they might ask. Make sure your story matches whatever customs declaration forms you filled out when entering the country because officers may check with CBP computer systems at their discretion or as a result of random profiling selected passengers for extra scrutiny (the no-fly list is one such example); use of canines for random inspections is another.
5. Declare All Food & Plant Products!
If you are traveling from certain countries or via certain modes of transport, the US authorities may require evidence that your food and plant products have been in your possession for at least 48 hours before arrival in the USA. The list includes most countries in the world, but not all – this information should be available on CBP’s website. If you want to bring any meat, eggs, or dairy into the country then it must be declared to a customs officer at primary inspection when you enter the USA.
6. Be Careful With Your Driving Records!
This is important if you plan on driving into the USA. You should carry any traffic convictions or accident reports that might affect your entry to the country – particularly if they are recent. If you have an unsatisfactory motor insurance policy history within Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or other territories, make sure it’s declared because border officials don’t take these lightly at all!
7. Cancel Your Out of Date Passports!
I’ve seen too many people get turned away at customs because they are carrying an out-of-date passport, even though they have plenty of other valid documentation with them that proves their right to travel. At this point, you’re probably wondering why it’s such a big deal, after all, most countries allow citizens to hold passports that are only up to years out of date without penalty. Well, the reason is that CBP’s computer systems are not so lenient. For example, if an individual with a passport that has expired within 90 days of their arrival in the USA tries to cross at a land border then it will likely result in them being turned away unless they can convince the customs officer that they have renewed their existing passport or obtained a new travel document from their government.
8. Don’t Try To Circumvent The System!
If you have been barred from entering the USA, whether as an individual, as part of a group, as a member of some association or other grouping designated as a potential threat by the US government, AND/OR if you hold a passport containing evidence that it’s been revoked or canceled THEN you should not attempt to enter the country on any other type of travel document even if it looks similar to what you’ve lost – this applies equally to diplomatic documents and those issued by international authorities. Failure on your part to abide by this advice will likely result in serious criminal charges being filed against you for violating US law and could easily result in a lengthy spell behind bars.
9. Get Insurance!
Getting insurance is very similar but here we’re talking about specific coverage for traveling to the United States of America. The reason is that some countries issue different types of identification documents that allow their citizens to cross borders without problems whereas others don’t (like Zambia ). So if you’re thinking about visiting the USA and you hold a Zambian passport then you should make sure that it is accompanied by a current international travel document (I read this as ‘passport’ in most cases) even if no such items are mentioned on your Zambian driving license or any other identification documents that you may possess.
10. Make Sure You’re Allowed To Enter!
The advice above also applies to groups of people who’ve been labeled potential threats by the US government so they can be barred from entering the United States. It’s really important for everyone, no matter their nationality, to take the time required to determine whether or not they need visas or other kinds of documentation in order to get into the USA.
All this advice about passports, visas, and related legalities also applies if you’re planning on crossing any US land border at some point during your stay in the country. If you fail to do so then you could be turned away but it is equally possible that CBP will confiscate your passport and refuse to return it unless/until you can prove that you have the legal right to be in the USA.
For more information, you may ask or consult with Houston immigration lawyers.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
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Spruce Up Your Backyard With These Cool Ideas
How to Choose a Suitable Water Filter
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Toodles,
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