Inspection Process at US Ports of Entry – Things You Must Know!

A free article on Legal

By: VisaPro.com

If you are traveling to the United States for the first time you are likely to have questions about what happens when I arrive at the Port of Entry?

A foreign national traveling to the United States will arrive initially at a US “Port of Entry" (POE). The POE can be an airport, a land border crossing, or a seaport. Passing through a Port of Entry generally means that you are seeking permission from an Immigration Inspector, an official of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enter the US, for a specific reason, purpose and duration, which are generally always predefined.

All foreign nationals arriving at a US POE are inspected by officials of the US Government. They have to go through four different inspections:

• Public Health,
• Immigration,
• Customs, and
• Agriculture.
Some or all of these inspections may be conducted by the same officer.

Inspection at a US Port of Entry: What to expect/What do CBP officials do?

• Upon your arrival at the US Port of Entry you must present your passport and other required documents. CBP officers will review these to determine whether to allow you to enter the US.

• Your first encounter with CBP officers will be at a primary inspection station where they ask foreign nationals questions to determine their identity and nationality.

• If they decide to admit you the CBP officer will also determine how long you will be allowed to stay in the US, and in what status you will be admitted.

• At the US Port of Entry CBP officers review passports, visas, and other supporting documents of each and every foreign national arriving in US. The CBP officers also compare fingerprint records and name check databases for recent derogatory information, ask questions about the foreign nationals general qualifications for the visas they have, review the Form I-94 Arrival and Departure Record (or, for Visa Waiver travelers, Form I-94W).

What Kind of questions do the CBP officers ask?
CBP officers at US Port of Entry will ask you questions to determine the true intent of your trip to the US. Inspections Officers are trained, and have the experience to back up their training, to indentify if a foreign national has a pre-conceived intent behind their trip to the US, i.e., they are looking to see if you are actually coming to go to school or for a job interview when you say you are coming to visit Disneyland. If an officer is not convinced with your initial statements, they may ask for additional supporting documentation be allowing you to enter the US.

CBP officials – their power and authority – what they can do?

CBP officers have complete power and authority at the US Port of Entry. It is up to their discretion to conclude whether or not a foreign national is eligible to enter the US. It is only after a CBP officer stamps and dates the I-94 form, places an admission stamp in the foreign national's passport, and the foreign national passes through the inspection station that the foreign national is admitted to the United States.

Secondary Inspection – what leads you to a secondary inspection?

If the first CBP officer that a foreign national meets feels that the inspection requires additional time for review to determine a foreign national's eligibility, the officer may refer the foreign national for a “secondary inspection.” This secondary inspection is a much more comprehensive review, and can take several hours to complete. Generally a foreign national referred for secondary inspection is not considered to be “admitted” to the United States.

What generally happens in a secondary inspection?
In secondary inspection, CBP officers will ask foreign national more detailed questions about their travel plans for the US. Foreign nationals may even be asked to produce additional identification and other documentation in order to determine their actual identity and purpose of their visit to the United States. The foreign national and their belongings may also be searched, and the foreign national may be required to give a full set of fingerprints.

Any person, foreign national or person with a claim to US citizenship and presenting a US passport may be sent to secondary inspection if the CBP officer has reservations about admitting him to the United States. A person may also be sent to secondary inspection if there is a possibility the person is smuggling contraband or violating any other customs or immigration regulations, or federal law in general.

Arriving at a US Port of Entry – a detailed look:

1. Airport

When your initial arrival in the United States will be an airport, the airline will give all non-US citizens a form to complete while en route to the United States, either Form I-94 (white), Arrival/Departure Record, or Form I-94W (green), Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Form. The forms ask for primary identification information and the address where you will stay while in the US.

Upon arrival, you will be directed by airline personnel or US immigration officers to the inspection area. You will queue up in one of several inspection lines and speak with an Immigration Inspector. If you are a US citizen, special lines may be available to you. If you are not a US citizen, you should use the lanes marked for non-US citizens.

If you are a US citizen, the inspector will ask for your passport, verify your citizenship, and then welcome you back to the US. You will then proceed to the customs inspection area.

If you are a foreign national, the CBP officer must determine the reason for your trip to the United States, what documents you have to present, whether you have those documents, and how long you should be allowed to initially stay in the United States if all your documentation is in order. The time taken to determine these elements is usually less than one minute. If you are to be admitted and allowed to proceed, the Inspector will stamp your passport and issue you a completed Form I-94. A completed form will show what immigration classification you were given and how long you are allowed to stay. This I-94 Form, not your visa, indicates how long you may stay in the U.S. It is advisable that you do not lose your I-94 card as you will need it when you leave the country.

Completion of entry paperwork if arriving by air:

Flight attendants will distribute Customs Declaration Forms (CF-6059) and Arrival Departure Record Forms (I-94) prior to you arrival in the US. These should be completed prior to landing and must be completed before you meet with an Immigration Inspector.

2. Land

At a land border POE you foreign nationals will undergo the same general process. However, one CBP officer may conduct all four inspections. That officer may send you to a secondary inspection area for further review or issuance of necessary papers. Once the initial CBP officer (Immigration Inspector) determines to admit you to the United States you may then be sent to customs or immediately allowed to proceed on your trip.
Completion of entry paperwork if arriving by land: The CBP Officer at the POE will provide the necessary Customs Declaration Forms (CF-6059) and Arrival-Departure Record Forms (I-94) to be filled out upon your arrival.

3. Sea

The inspection process at a sea port of entry is similar to the airport process. Oftentimes, all inspections will be completed prior to the boat's arrival in the United States seaport.

Completion of entry paperwork if arriving by sea: The CBP Officer at the port of entry will provide the necessary Customs Declaration Forms (CF-6059) and Arrival-Departure Record Forms (I-94) to be filled out upon your arrival.

Documentation Requirements for Arrivals at US Ports of Entry:

Each nonimmigrant foreign national arriving in the United States must present a valid unexpired passport issued by his or her country of nationality and, if required, a valid unexpired visa issued by a US embassy or consulate abroad. Foreign nationals entering the US must also satisfy any other applicable admission requirements (e.g., United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program (US-VISIT)).

Conclusion:

The United States has numerous Ports Of Entry that facilitate the entry and exit of persons and vehicles through its land borders with Mexico and Canada. The San Ysidro, California POE is the world’s largest land border crossing for personnel and passenger vehicles. This POE alone processes over 2 million visitors per month either as pedestrians or in passenger vehicles. The US also has some of the busiest airports in the world, processing millions of passengers seeking to enter the US each month. While this may seem a daunting task, the US Customs and Border Protection agency has stepped up to the challenge.

The US, at every phase of the inspection process, takes the care and precautions necessary to make sure that they do not admit any persons who are not eligible for entry into the United States.

Information about the Author:

VisaPro.Com offers more than 100 online immigration services which include work visas like H-1B, H-2B; employment based green card, K-1, K-3 etc. Contact VisaPro if you have any questions regarding your Visa, or need help in filing. Our experienced attorneys will be happy to assist you.

Legal Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

Print This Article
Add To Favorites
Email to Friends
Get Re-print Code