What is the US Port of Entry?
Every traveler entering the United States must first be inspected at a US port of entry by a customs and border patrol officer (CBP officer).
These US ports of entry could be at an international airport, a seaport, or in the case of a traveler who is entering the US by land, it would be at a US land-border crossing which could be found on the border between the United States and Mexico, or the border between the United States and Canada.
Now, as a foreigner in possession of a non-immigrant US visa, your ability to enter the United States is at the sole discretion of a US customs officer.
Ellis Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located, was once home to the busiest US Port of Entry.
Being in possession of a US non-immigrant visa does not grant you any right of entry into the United States. And for a variety of reasons, a US customs officer could deny your entry.
Some common grounds for denial at a port of entry include health related reasons, entering the US with fraudulent immigration documents, having a criminal record in your home country, or having a history of violating your status while in the US.
In this article we would discuss the typical example of an international student who enters the U.S. port of entry at an international airport. So, if your mode of entry into the U.S. is at a sea port or a land border crossing, your experience might be different.
Also keep in mind that this is the typical US Port of Entry experience for international students, and your experience might be different, depending on what country you're coming from and what U.S. location you're entering.
1. Completing the US Customs Declaration Form
You would want to make sure to complete the U.S. declaration form that was handed to you by your flight attendant on your flight to the U.S.
This form has a front page and a back page. So, make sure that you've answered all the questions truthfully.
US Customs Declaration Form which is completed before entering the US Port of Entry
Before your flight, you should check the US customs and border patrols website, for a list of items that are prohibited and restricted from the U.S.
2. Going through Primary Inspection
Once you get off the plane, all passengers will be headed towards primary inspection, where you will meet a US customs officer.
On your way to the Primary Inspection area, you see that there are separate lanes for non-US citizens and US citizens. You would want to get into the lane for the non-US citizens.
While waiting in line at the primary inspection booth, it is best to assemble the following documents and have them ready to be handed to the customs officer. These documents are going to be:
- Your foreign passport containing a valid F, M, or J visa
- Your completed U.S. declaration form
- Your signed Form I-20 (for an F or M student) or signed DS-2019 if you're a J1 exchange student.
It's also best to bring supplementary documents, such as:
- Your admission letter
- Your evidence of financial support (such as bank statements or cash)
- A payment receipt of your SEVIS I-901 fee
- The contact information of your Designated School Official (DSO) if you're an F or M visa holder OR
- Contact information of your sponsor (or Responsible officer) if you're a J1 visa holder.
How long does the Primary Inspection last?
A typical entry experience at the primary inspection booth doesn't last longer than 10 minutes. However, depending on how busy the airport is, you might spend a much longer time waiting in line to be inspected by a customs officer.
Generally, most US customs officers at the primary inspection booth are very professional and, in some cases, could be quite friendly and welcoming.
What happens at the Primary Inspection booth?
When a primary inspection officer is ready and available to talk to you, you will be summoned to walk to the booth.
When you get to the booth, you will hand in these documents to the customs officer and get ready to get your pictures and scanned fingerprints taken.
At the primary inspection booth, expect the customs officer to ask you a variety of questions.
For international students on an F, M, or J visa, typical questions asked are things like:
- Where are you traveling from?
- What is your program of study?
- What do you plan to do with your degree?
- How long is your program of study?
- When do your classes start?
Always make sure to respond to these questions truthfully and accurately.
Keep in mind that international students are not allowed to enter U.S. on F, M, or J visa when the start date of their program is more than 30 days in advance.
Now, while at the primary inspection booth, you must declare any food items you're bringing into the U.S. as well as the possession of money above $10,000.
If you're successful at the primary inspection booth, the US customs officer will stamp your passport and your declaration form.
This stamp on your passport is called your admission stamp and ,on that stamp, the US customs officer usually writes the letters D/S which stands for Duration of Status.
This means that you are allowed to remain legally in the U.S. until the end of your F, M, or J program.
The customs officer will also hand back all your documents at the end of primary inspection.
Once you're done with the primary inspection, you will head over to the baggage carousel to pick up your checked luggage.
Always make sure to check the tag on your luggage, to ensure you're picking up the right one.
If you have something to declare in your checked luggage, you will have to head over to the secondary screening where a U.S. customs, Agricultural Specialist will take a look at your food items to make sure that they are harmless.
US Agricultural specialist at the US Port of Entry
If you don't have any items to declare, you simply head down to the final U.S. customs checkpoint where you hand in your Customs Declaration Form.
And that marks the end of the customs inspection process!
That’s it! You've been officially admitted to the United States.
Now if you have a connecting flight, you will have to check in your luggage once again, before you head over to the gate to board your flight.
Otherwise, you can proceed to the arrival lobby of the airport to get ground transportation to your final destination.
3. Going through Secondary Inspection?
Now, in some unfortunate cases, if the customs officer finds your admission into the U.S. somewhat suspicious, you might be sent to Secondary Inspection.
Getting sent to Secondary Inspection does not automatically mean that you will be denied entry into the United States. In many cases, this is usually done to prevent delaying other travelers waiting to be inspected at the primary inspection booth.
However, Secondary Inspection tends to be more intensive, and could last several hours in some cases. Here the U.S. customs officers might probe deeper into your travel documents and your travel history.
But nevertheless, if you find yourself in Secondary Inspection, make sure to answer questions as truthfully and politely as possible.
You might need to contact your Designated School Official (as an F or M visa holder) or your Responsible Officer (R.O) while at Secondary Inspection. So that's why it's very important to have the appropriate contact information.
Best Travel Tips for International Students Entering the US Port of Entry
- Ensure you carry required documents such as your I-20 and all of the supplementary documents like admission letter and evidence of financial support in your carry-on luggage. Do not put these documents in your checked luggage, as you will not have access to your check luggage until you're done with primary inspection
- Leave enough time for custom inspection if you plan to catch a connecting flight, after going through U.S. customs, as flight delays could occur at any time in your travel itinerary.
- Always make it a point to answer questions as truthfully and politely as possible. It's okay to be anxious when talking to a U.S. customs officer, especially when talking with one for the first time. However, as long as you have no ulterior motives when entering the U.S., you will be just fine.
