It is indeed difficult for many people to enter the United States, because it is still difficult to apply for a visa in the United States, and there are many requirements that require various procedures and conditions. So what are the precautions for entering the United States? What? I will share with you the detailed strategy below.

The U.S. visa is a visa type with a more complicated process among all countries. At the same time, the inspection for entry into the United States is also relatively strict. Therefore, it does not mean that you can enter the United States with a U.S. visa. In this issue of the Visa Academy, we will explain to you what to pay attention to when entering the United States. I hope everyone can have a perfect trip to the United States.

Checked luggage

According to US law, customs officers have the right to inspect passengers' luggage without their prior consent. But we often add locks to our luggage to prevent other passengers from taking it by mistake or stealing it. In this case, customs may break our luggage lock due to the need for inspection.

To deal with this situation, you can use a suitcase with a TSA customs lock. Specifically, this lock can only be opened by you and the customs agent, because the customs agent has a master key. Other passengers cannot open it.

Prohibited or restricted items

According to U.S. law, there are some items that are inadmissible or restricted whether checked or carried with you, so we need to understand them in advance. Good relevant regulations.

1. Biological products: Products made from humans, animals, viruses, bacteria and other organisms are prohibited from being carried without an import license issued by the US Centers for Disease Control.

2. Pirated audio-visual products and books: No pirated books or audio-visual products can enter the United States. The United States attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights.

3. Fruits, vegetables and other plants: All kinds of fruits, vegetables, plants, branches, seeds, etc. need a U.S. license to enter the United States. Therefore we generally do not recommend that you carry it.

4. Meat, livestock and poultry: All types of meat, livestock, poultry and their finished products are not allowed to enter the country. If they are canned cooked products and have been commercially packaged, they can enter the country.

5. Pets: Cats, dogs, parrots and birds can be brought into the United States, but monkeys and apes are not allowed. At the same time, the state of Hawaii has relatively strict health restrictions.

6. Wild flora and fauna and endangered animals: Wild fauna, flora and endangered animals themselves, as well as their feathers or other body parts, are not allowed to enter the United States. If it is a historical relic, it will only be allowed to enter the United States if it is more than 100 years old.

Items not recommended for consignment

Although there are some items that are not explicitly prohibited from consignment, we still recommend that you do not consign them because it will be very troublesome if they are lost.

1. Valuable items: such as laptops, IPADs, credit cards, jewelry, etc.

2. Urgent items: such as ID cards, medicines, business documents, etc.

Carry-on baggage

1. Airlines also have some regulations for passengers’ carry-on baggage. Failure to comply may result in your being unable to board the plane smoothly.

2. Sharp objects cannot be brought on board the plane. For example, nail clippers, scissors, needlework, etc. should be checked in instead of carried with you.

3. The liquid portion of cosmetics carried by women should not exceed 100 ml, and should be placed in separate bags and subject to bottle opening inspection by security personnel. If the volume exceeds 100 ml, it should be checked.

4. Special attention should be paid to power banks. Those without rated energy or exceeding 100WH cannot be brought onto the plane.

5. It is not recommended to carry powdery items on board the plane, such as cleansing powder, instant coffee, etc. It is better to check them in.

Things to note on the plane

The most important thing we need to pay attention to on the plane is to fill in the customs declaration form. No matter whether the form is in Chinese or English, each item must be filled in. The content is the same. After filling it out, be careful not to lose it. Keep it with your passport and hand it to the immigration officer when you get off the plane and go out of customs.

Please note that if you make a mistake, do not correct it. You can ask the flight attendant for a new one. Note that the entire declaration form must be filled in English or Chinese Pinyin, and the final signature can be in Chinese.

Inquiry by Immigration Bureau officials

1. After arriving in the United States by plane, we need to first go through immigration formalities at the airport, that is, accept inspection by Immigration Bureau and Customs officials. After getting off the plane, follow the signs to the customs hall. At this time, the flow of people will be divided into two parts.

2. The people queuing up at USCITIZENS are holders of U.S. passports, green cards, and immigration visas. We generally do not use this channel.

3. The people queuing up at VISITORS are people holding non-immigrant visas, such as those with tourist, business, and family visit visas. We generally choose to queue here.

4. During the queuing process, we need to be careful not to make loud noises, not to look around, and not to interrupt or privately comment on the staff at the window, nor to take out mobile phones to take pictures.

5. If you really have an emergency and need to get through the border quickly, you can ask the staff on site for help. After queuing up, you will first have to face an interview with an immigration official.

7. 6. Why did you come to the United States? Please answer this question according to your visa type. For example, if your visa type is B1/B2, do not say that you plan to work. The reasons why we usually go to the United States are mainly for tourism, business, visiting relatives and friends, and studying abroad.

How long do you plan to stay? Answer based on your real plan. Generally, immigration officials will give you six months to stay. It should be noted that it is not recommended that you stay for the full six months because The purpose of issuing non-immigrant visas is to allow holders to stay for a short period of time. If you stay for six months this time, you may be strictly questioned or given a short entry period the next time you enter the country.

8. How much cash do you bring? If it is less than 10,000 US dollars, you do not need to declare it. If it exceeds 10,000 US dollars, you will have to declare it, so you can answer according to the actual situation.

9. Did you bring any food or medicine? Just answer truthfully. Note that you can bring some of the medicine, but the quantity must be for your own use. You must not bring a lot at once. Previously, because of compound prescription Those who had too many licorice slices were deported.

Pass customs inspection

After the Immigration Officer’s question and answer session, you need to have your fingerprints taken and photos taken again. Then go to the luggage belt in the lobby to pick up your luggage, and then proceed to immigration. The last stop in the United States is customs.

The main role of the customs is to check whether you have goods that should be declared tax but have not been declared

1. Personal property: clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, hunting or fishing equipment, cameras for personal use , portable radios, etc. are exempt from taxation.

2. Alcoholic beverages: Non-U.S. residents over 21 years old can bring 1 liter of beer, wine, liquor and other alcohol into the United States duty-free, but only for personal use. Some states have the power to enforce tougher laws.

3. Tobacco: Tourists can bring in 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars duty-free. Cigars produced in Cuba are not allowed to enter the United States.

4. Household items: Furniture, tableware, books, artwork and other household items can enter the United States duty-free. But only for personal use.

5. Duty-free gifts: For gifts worth no more than $100, tourists can bring them into the United States tax-free, but the tourist must stay in the United States for more than 72 hours.

6. Law enforcement officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may also interrogate tourists’ electronic devices to check whether there is any illegal information.

7. Maintain power: In order to cope with the inspection, remember to charge your mobile phone, IPAD, and laptop. If your electronic devices are out of power during the inspection, customs officials have the power to temporarily confiscate these items.

8. Upload important files to the cloud: In order to prevent unexpected situations during the inspection, remember to upload important files to cloud storage devices such as Baidu Cloud Disk.

9. Unlock encrypted areas: If an encrypted area is found in the computer, the device may be handed over to agents, and visitors may also be severely questioned.

10. Screening information: If you are a tourist, remember to delete any information in the chat tool about work, home purchase, etc. that reveals your intention to stay in the United States for a long time. At the same time, the United States strictly prohibits child pornographic images or videos. Even if they are nude photos of your own children, it is best to delete them.