Avoiding Disasters At Customs And Immigration When Visiting The US
Getting through customs in the airport is always a bit of a nightmare, but it’s particularly bad in the US. They have a reputation for being very tight with security and there are a lot of horror stories about people being detained and searched for minor reasons or even turned away because of something that probably wouldn’t matter in other countries. When you’re traveling from the UK, it’s not quite as bad because the US considers us a friendly country, but you may still run into problems.
If you are planning a trip to the US sometime soon, follow these simple tips to help you avoid problems at immigration and customs.
Check The Visa Situation
If you are traveling from the UK, you don’t actually need a visa, but that doesn’t mean you can just walk straight in. You still need permission to enter the country through the visa waiver scheme. This is a scheme designed for countries that the US deems to be low-risk, and there is a simpler process known as the Electronic System Travel Authorization system, or ESTA for short. Before you leave, you need to go to the ESTA America Website and fill out some online forms, then pay a small fee and you will be supplied with your ESTA. This allows you entry to the country without needing a visa. It is possible to apply for your ESTA at the airport but this will hold everything up and it’s so easy to do it online, so you should always get it sorted a few months in advance of the trip.
Don’t Get Caught Out By Transit Laws
In most countries, if you land there for a few hours to change to a connecting flight, you are considered to be in transit and you don’t need to go through immigration. However, the US is different and they don’t have any transit laws. If you are going to Canada or South America, it’s common to have a change in the US and many people get caught out by the lack of transit laws in place. They don’t realize that they have to go through the same process of applying for an ESTA and passing security checks, so they are unprepared. Any big hold-ups could cause you to miss your next flight, so even if you are just passing through the US, always be prepared to navigate immigration and customs.
Use A TSA Approved Padlock
The TSA (Transport Security Administration) has the right to search your bags when you enter the US. If you have a padlock on your suitcase, which is always a good idea, they will simply break it off if they decide they need to check the contents. When you get it back, you will find a small note to say that this has happened but you won’t get any kind of refund or a new padlock, which is quite frustrating. There is a simple way to avoid this problem, though; buy a TSA approved padlock. There are a number of padlocks that can be opened by a master key used by the TSA, so they can open your case and then lock it back up again instead of destroying the padlock.
Be Prepared For Questions
Most people find the US immigration process quite daunting because you will be asked a lot of questions about the reason for your stay, what you plan to do, and sometimes even what your job is. This can be quite intimidating and they fire off a lot of questions very quickly. You should be fine if you are just visiting for a few weeks as a tourist, but it’s best to be prepared for these questions. You need to provide a US street address, which is just the address of wherever you will be staying while in the country, so make sure that you have all of the details of the hotel or apartment that you are staying at. Having some kind of itinerary or proof of bookings that you have made for events etc. is also useful.
The authorities at the border may also ask whether you have enough money to sustain yourself during your stay. You don’t need to bring bank statements with you or anything like that but it does help if you have a credit card with you.
Having a contagious illness is grounds for exclusion from the US, and the border control authorities may suspect you of having an illness if you are carrying medication with you on your trip. If you do need to bring medication on the flight, make sure that you have some kind of documentation to explain what it is for and prove that you do not pose a risk to anybody else. The situation regarding this is different at the moment and you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID test before you are allowed entry to the country.
In most cases, you will get through without having to give too many details in answer to these questions. However, if they press you for more information and you don’t have it, that could raise suspicions and cause delays, so it’s best to be over prepared, just in case.
Know What You Can Bring In
If you are found with banned items in your hand luggage or your case, that is grounds for exclusion and you may be forced to either give up the items or fly home. The laws about what you can and can’t bring in vary depending on the country and they are quite strict in the US. Before you go, make sure that you check this list so you have a clear idea of exactly what you are allowed to bring with you. Don’t assume that certain items are allowed just because you have taken them when travelling to other countries because you could get caught out.
Going through immigration and customs in the US can be daunting because their rules are a lot stricter than other countries. However, if you keep these tips in mind, you can make it through without any disasters.
