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When planning to visit a particular foreign country for the first time, many travelers worry about the upcoming procedure of crossing the border of a foreign country. A trip to the States is, of course, no exception. Everyone is interested in what documents may be required when crossing the US border, what the border guard officer will ask, what exactly will be inspected, etc. provides competent visa support and provides detailed advice to its clients on issues of entry into the United States. In addition, we post a large amount of useful information on our website and in this article we will talk about the rules for entering the United States.
- Before crossing the US border. Filling out the declaration
- Sample of filling out a customs declaration in 2021
- Passing passport control. What questions are asked?
- Customs inspection at the US border. What can you carry?
Before crossing the US border. Filling out the declaration
Before crossing the US border, you must complete a customs declaration. Previously, it included an I-94 migration card, but as of 2013, Customs and Border Protection is eliminating paper I-94 forms for nonimmigrant visa holders. Now visitor data is recorded automatically upon check-in for a flight and transferred to the Agency’s database. Accordingly, you will only have to fill out a customs declaration when entering the United States. The form is usually issued on the plane, where you can safely enter your data. If necessary, the form can be found at special counters in the passport control hall.
Filling out a declaration when entering the United States is not difficult. You just need to carefully and accurately indicate your full name, date of birth, passport number, and country of permanent residence in block Latin letters. In addition, you will be asked to enter your address in the United States, your flight number arriving in the United States, and the country from which you arrived. The declaration contains questions about whether you are carrying food and/or commercial goods, and if so, for what amount; Do you have more than $10,000 in currency? Please note that family members fill out one form for everyone. Below you will find a sample declaration for entry into the United States .
How to fill out the Customs Declaration?
Tourists often have various kinds of difficulties with filling. Let's look at a guide on how to fill out a US customs declaration to avoid possible misunderstandings in the future.
To get started, we suggest watching a sample filling in the following video:
Now let’s look at the step-by-step filling out of the declaration in Russian:
- Last name, first name and middle name (you need to skip this line, since we don’t have a middle name).
- Date of Birth. At this point, you should pay special attention to the order in which you need to enter the information: first fill in the month, and then the day and year of birth.
- How many other family members are traveling with you (not including yourself).
- The address where you plan to temporarily stay in the country (hotel name/destination). In the first line of this paragraph you only need to enter the house number and street (in that order), and in the second line indicate the city and state.
- Which country issued your passport?
- International passport number.
- The country in which you reside permanently.
- Which countries did you visit on this trip before arriving in the USA? If your flight was direct, then simply leave this line blank. If your route was built with a transfer somewhere, for example, in England, then you need to enter it.
- Name of the airline you used/flight number or ship name.
- Is the main purpose of your trip business? Here you just need to tick the “yes” or “no” box, respectively.
Next, from 11 to 14, there are paragraphs that relate only to items prohibited for import or subject to declaration. You should familiarize yourself with their list in advance, even before your trip. If you do not have such things with you, then all items should be checked in the “no” column. If you are bringing products that require permission, then tick the “yes” box in the appropriate boxes, and also provide customs officers with documented permission to import them into the country.As for the import of currency into the United States over $10,000, it must be declared. At the same time, additional data should be indicated in the customs passenger declaration, such as the name of the issuer, date of issue, TIN if available, information about the source of origin of funds, their method of transportation, etc.
- I'm taking with me:
- fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, food, insects;
products of animal origin;
- pathogenic bacteria, cell cultures, snails;
- soil, or I was on a farm/ranch/pasture.
For visitors to the country, the sum of all goods that will remain in the United States, including commercial goods, amounted to an “enter amount.”
Fill in the “Description of Articles” field. The cost of goods that you wish to leave in America (for example, gifts), if any, is indicated as approximate. All of them must be specified in the declaration, and on the reverse side, each of these goods is assessed by filling out (there is a special column for this). It looks like this:
- Box of Ukrainian chocolates, cost – $50;
- A bottle of ABSOLUT vodka, cost – $70;
- Ukrainian coffee, cost – $30.
The total amount is $150.
If there are no such products, then the corresponding column should simply be left empty.
If the total value of the “gifts” brought into the United States is large enough, then you will have to pay customs duty for them. Its size is determined by the customs officer. Most often, US residents can bring goods into the country without paying duty in an amount not exceeding $800, and tourists - not exceeding $100.
Then the date of completion is indicated on the form and a signature is placed. By placing your signature on the completed declaration, you thereby take responsibility for the accuracy of all the data contained in it.
Next, you should double-check the completed document to ensure that all entered data is correct and complete. Only after this can the customs declaration be considered completed.
IMPORTANT New entry rules (mandatory test for COVID-19)
Sample of filling out a customs declaration in 2021
| We invite you to familiarize yourself with a sample of filling out a customs declaration for entry into the United States (customs declaration). Data should be entered into the form in Latin and it is best to use the transliteration rules of the US Embassy. To avoid inaccuracies and errors in English and Russian. Please study the examples provided carefully. |
The other side of the declaration
So, what kind of instructions were they promising us on the front side:
US Customs Service invites you to the United States of America
The Customs Service is charged with protecting the United States from the illegal importation of prohibited items. Service officers have the right to ask you questions and check you and your personal property. They are highly professional, polite and ready to answer your questions. For feedback, you can use the review book.
Important information
If you are a resident of the United States , then you must declare all valuables that you purchased abroad and bring with you into the country.
If you are a guest of the United States and not a resident, then you need to declare all valuables that will remain in America.
Duty
The amount of the duty is determined by the customs officer. US residents are generally entitled to duty-free import of goods with a total value of $800. US visitors (non-residents) can bring in $100 worth of goods. The duty will be calculated at the current rate on the first $1,000 above the established rate.
Narcotic and toxic substances, obscene articles are strictly prohibited for import. Agricultural goods also have import restrictions.
Transportation of currency or monetary instruments
for any amount is legal, however, if you bring in or take out of the country more than $10,000 (or the foreign currency equivalent, or a combination of both), you are required by law to provide a report to the US Department of the Treasury along with documents to the immigration office. and customs services.
Monetary instruments
include: coins, currency, traveler's, personal or cashier's checks, stocks and bonds. If someone traveling with you has your currency or monetary instruments, you will also need to report this to the Treasury Department. Failure to provide required reports or failure to report the amount imported may result in forfeiture, civil and statutory penalties and/or criminal penalties.
If you sign the back of the form, you confirm your agreement with these rules, as well as the accuracy of the information provided.
Next you will see a sign. You need to enter positions that correspond to your status into it, as stated above in the rules. For example, if you are a guest, then you include in the declaration all the valuables that you will leave in America.
The first column is filled with a description of the item, the second with the cost, and you leave the third empty; it is used only by the customs service for notes. If you do not have enough space, you will be given another form on which you can continue your list. At the very end, add the total cost of the listed items in the Total
(Total).
Next we read the important text :
US Customs collects your sensitive information for customs, agricultural and currency control purposes. A completed and signed form ensures that travelers know the laws and are willing to comply with them. Providing this information is mandatory to enter the country. Also, by declaring your valuables, we will calculate the most appropriate duty. On average, it takes a customs officer about 4 minutes to communicate with each passenger. You can send your comments regarding the operation of the service to the address indicated on this page.
It is prohibited to make a copy of this form without the permission of a customs officer.
Passing passport control. What questions are asked?
So, you have arrived, filled out the declaration, and now you have to go through passport control. Treat this procedure responsibly, but you should not be too nervous: you may arouse suspicion from the border service officer. When crossing the US border, which is actually passport control, act calmly and confidently. Remember that having a visa does not guarantee entry into the country: under special circumstances, the officer has the right to refuse you. Of course, this happens extremely rarely, but there is no need to provoke anyone. Get in line with other visitors and wait for passport control at the US border.
At the Border Patrol counter, first present your current canceled passport (if it contains a visa), as well as a completed customs declaration form for entry into the United States. Depending on the type of visa, you may be asked for other documents: hotel reservation, invitation from relatives/business partners, letter from an educational institution, etc. The officer will check your data, enter the information into the electronic system and stamp your passport on entry into the United States . It will also indicate the date no later than which you must leave the country. As a rule, for Russian citizens this period is 180 days.
In addition to presenting documents, be prepared to answer questions at the US border. Most often they ask about the purpose of the visit. It is better to answer as you stated during the interview at the US Embassy. If your intentions are exclusively touristic, then sometimes you are asked to tell us what exactly you are going to see and where you will be staying. When visiting relatives/friends, they ask about their status and place of residence. Are you on a business trip? Prepare for questions about the upcoming event and business partners. There is no questioning upon entry into the United States; you will hear a few standard questions and then receive your documents back.
IMPORTANT If you are planning your trip to the USA, be sure to study the section of our website dedicated to the maximum period of stay in the USA on a tourist visa in 2021. This information will help you avoid difficulties on subsequent trips to America, as well as possible refusal to extend your US visa without an interview.
About the US migration card
The US migration card is filled out for everyone arriving in the country (except for those officially residing in the US), incl. and for children. Officially, this document is called USA I-94 arrival/departure record; you can fill it out on the plane or at the US airport before passport control.
The required fields are written in English. Before departure, you must fill out a similar card - Departure card USA, the fields of which are similar to the fields of the migration card of arrival in the USA. Information from arrival and departure cards is required by the USA's Migration Police, a migration control service.
