What to say at US Customs?

[Minnesotagirl 0]

Hi. Im not sure if i have posted this in the right place, so if not i apologise, im new to this.

I need some advice.

I have a boyfriend who lives in Minnesota and we have been considering getting married and applying for the K1 visa, but we haven't filed yet.

I recently went to see him (June 2011) and was bombarded with questions by the Customs and Borders officers. They asked me a lot of questions about my life in the UK and my job, family and friends and who i was coming to see and why i was coming to the USA. They finished with the "do you have a boyfriend in the United States" to which i replied "No". By this point in the questioning i was worried they were going to send me back, even though i know i hadn't done anything wrong, i felt guilty and scared.

I am planning trip back to see him again in November for Thanksgiving and i was wondering a few things.

If they ask me again this time if i have a boyfriend should i just admit it? If i do, what will happen? Should i just lie and say im coming to visit some friends for the holidays?

Is it worth flying into another port of entry, or is that a little extreame?.

Just really worried and would appreciate any advice or any experiances anyone else has had.

Thanks

MG x

[little_g 35]

my first trip to the states i just said i was on holiday, then every other trip after that i told them i was visiting my girlfriend and i have never faced any grilling apart from the 2x my bags was searched at customs, long as you have proof of returning and strong ties to the uk you shouldnt have a problem and maybe mention you are going to file a K1 application, and my POE 8x jfk and 1x newark

[HS2 7]

my first trip to the states i just said i was on holiday, then every other trip after that i told them i was visiting my girlfriend and i have never faced any grilling apart from the 2x my bags was searched at customs, long as you have proof of returning and strong ties to the uk you shouldnt have a problem and maybe mention you are going to file a K1 application, and my POE 8x jfk and 1x newark

Drilling at customs is a normal thing nowadays.I was held at the UK customs last November for over an hour.They even made me show them my credit cards and i was finally given a 6 month visa that i did not need or neither asked for just because i was visiting for a month.

My recommendation is to tell the truth.You do not want to be denied entry and have problems with your petition later.Make sure that you have proof of your return ticket and proof of ties back to UK

[Jacob Johnson 0]

All the best..

[canadian_wife 1,827]

Always tell the truth, you are visiting your boyfriend, there is no law against that.

Bring strong ties to the UK to show that you intend to return, maybe a letter from your employer stating a return to work date, a lease or a mortgage bill, utility bills

Entrance into the US is not a guarentee, the more lies you tell the more difficult any future immigration will be, espeically with such frequent visits, isn't it obvious you are visiting someone special? Just tell the truth, keep it simple

Good luck

[Harsh_77 718]

Same old good advice never lie to customs and Border protection officers, most of the time every answer you give are recorded and maintained.

If you are here visting your bf then be honest about it, just make sure as u were adviced in earlier posts bring ties to your home country and show them evidence that you would return back home after your vacation.

[JohnandWendyB 21]

My sweetie just answered that he was coming to see his fiance. They will hassle you. I was hassled when I went to visit him in England. It is just what they do. Just be honest and as long as you still have ties back home and do everything appropriately you should be fine. I hear though once you petition for the visa the non-US citizen may not be allowed to cross the border. He went through Charlotte, NC just FYI. As I hear sometimes where you pass through things are handled differently.

[JoannaV 174]

Hopefully you won't have such a bad experience again. Maybe they could sense you weren't being entirely truthful and so that's why they grilled you so hard.

Just tell the truth: you don't need to volunteer information, but be truthful.

[Minnesotagirl 0]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

When we first decided to meet i flew through Chicago and had very little trouble. They wern't even interested in my final destination. This time just hit me i guess, just how much information they wanted from me.

Last time i was going for 3 weeks, this time only 2. So if i just show them proof of a return ticket do you think this will be enough? Did anyone take any other things with them to prove they wern't going to stay, or did they believe you when you told them it was a holiday to see your other half?

Thanks

[canadian_wife 1,827]

since you were given a hard time the last time, I'd make sure you bring more than a return ticket. If asked for it, you'll certainly need it

Good luck

[jamhelmcor 0]

How does the global entry pass work? At airports, people possessing this pass would go to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit.

[A + M 29]

Tell the truth. Tell them you're visiting your boyfriend.

Edited July 27, 2011 by A + M

[Harsh_77 718]

How does the global entry pass work? At airports, people possessing this pass would go to Global Entry kiosks, present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent resident card, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration. The kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit.

How does the Global Entry Pass relevant to this topic???

[jarta 24]

i went to visit my girl friend who is currently my fiancee last December on a 5yr multiple visa. i was taken into another room for more questioning. i wasn't worried or afraid because i knew i had done nothing to hide. i answered their questions very well. my situation was a little tricky because i was still working for my OPT employer in the America remotely from my home country (i am a network technician). i was ask what i do, where i work, if i had any siblings in the US. he later went on to ask my more questions about my job. i had to explain how i did my work from my home country. i explained that i connect through VPN to my company's network in America and then do what i had do from my home country. i asked him if he knew what VPN is and he said yes. he later on asked about my younger brother who was in college because i told him i wanted to go to his graduation while in the US visiting my girl friend. he asked how home was treating me, to which said great. and then asked me how i was paying my bills in the US. i then told him - i don't have any bills in the US. i bet he was trying to see if i still have strong ties to the US. anyway i went to college in the US and also did OPT. he then asked if my brother was going to the same college while looking through my expired student visa. he then told me, at your next dinner with your younger brother, you guys might be having some arguments since he is getting a degree in political science. we both laughed to that.

on a whole, i wasn't worried because i had nothing to hide and i told him the truth. he was very nice i think. my advice is just tell the truth. because i lived in America for a long time i didn't really have anything to prove strong ties to my home country but my return ticket. just be honest!!

[Andy and Pui 16]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

When we first decided to meet i flew through Chicago and had very little trouble. They wern't even interested in my final destination. This time just hit me i guess, just how much information they wanted from me.

Last time i was going for 3 weeks, this time only 2. So if i just show them proof of a return ticket do you think this will be enough? Did anyone take any other things with them to prove they wern't going to stay, or did they believe you when you told them it was a holiday to see your other half?

Thanks

As others suggested I would bring more then just proof of a return ticket. If you work bring a letter from your boss saying you are expected to return x date. If your own/rent bring your bill that you pay every month. Any type of bill you have due every month bring that. Where was your POE where you were questioned? Good luck.

What do you think of Minnesota? You been here in winter yet?