What do customs officers ask? (2023)

What questions might you be asked when going through customs?

They will be asking questions like: How long will you be staying abroad? What are you going to do there? What's your occupation? Where will you stay?

U.S. citizens have the right to enter the United States, so if you are a U.S. citizen and the officers' questions become intrusive, you can decline to answer those questions, but you should be aware that doing so may result in delay and/or further inspection.

Officials at customs and immigration are checking travelers for things like whether they have the right documents to be in the country, whether they're legally allowed to be there, and whether they're bringing anything illegal with them.

The CBP officers are authorized to ask you questions about your trip and your personal background, including: Your citizenship. The nature of your trip. Anything you are bringing back to the United States that you did not have when you left.

But if you go through a border-check, they are going to ask you questions. They aren't trying to incriminate innocent people; they are trying to sort out the smugglers. If you don't answer, they have to throw you on the maybe-smuggler category and go through all your belongings.

Immigration check includes checking of Passport, Visa, Disembarkation Card, entering foreigner's particulars in computer, retention of Arrival Card and stamping of Passport of the foreigner.

Originally Answered: When an airport customs official asks, "Do you have anything to declare?", what exactly do they mean? That question means: Are you carrying any banned items like live plants,fruits,extra liquor or excessive Foreign currency. Are you carrying drugs or notified drugs of that country.

If I Am Denied Entry to the USA, Can I Try Again? Yes, if you are denied entry into the United States, you can try to re-enter by applying for a Waiver of Inadmissibility. These waivers, which can be valid for up to five years in some cases, can allow you to enter the United States even if you are ineligible.

There are signs that will indicate you have been flagged for additional screenings: You were not able to print a boarding pass from an airline ticketing kiosk or from the internet. You were denied or delayed boarding. A ticket agent “called someone” before handing you a boarding pass.

Can you refuse to be searched by customs?

Failure to submit to a search may result in the person being refused leave to enter, or could constitute an offence under section 26(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 1971, and / or could lead to the mobile phone being seized under paragraph 15A(7) of Schedule 2 to that Act.

From there, travelers in the vehicle lane get their first interaction with a human—a customs officer in a booth with a computer. The officer sees results from the first two scans—radiation and license plate—and follows up with the traveler's documents and questions about what they are bringing across the border.

Typically, customs clearance takes less than 24 hours, however, there are times where it can take several days or weeks for goods to be inspected. When is customs clearance needed? Customs clearance is necessary for all packages entering the U.S. from other countries.

Answer: The Department of State does not keep records of citizens' travels. The only record of your travels is your passport containing entry and exit stamps. The immigration office of the country/s you traveled to MAY be able to provide you with information on your entry into their borders.

They'll see all your current travel history to the US and any details regarding prior immigration issues.