If you travel to the US, your first point of entry into America is called a Port of Entry (PoE). As part of the arrival into the US, all the travelers go through port of entry procedures. During the US port of entry process, a Customs and Border Protection(CBP) officer asks some questions related to your travel to the US.
It may not sound like a proper interview per se, rather a set of questions the CBP officer can ask to validate and check. The CBP officer is mainly looking to validate your travel intent and verify your purpose of travel. In this article, we will review some of the common questions asked, the reason why they are asked, and how it all works.
US Visa vs. CBP Officer Interview at a US Port of Entry
The US Visa issued at a US Consulate or a US Embassy only allows you to arrive at the US port of entry(POE); it does not grant you an automatic entry into the US. The valid US Visa in your passport is an entry document you can present at the port of entry to request entry into the US.
As a traveler, it is your responsibility to convince the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer by answering the relevant questions asked by them properly and convincing them to allow you to enter the US. If the CBP officer is not convinced, they may deny your entry and send you back to your home country. These are the horror stories you hear, where someone was deported back to their country from the airport.
Did you know that a three-letter CBP code identifies each port of entry, and it is stamped on the passport? You may read list of CBP Port of Entry Codes for USA and their meaning.
What does the CBP Officer want to validate at the US Port of Entry?
The CBP officer’s questions at the US port of entry are primarily targeted to verify the following details related to the person entering America.
- Verify the Identity of Person: The CBP officer’s primary intent is to verify that you are the same person who applied for a US visa, confirm your personal details (name, date of birth, nationality), and verify your fingerprints.
- Purpose and Intent of Entry: They also want to verify the purpose of your travel to the US and your intent. They may ask questions to validate your purpose and intent. You need to answer properly so that the CBP officer can determine if your purpose and intent are in line with your US Visa.
- US Visa Supporting Documents: The CBP officer wants to ensure that you have all the supporting documents related to your US visa, and they are genuine. They may ask for documents related to your visa to validate the same. The documents will vary based on the visa type you are using to enter America.
- Detect Fraud and National Security Threats: The CBP officers also want to verify if there is any fraud involved in the overall process of the US visa, if documents are genuine, or if there are any security threats related to the individual entering the US. These could be any intelligence reports they have regarding you, and validating the same.
Common Questions Asked by CBP Officers at the US Port of Entry
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions at a US port of entry by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. These are not specific to a visa type and are very generic:
The questions are grouped for easy understanding and preparation
Identity, Work, Family
- What do you do in your home country?
- What is your primary job or occupation?
- Are you married? If so, how many kids?
- What does your spouse do?
- In which place do you live in your home country?
- Where do you live currently in your country of residence?
Purpose of your Travel, Stay
- What is the purpose of your travel to America?
- Why are you visiting or entering USA?
- Where are you staying in the US?
- How long is your duration of stay in the US?
- Where do you plan to stay in the US?
- Please give me a copy of your Hotel reservation.
- Do you plan to work during your travel in the US?
Finances to support Travel
- How will you support your travel in the US?
- How much money are you carrying in Cash or travelers’ checks?
- What is your Salary?
Travel History, Next Travel
- How often do you travel to America?
- Is this your first time traveling to America?
- When was the last time you visited the US?
- What was your last US visit regarding?
- Where is your next destination after the US?
- When do you plan to return to your residence country?
- Do you have a return flight ticket to your home country from the US?
- Did you travel to any African countries recently? What was your purpose
- Do you have anything to declare that you are bringing to America?
- Why are you landing in this city, when your destination is another city?
USA Family, Friends, Contacts
- Do you have any friends in USA?
- Do you plans to stay with your friends in America? If so, how long?
- Can you share details of your contacts in the US?
- What do you plan to do in the US during your stay?
The questions at the Port of Entry(PoE) vary by the visa type you are entering with. You can check US Port of Entry Experiences Tracker.
What is Secondary Inspection at the US Port of Entry?
If the CBP Officer is not convinced by the answers to the questions or they sense something wrong due to some flags raised in their system, then you may be subject to additional screening, which is called secondary inspection. When they take you to a secondary inspection, you may be asked to accompany them to a separate room, where they will do the secondary inspection.
During secondary inspection, they may check all your belongings and ask you more in-depth questions. They can ask you to show electronics, data, ask you to open any app and share details in them as needed. You may be asked to unlock your phone, open apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, etc., to see the conversations. It can take an hour to few hours for a secondary inspection.
If you do not clear the secondary inspection, you may be asked to wait or maybe even asked to sign some papers and asked to withdraw your entry and go back to your home country. It all depends on the case.
What was your experience at the US Port of entry? Share your questions asked?
