Visit To Usa...looking For Tips..

[sunny747]

hello, i'll be flying to Usa this weekend for my training for the company. Since this is my first visit to USA, i'm pretty excited and scared at the same time. I heard immigration officers are really tough there. Even though i have all the papers and business visa but just need to know if there is anything i'm missing. I'll obviously have my passport, wp, driver license, invitation letter, hotel booking, leave letter from the company etc.

do i need any health certificate or something? any tips? what is the thing that i can't carry with me.

i'll really appreciate if anybody shares their experience.

i'm south asian and will be in chicago.

thanks so much,

[Losangels]

Nothing to be afriad of the immigration officers, they may look mean but they are there doing their jobs.

Usually they are alright maybe a little stiff but pretty normal for any government employee.

Remember they are very strict with anything liquid carry on aboard the plane, so things like perfumes, aftershaves, alcohol must go into the check in luggage. I believe up to 100 ml liquid for personal hygeine is allowed on board and must be in a clear plasitic bag. Forget about buying duty free alcohol, it isn't allowed even with the package sealed by the duty free shop.

America is a big country so are the portion of food served, cars driven and size of most houses.

Have a good trip and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself

[roygsd]

hello, i'll be flying to Usa this weekend for my training for the company. Since this is my first visit to USA, i'm pretty excited and scared at the same time. I heard immigration officers are really tough there. Even though i have all the papers and business visa but just need to know if there is anything i'm missing. I'll obviously have my passport, wp, driver license, invitation letter, hotel booking, leave letter from the company etc.

do i need any health certificate or something? any tips? what is the thing that i can't carry with me.

i'll really appreciate if anybody shares their experience.

i'm south asian and will be in chicago.

thanks so much,

As a south asian I think you know you are likely to attract some interest given the USA's terrorist precautions, but I am sure you will be fine assuming, that is you dont make any jokes about guns bombs or bin laden etc.

You hear horror stories about abussive Imigration Workers in the US and I am sure there are some like that but fortunately I have never experienced any problems with them, apart from the fact that some of them can hardly speak english that is!

However that was in Miami 20 years ago where I also saw a sign in a US Post Office that read, NO ENGLISH SPOKEN HERE!

I remember a rather large elderly American lady at the front of the line who was visiting florida from another State

shouting quite loudly, "I cannot believe it, nobody in a damned Post Office of the US of A can speak english?

Whats this damned Country coming to?", as a Brit I can appreciate what she meant.

I am sure that Chicago is unlikely to have such alarge spanish speaking community as Florida so I wuldnt worry about the language too much.

I hope you have a good time in Chicago, I also hope you will not be there in winterime as I understand it gets very cold there.

Regards

Roy gsd

Edited July 10, 2008 by roygsd

[sunny747]

thanks for your support guys. I'll be flying tomorrow and wish to have a great time.

[slapout]

The best advice I could give is second hand from a immigration friend of mine, he told me the people who arrive with paperwork in hand (legal) creat problems when they talk too much. Answer the questions in a short honest way and you will go thru in a short time with no problem. Enjoy your stay

[Groongthep]

hello, i'll be flying to Usa this weekend for my training for the company. Since this is my first visit to USA, i'm pretty excited and scared at the same time. I heard immigration officers are really tough there. Even though i have all the papers and business visa but just need to know if there is anything i'm missing. I'll obviously have my passport, wp, driver license, invitation letter, hotel booking, leave letter from the company etc.

do i need any health certificate or something? any tips? what is the thing that i can't carry with me.

i'll really appreciate if anybody shares their experience.

i'm south asian and will be in chicago.

thanks so much,

As a south asian I think you know you are likely to attract some interest given the USA's terrorist precautions, but I am sure you will be fine assuming, that is you dont make any jokes about guns bombs or bin laden etc.

You hear horror stories about abussive Imigration Workers in the US and I am sure there are some like that but fortunately I have never experienced any problems with them, apart from the fact that some of them can hardly speak english that is!

However that was in Miami 20 years ago where I also saw a sign in a US Post Office that read, NO ENGLISH SPOKEN HERE!

I remember a rather large elderly American lady at the front of the line who was visiting florida from another State

shouting quite loudly, "I cannot believe it, nobody in a damned Post Office of the US of A can speak english?

Whats this damned Country coming to?", as a Brit I can appreciate what she meant.

I am sure that Chicago is unlikely to have such alarge spanish speaking community as Florida so I wuldnt worry about the language too much.

I hope you have a good time in Chicago, I also hope you will not be there in winterime as I understand it gets very cold there.

Regards

Roy gsd

Just wanted to expand on a couple of points made by roygsd.

As a south asian I think you know you are likely to attract some interest given the USA's terrorist precautions, but I am sure you will be fine assuming, that is you dont make any jokes about guns bombs or bin laden etc.

He is correct. The ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers can sometimes be real d*cks even to native born americans, but professionals from south asia are usually held in fairly high regard by most americans due to the quite possitive impressions made by the large number of Indian doctors and software engineers now living in the US. The State of Louisiana, long known as a rather conservative and even red-neck state has recenly elected an Indian-American as their governor. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal

I am sure that Chicago is unlikely to have such alarge spanish speaking community as Florida so I wuldnt worry about the language too much.

A little known fact among most Americans outside of Chicago is that it has the second largest (530,000) population of latinos in the country, even more than Miami, Houston or Phoenix. Chicago Lation Population

Enjoy your trip.

[Jingthing]

Not an issue with your entry, but if you are driving, you will need insurance, even to rent a car. The rental companies ask for proof of insurance. If you don't have a policy, you will need to buy their very high priced package which can be as expensive as the rental rate itself. You will also need a credit card to rent a car. In most places in the US, you cannot survive without a car.

I just returned from the US. The people seem to be much more stressed these days. The prices increases in gas, food, and health care, and the increasing bankruptcies and home foreclosures have thickened the stew. Don't be too surprised if the people are not as friendly as you expect; they have other things on their minds. Try not to take it personally.

Edited July 11, 2008 by Jingthing

[sfokevin]

One suggestion... Do not bring any fresh fruit or non packaged food... They are a bit vigilante on that front... As a agriculture safety issue...

And as stressed as we all get - we love to see people from other countries visit us...

Edited July 11, 2008 by sfokevin

[Jingthing]

One suggestion... If you fly into California do not bring any fresh fruit or non packaged food... They are a bit vigilante on that front... As a agriculture safety issue...

And as stressed as we all get - we love to see people from other countries visit us...

It is not only California. You are not supposed to bring in any fresh food to any US entry point. If you have processed packaged foods, such as unopened jars of spice mixtures (etc.) that is OK. You will be asked if you are bringing in any food on the entry form and they also often ask you the same question verbally.

[Tinkelbell]

That included any fresh fruit from Hawaii to the Mainland US.

Although Hawaii is one of States. Flying from there to any other States is still facing a huge stiff fine up to $25,000. A sign posting around the airports in Honolulu and other neigboring Islands prohibits any passenger from carrying FRUITS - SEEDS onto the airplanes