Entry formalities in the United States
A tourist or business trip to the United States begins with the passage through the U.S. Customs Service in charge of border protection. This obligatory passage in front of the immigration agents is generally very fast if you have your authorization of entry on the territory.
For a stay of less than 90 days in the USA you can complete your formalities by Internet in a few minutes by clicking on the online form.
Documents to be presented
When you come to the Department of Homeland Security, you will need to present the following documents:
- Your passport must be valid biometric or electronic. It is advisable to have a passport with more than 6 months of validity remaining when you arrive in the United States;
- You must have obtained your ESTA authorization before boarding. It is advisable to keep a copy of the ESTA form that you will have filled out and sent before your trip. However, the immigration officer will not ask you for this document. In fact, all your information is already stored on the computer and ready to be consulted. Remember that ESTA processing times vary, so don’t leave it to the last minute.
The process of immigration
Switching to U.S. immigration only takes a few minutes. Nevertheless, depending on the number of passengers, the wait can last for hours.
During the passage in front of the US immigration officer :
- The traveler is photographed and fingerprints are scanned.
- A few questions are asked by the agent. They generally concern the length of stay, the reason for the trip or the place of residence.
Travelers with connections in the United States will pass through immigration on their first stop. They do not go through immigration again at their final destination. Indeed, the second part of the trip being done in internal flight, the legislation is not the same. A special queue is reserved for travelers who are just passing through.
Checkpoint for formalities upon arrival at the airport in the USA
