Usual US Port of Entry Questions - Tourist

[portugalbear]

prettymom - if i remember right, what's bawal is anything releated to pork.  even chicaron is bawal.  dired fish and ensymada should be fine.  don't handcarry the fish.  ensymada ok to handcarry.

[design21]

@prettymom - yes dami ko dala tuyo and dangit the last time make sure lang na its well packed.

[prettymom]

Thanks mga sis. How about my first question? C sn anyone enlighten me about it?

[portugalbear]

prettymon - i guess you can be truthful and say you're in the US for business and vacation / shopping.  nothing wrong with that.   just show them the invite or ticket to orlando and be ready with the contact details of your husbands cousin.  they might just ask.

[prettymom]

^Many thanks sis

[irische]

hello im new to this site and need help lang talaga of the gtalkers before me.  I went to the US early this year and stayed for 6 months was given a 6 months valid visa upon entry.

I was staying purely as a tourist and did not work...I met a guy (usual story) while I was there on the last state I visited in, I was state hopping and visiting my friends...from East coast to West...and well I am planning on visiting the US again after 6 months but this time for only 2 weeks...Will I up my chances of being airport to airport or denied entry?

Any tips and suggestions? Docs I need to bring?

[HotPink83]

Hi sissies! I know this is kinda "OFF TOPIC" but I hope anyone here can help me on this.

Just a question, is it true that if you're a single female you'll be denied right away when you apply for a US tourist visa?

Please I need your opinion on this. I'm 27 years old, single, working with my current employer for 3 years and 6 months already. Traveled in Saudi Arabia twice. Have 500k savings. Family and boyfriend are here in the country. Would like to go to the US for pleasure - to visit my relatives, shop. It's actually my birthday gift for myself. Would only stay for 10 days (that's the number of days I'm allowed lang by my employer).

Hope to hear from you all. Thanks in advance 

[jenny2lio]

Hi mga sis, I was so happy in finding this thread ang dame ko natutunan 

Going to OH and will stay for 1 month to spend the holidays with my family, and this is my second time to travel in the US, the first was business related for training. First time ko to go there as tourist. How much kaya yung realistic na money na pede ko baunin and anong papers yung kailangan ko dalhin to present sa POE ko? Since OH and Delta yung ipapabook ko, baka Detroit ang POE ko.

Hope you can enlighten me with this. 

[qt_ben17]

@hotpink, 2 of my friends with similar stats as yours were denied.

[xtine]

I know mga sis this is off topic but I just want to ask if its possible to get out of Detroit (my point of entry) just to see Henry Ford Museum?? I have a 7 hour layover.  I'm not sure if the number of layover hours is enough to explore the city.  Thanks in Advance!

[eighteen18]

hi guys. just like the others i'm not sure if this is off topic but i really need your help.
i'm only 18 yrs old and i want to go to US tbis 2nd week of nov until the last week of december. roughly around 45 days., i'm planning to change course by going to lasalle and enter their class in january which is already the 3rd term (i will not enroll in ust anymore for the 2nd semester) ... if i will go in US particularly new york by myself to maximize my vacation time.. do you think i can be given the chance to stay there by the officer in the port of entry? as i have read all your comments here ..i have read about those girls who were sent back. and i dont want that to happen to me. i hope i will be given a chance..

and oh. our expiration of visa is on january 2011. and i have been un the US 3 times. but always with my family

[mommyjo]

need help.  what do i answer if i will be asked "where will you stay?". kasi my port of entry is in sanfo pero i will go to new jersey in 5 days.  so ano sasabihin ko? i'll stay with my husband's relatives in sanfo and will also go to new jersey to visit my sister and parents whre i will stay for 3 weeks. natakot ako when i read that your app papers from the US embassy will pop out e ang nakalagay dun yung addy ng sister ko in new jersey (na pupuntahan ko rin naman pero sanfo muna ko).

isa pa, in my ticket, kasama ko ang 1.5YO baby ko.. i bought my ticket last march pa, pero my husband doesn't want me to bring my baby anymore kasi ako lang daw mag-isa at mahihirapan ako.. di ba ako tatanungin asan yung baby ko bakit wala e kasma sya sa ticket ko? help! will be leaving by next week na kasi. thanks!

[mama squeak!]

^Just tell the truth. Isang tanong, isang sagot. No worries if you have nothing to hide naman. Enjoy your trip!

[mommyjo]

^thanks sis. so i'll just say i'll stay with my husband's relatives in sanfo muna? then if i'm asked next about my sister (since it's in my app), i'll tell the IO that i will also go to new jersey? neway, i have my domestic ticket with me naman.

what about my son not going with me kahit nasa ticket ko kasma ko sya?

[mama squeak!]

^Same thing, tell the truth. Kung gagawan mo pa ng kwento baka lalo kang mataranta kung marami ng tanong sa yo about that. Just keep your answers simple and honest. Isang tanong, isang sagot. Always works for me.   

[prettymom]

during our entry last oct 19, our POE was at LAX but we have a connecting flight to LAS. it is hubby, me and our 2 young kids (6,4)
Questions were directed to my husband: the reason for our visit? How long are you gonna stay?
then finger scaning..isang hand lang sa asawa ko. then sa akin wala nang tanong, finger scanning na with both hands..then checked passport and they stamped 6 mos.

[coldsiren]

i'm going to the US this Dec, my poe would be lax. it's my 1st time to travel alone and i plan to bring my old passports with me. last month when i went to china for a vacation the io here in manila asked for my old passports before he stamped my passport. he also asked for my company id, just to check if i am really employed or not.
when i travel i do not bring all my identification cards because i don't want to risk loosing all of them at the same time.
i don't want to bring my company id when i go to the US because i don't intend to go there work. i work for a US based company. i don't have a business card, because i don't really need it for my work. i cannot accept calls from just anyone, i cannot even receive emails outside the company. that's why i don't need a business card.

if the questions asked during my visa interview pops out, the io might wonder why suddenly i'm visiting my mom in the US. the consul asked me during the interview where my parents were. i said they're here in manila. my mom migrated this month to the US. does that mean, i have to explain to the io that my sister petioned all of us?

do i have to get the address and phone numbers of my other relatives in the US even if i do not intend to visit them? the consul asked about my other relatives in the US, i said i have an uncle (i only mentioned my uncle cause we have the same family name). i'm just staying with my sister and mom.

tia.

[portugalbear]

coldsiren - like what mamasqueak said, keep it short and simple. isang tanong, isang sagot.  think like a tourist and don't say anything unnecessary.  don't mention anything about your mom being in the US.  jsut say you are touring the country and shopping sa outlet.  but have your itinerary ready.  don't say you don't know what the plan is at baka ma airport to airport ka.  the least you should know how long you will stay and what the plans are maski tour ka lang sa LA.

just remember the phone numbers probably of your sister and the rest you can keep in your contacts of your phone.  kapag tinanong, just how him the numbers in your phonebook. 

good luck.

[bachoy0819]

My experience...

I went to Mexico 4 months ago transiting from Texas POE is LAX... so nung nasa line na ko ng Immigration meron pinay na IO pero deadma lang... so nung turn ko na for the interview tinawag ako nung pinay na IO knowing na vacant yung IO na nasa harap ko, talagang sumenyas siya dun sa kano na parang ibig sabihin is "this one is mine"

so interview na, she asked for all my document since I'm there for business trip. passport, Certificate of Employment, E-ticket, guarantee letter, itinerary and online booking ng hotel... dame db?

then questions asked:

- whats your purpose of going to the US?
** its for a business meeting and training
-how long are you staying here?
** just for 1 night since I'm transiting from el paso to Mexico
-why do you need to stay there for 1 night?
** because we will arrive in el paso around 11pm and its not safe anymore to travel going to mexico, so we'll be spending the night there..
-why do you need to go to el paso when you can get a direct flight going to mexico?
** because from el paso its only 30 mins drive going to mexico, its cheaper than having the direct flight...
-how come your company is sending you to mexico? do you know that its a war zone?
** we're staying near the US embassy in mexico, so the place is safe and the company will be liable for everything...
-what is your company anyways and what do you do?
**(syempre explain naman ako)

the pinay IO even asked another IO if he's buying my explanation..
imagine, 2 IO is interviewing me...

at the end sinabi saken nung pinay IO is
"kasi pinay din ako, ayoko lang na may mangyari sayo""

and i was like... WTF!!! pagtapos mo ko gisahin dito mi hindi mo nga sinabi saken na pinay ka tapos sasabihin mo saken na ayaw mo lang na may mangyari saken???

katakot kaya ma A to A...

[misao]

^congrats! it's part of their job sis. nakaka-intimidate talaga sila. pero pag legal lahat, no prob. watch border wars at natgeo, ganun din sila sa lahat ng nag-cross ng borders us-mexico, v.v. galing ng training nila sa ganyang gisahan. kumusta naman nung pagbalik mo? dami ko nakasamang pinoy dito, ayaw pa mag-tagalog at first tas biglang hihirit na lang ng tagalog, nakakagulat na nakakainis lang minsan hehe.