Usual US Port of Entry Questions - Tourist

[mom_G]

^^yup, that should not be a problem.  2wks ka lang naman nag-stay last month.

[mmdc2628]

Good day mga sis! I found this site so helpful sa mga mag eenter ng US as a tourist! I need your views and opinions for my case..eto po yun sa akin..I have been in USA for 3 times already. first was 2008 (stayed there for 3mos) then 2010 (stayed in texas for almost 6mos) and previous trip there was 2011 (for again almost 6mos stayed also in houston texas with my aunt ) but I see to it na di ako lalampas sa validity ng I94ko....So this is the thing that make me nervous of visiting US again...I already have my 2way ticket (Feb24,2013 (Manila-Japan-Lax) and my returning ticket will be houston to manila-May 30,2013) ..I plan to go first to LA Calif, for some touring and will stay to a friend of my friend,,then after a couple of weeks, my plan is to stay to my aunt in houston texas, where I usaually stay during my previous trip....My question is, Will I have immigration problem if my POE (LAX)  is also my final destination? my purpose there is to see tourist spot there..or should I go to other state first before going to LA? sana po matulungan nyo ko..natakot ako bigla..thanks in advance girls!Mabuhay!

[mama squeak!]

^No worries I do that all the time, enter SFO or LAX then depart from Chicago or vise versa. I have a sibling in the WC and another in the EC kaya ganyan route ko lagi. This coming September I'll be arriving in SFO then depart either Chicago or New York naman.

[mmdc2628]

@mamasqueak- thanks po..but okay lang po ba na yun POE ko ay dun na last destination ko meaning direct po talaga.kasi i have a friend living near Lax airport. .Dipo ba may form na finifill up before baba plane, asked dun who is your contact person in the US and address... Usually yun aunt ko sa texas po ang nilalagay ko.e what do you think po ngayun? before I go to my aunt in Texas, I will spend a week in Los Angeles para naman po makapamasyal ng konti...wala po ako hawak na tiket na LAX-Houston...kasi probably mag travel kami by land from LA to Houston...yun po!

[mama squeak!]

^sis, you don't have to worry kung anong itatanong sa yo ng IO as long as wala kang tinatago. They will know for sure kung meron kang tinatago, they are trained for that. It also doesn't matter kung ano ang isulat mo sa form as your final destination as long as it can be verified in case the IO will call the contact person just to confirm that you are expected. Basta isang tanong isang sagot. Don't over think it, lalo ka lang ninerbyosin.

[purpleish]

^ oo nga sis kame den isang tanong, isang sagot.. kasi pag nag elaborate pa , baka mas lalong confusing, mas lalong tatagal.. pero buti ok kay sis mmdc2628 na tumatagal siya ng 6 months dun?? although allowed naman talaga na 6months stay pero hindi kaya yun maka-affect sa next visit niya?? pwedeng itanong sa I.O. anung ginagawa niya for 6 months??

^^ sabihin mo sis I want to do some shopping in L.A. before heading to Texas

[aquacharly]

@mamasqueak- thanks po..but okay lang po ba na yun POE ko ay dun na last destination ko meaning direct po talaga.kasi i have a friend living near Lax airport. .Dipo ba may form na finifill up before baba plane, asked dun who is your contact person in the US and address... Usually yun aunt ko sa texas po ang nilalagay ko.e what do you think po ngayun? before I go to my aunt in Texas, I will spend a week in Los Angeles para naman po makapamasyal ng konti...wala po ako hawak na tiket na LAX-Houston...kasi probably mag travel kami by land from LA to Houston...yun po!

You put down your aunt's details, as usual.  But be prepared to give your friend's details too, IF asked.
I read your last 2 posts -- paki straighten your cuento.
You say you will stay for a "few weeks" with "a frend of a friend", before going to your aunt in Texas.
Then in your next post - you say a week with a friend.

When interviewed, you must come across as confident, and consistent. 
Kahit na weird your scheduling and itinerary --  basta be confident.
Hwag na hwag ka come across as being clueless or parang at the mercy of friends of friends.  No, dearie, every tourist has a plan.

You will be asked something like: so, what will you be doing on this trip?
The IO may find it interesting that you went 3-6-6 months. Nothing wrong with that, basta:   You gotta come across as being confident you ARE someone who can afford to stay away for 6months from the Phils where you presumably have family and  economic ties -- kaya nga you were given a visa.  And I do not mean just financially afford, but if you say you are employed: talaga?! ok lang sa boss mo you leave for 3mos? (In English, hahaha).   Be prepared o answer -- tell the truth as MAMA SQUEAK says;  no matter how weird, I say.

I watch this show on tv, about people who get interrogated upon entry.  Sabi noong isang IO - "those who have something to hide tend to overtalk".   
So, don't be nervous,  these IOs are like dogs -- good at smelling out Fear.

[purpleish]

^ yun nga den sis aquacharly, ang naiisip ko sa 3-6-6 months stay ni sis mmdc2628. basta confident lang sa pag sagot ng totoo

sis mmdc2628 ...dun sa past 3 travels mo to US sis, meron kana den return ticket nun?

[mmdc2628]

hi mga sis, i just read your message, nawiwindang na nga po ako hehhehe..kasi nga as I read the older posts before I post mine e nanenervous nako baka matanong sakin, what did I do sa texas nang ganun katatagal...3-6-6 mos..,I just stayed with my aunt para may kasama sya kasi she just have one son and malayo sa kanya.so pag pinapapunta nya ko dun,dun lang kami,we do  shopping at pasyal lang po sa mga nearby towns pag off nya. madalas din sa casino hehe..pag nasa work sila mag asawa eh sa bahay nila  lang ako..You are right, I should have definite plans or itinerary during my stay in Los Angeles..and dapat confident at wag matatakot kasi wala naman nga po dapat i hide...thank you po sa inyo...Good luck to me hehhe and May God bless me! I heard ang higpit daw ngayon lalo ng immigration sa POE, kasi nga ang dami daw undocumented persons na naeemploy.so lalo mahigpit sa pagpasok ng mga tourist..sana naman po wag ma AtoA...sayang ang pinambili ng ticket...God bless us all!

[mmdc2628]

@ sis purpleish---- yup I always had a 2way ticket during those trips...yun nga lang I had to call the airline office  para ipa rebook yun return date ng ticket..kasi I usually get 2mos validity ticket...e palagi 6mos ang tinatatak sa I94, so yun namamaximize na po ang stay ko  ....wala naman po ako gastos sa stay ko dun.free lahat pati shopping spree hehe!.. I forgot to make kwento that I was once being sent to the secondary room at the POE...kaya may takot din po ako...It goes like this mga sisters!
On my very first trip,okay naman po ang entry ko sa Newark airport...stay ako 3mos sa US....after 1 1/2 year, so nagdecide ulit punta US..that time I had renewed my passport and US visa.so yun second travel ko is, malinis yun passport ko,wala ni isang tatak that I go abroad...heto na,POE ko is SFO..hala,I dont know why the sent me to the secondary room..ngatog nako at nanghihinayang na baka sayang lang tiket at syempre it was so embarassing na uuwi ka sa place nyo na di nakapasok sa US..ang dami din pala namin dun..umabot nako 2 1/2 hours dun bago ako natawag..may nakabantay sa kin na representative ng airline na sinakyan ko at naghatid sakin sa SFO.so lalo ako natatakot hala!nang natawag nako, the IO asked me whats my purpose and until when ako sa US..tapos yun kung ano ano click nila sa computer may print outs pa..pero thanks God pinapasok pa din ako..and I dont know why ako nachek ng ganun..lately ko lang naisip kasi nabasa ko dito sa posts na meron hourly random check sa tourist...at isa pa ang naiisip ko siguro I checked the fruits and vegetables section dun sa paper na finifill up natin if what we brought with us di ba...yun po...kaya after that incident natatakot na ko s POE..then after a year bumalik uli ako US..sa detroit naman..buti na lang it went out smoothly.ask lang bakit ako punta texas and until when...my last trip was June2011-nov2011..a year and 2mos after, eto na naman po ako..mejo nangangamba pero upon reading your replies mga sis, e lumalakas loob ko..thank you kasi I am given the chance to come accross this forum! 

[purpleish]

^ thanks sis, na post kuna po

[iameve_dr]

Hello Sis! =) Im a newbie here. I've been reading this thread since last week.. and i must say its very much helpful for us na first timer. Thank you. i only have few questions regarding POE. Firstly, if ever ang port of entry would be chicago. how was it? Okay ba sila as compared with Detroit? how about SFO? and LAX? between chicago, SFO and LAX, alin ba [textspeak!] mas okay na mag entry? Secondly, Im really scared kasi family kami na na- approve. since i put my dad, mom and siblings as my traveling companion, would there be a big problem if i would be traveling alone? i hope someone will reply to me.. TIA 

[nicaa]

^ I haven't tried to enter sa Chicago airport, but between SFO & LAX, mas pinipili ko lagi yung SFO kasi closer sya sa usual destination ko tapos drive na lang ako to LA kung gusto ko pumunta dun. So, depende kung san ka magstay, yun na lang piliin mong POE. I heard stricter sila sa Detroit.

I think it's ok to travel alone. Sa previous visa ko I put my whole family as traveling companions dun sa form, but during my most recent trip sibling ko lang kasama ko and they didn't ask anything about the whole family as travel companions. I also know a couple of friends who traveled alone despite putting their whole family as companions and they did fine. Ang technique lang talaga is to assure them na babalik ka talaga sa Philippines dahil may mga maiiwanan ka (family, work).

[iameve_dr]

nicaa: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!  Somehow, Nawala ang takot ko.. I will be traveling alone.. final na.. at magpost din ako dito kung ano nangyre sa port of entry ko. SALAMAT ulit sa quick response! 

[nicaa]

^ Welcome! Ang lagi naman dun tinatanong sa POE (in my case) e kung anong gagawin ko sa US, kung san ako magsstay & gano katagal, usual answers ko e magttour around the city tapos magstay ako sa relatives ko sa ganitong city / state. Tinatanong din kung magkano ang dala mong money, syempre dapat more than enough yung sasabihin mo.

 Sa recent trip ko first time akong tinanong kung anong work ko & pinadescribe sakin kung ano yung job ko. Basta prepare ka lang ng answers sa mga possible questions nila and relax ka lang kahit mag-isa ka

[iameve_dr]

Thanks nicaa   had my ticket already and my port of entry is chicago. i wish things would go smoothly and no hassle at all. (fingers crossed). someone told me that IO in chicago is intimidating.. scary but i'll just keep my faith.

[m_lim]

nung nagpunta ako ng Chicago, POE ko was Detroit. 1st time ako natagalan sa immigration. daming tanong!

siguro dahil mag isa ako that time.

in 2 weeks, papunta akong US, POE ko this time-- JFK. sana naman hindi na matulad sa Detroit. kainis.

[nicaa]

^ Sis m_lim, sa Detroit madami daw talagang tanong at mas masungit nga daw sila dun. Kaya nga parang ayoko na dun mag enter as much as possible. So far sa JFK wala pa naman akong narinig na na-hassle

^^ You're welcome sis iameve, hope things would go well

[vain_kixie]

m_lim nung ng JFK ako, travelling solo pa ako. Walang question kahit isa wala. Lol Sabi ko lang hi how
are you? Sabi niya. Great. Stamp siya. Tapos na.

[iameve_dr]

^ Sis m_lim, sa Detroit madami daw talagang tanong at mas masungit nga daw sila dun. Kaya nga parang ayoko na dun mag enter as much as possible. So far sa JFK wala pa naman akong narinig na na-hassle

^^ You're welcome sis iameve, hope things would go well

SIS NICAAAA. haha i was referring on my reserved ticket pla. but this time, sure na.. POE is LAX. i wish sa JFK na lang POE ko. I wish nalaman ko agad. Bigyan niyo naman ako lakas ng loob. hndi ba? rare lang naman yun na A-A? anxious na ako.. hindi ba strict sa LAX? what do you think? complicated ba? TIA