When planning to visit a particular foreign country for the first time, many travelers worry about the upcoming procedure of crossing the border of a foreign country. A trip to the States is, of course, no exception. Everyone is interested in what documents may be required when crossing the US border, what the border guard officer will ask, what exactly will be inspected, etc.
About the US migration card
The US migration card is filled out for everyone arriving in the country (except for those officially residing in the US), incl. and for children. Officially, this document is called USA I-94 arrival/departure record; you can fill it out on the plane or at the US airport before passport control.
The required fields are written in English. Before departure, you must fill out a similar card - Departure card USA, the fields of which are similar to the fields of the migration card of arrival in the USA. Information from arrival and departure cards is required by the USA's Migration Police, a migration control service.
Where is it issued?
Usually the migration card is issued on board the plane. During the flight, passengers have time to carefully study the form and carefully fill out all its fields. However, experienced travelers download the form while at home and fill it out in advance so that there is no need to ask strangers for help while traveling.
It is not advisable to fill out a US migration card upon arrival. This will delay both you and your companions. If questions arise on the plane, airline employees are happy to answer them.
It is very important that you enter the United States with a completed document.
What does a Green Card give?
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Green card is a document, the presence of which means the right of permanent residence in America.
Card holder:
- Can live and work in the United States;
- Over time, become a citizen of the country;
- Has the right to borrow at a small interest rate;
- Has the opportunity to open his own business;
- Has the right to medical care and some social packages.
In accordance with the legal status, a Green Card holder has the same privileges as US citizens, with the exception of the right to participate in elections and receive certain social benefits. The card is issued for a period of 10 years, and after 5 years the card holder has the opportunity to submit documents for citizenship. There are many ways to obtain a Green Card, but the procedure is not always simple and often takes a lot of time and effort. One way to facilitate the procedure for obtaining a card is the diversification lottery (DV - lottery), called the Green Card lottery.
How to fill out a migration card correctly
The migration card consists of two parts. Only the first one is filled in, the second one remains empty - this is for employees of inspection services. In principle, the information provided here is similar to the data from the first document. Therefore, having filled out one form, you can easily cope with the second.
Important!
Please note that on the form the serial numbers of the fields are located from left to right and the field names are at the top.
So, what data will this document require from you:
- Surname;
- Name;
- Date of birth (in dd/mm/yy format);
- The country of which you are a citizen;
- Gender (male - MALE, female - FEMALE);
- Passport issue date (in dd/mm/yy format);
- Passport expiration date (in dd/mm/yy format);
- Passport series and number;
- Airline name and flight number;
- Country where you live;
- The country you are flying from;
- The city in which the US visa was obtained;
- Date of visa receipt (dd/mm/yy);
- Address of temporary residence in America (street, house/apartment number, hotel name);
- US city and state;
- A US telephone number at which you can be reached;
- Your E-mail.
The following fields are at the very bottom in a separate block:
- Surname;
- Name;
- Date of birth (in dd/mm/yy format);
- Citizenship.
It is also better to fill out this document in legible handwriting, ideally in neat block letters.
Filling out the migration card
You will need a migration card when going through passport control. This is a common practice accepted in many countries. But the American form has many more points. Consequently, even seasoned travelers can get a little confused.
A migration card is issued on board the aircraft for each passenger (except for US residents), incl. for children. If you have any questions while filling out, you can always ask a flight attendant for help. However, it is much easier to download the form in advance, fill it out and then use it as a template.
Let's go through all the fields on Form I-94.
NOTE! The answer boxes are located UNDER the text of the question itself, and not above it. That is, the field names are located above the line where you need to enter the relevant information. Enter data only in English in CAPITAL letters.
- Surname . It must match how it is written in the passport and on the American visa.
- Name.
- Date of Birth . The format is not typical for Americans: first comes the day, then the month, and at the very end the year.
- Citizenship . Citizens of the Republic of Belarus write BELARUS.
- Floor . MALE for male travelers and FEMALE for female travelers.
- Passport ID.
- The flight number on which you arrived in the United States and the name of the airline . This information is indicated on the ticket/boarding pass.
- Country of Residence.
- The city where you boarded the plane . If the flight has a transfer, it is not the city where you made the transfer that is indicated, but exactly the place from which you originally departed.
- City where you applied to enter the United States and received your visa.
- Visa receipt date . The order of numbers is familiar to Belarusians - day, month, year.
- Residence address in the States . Only the street, house and apartment numbers are indicated. If you plan to move from city to city, only the first address is entered.
- The name of the city and state where you will live in the USA . Additionally, enter your postal code. Common abbreviations can be used to indicate the state.
The I-94 map is divided into 2 parts. There are fewer questions at the bottom, and they all repeat points from the first part. Fill it out by analogy. You will need this part when departing from the USA.
Please review the completed form in English.
IMPORTANT! The reverse side is intended for service marks. There is no need to fill it out.
It is advisable that you already have a completed Form I-94 in hand when you board. Doing this at the airport is not so convenient. In addition, this may cause queues, especially if you are traveling in an organized group.
How to fill out a US customs declaration
Let’s decide right away that any person who arrives in the United States must fill out a declaration. The declaration must be completed in English, using any pen. The declaration is completed in one copy. The declaration itself is a branded double-sided form on thick paper, which looks like this:
As a rule, most tourists need to pay attention only to the front side, and the back side of the form remains blank. However, let's look at the intricacies of how to fill out a customs declaration in the USA and in New York in particular.
Instructions for completing a US customs declaration:
- Family Name Last Name First (Given) First Name Middle Middle name (usually left blank as we don't have one).
- Birth Date Date of birth (mounth - month, day - day, year - year, in that order!).
- Number of Family members traveling with you The number of family members traveling with you (not counting yourself).
- US Street Addres (hotel name\destination) Address in the USA ( Hotel name\destination).
- assport issued by (country) Which country issued the passport.
- Passport number Passport number (foreign, of course).
- Country of Residence Country of permanent residence.
- Countries visited on this trip prior to US arrival Which countries did you visit on this trip before arriving in the USA? If you flew with a transfer, for example, in France, you should indicate it; if the flight was direct, you do not need to indicate anything.
- Airline/Flight No or Vassel name
- The primary purpose of this trip is business ? Is the primary purpose of the trip business? (You need to choose yes or no). If you are a tourist, put no.
- I am (We are) bringing I (We) are taking with us (the following is a list of questions).
- I am (We are) carrying currency or monetary instruments over $10,000 US or foreign equivalent (see definition of monetary instruments on reverse) I (we) have with me cash in excess of $10,000 US dollars or the equivalent in foreign currency
(
NO ). - for soliciting orders , or goods that are not considered personal effects ) goods not intended for own needs).
- Residents - the total value of all goods, including commercial merchandise I/we have purchased or acquired abroad, (including gifts for someone else, but not items mailed to the US) and am/are bringing to the US is For permanent residents of the USA - the total amount of all items, including commercial items, that I (we) purchased abroad (including gifts, except items sent to the US by mail) and brought into the US. (Enter the amount) - You are a tourist, which means you don’t write anything.
On the reverse side it is written about the customs service, the need to declare all valuables that will remain in the USA. The fact that visitors, as a rule, have the right to duty-free import of goods worth $100. About the fact that there is no need to transport prohibited substances. If you import/export more than $10,000, you need to submit a report to a department of the Ministry of Finance.
Registration upon entry into the USA
Under U.S. law, you may be required to register at the point of entry into the United States in order to be registered as entering America.
In general, this procedure takes only 20 minutes and consists of several steps:
1) fingerprinting and photographing at the border checkpoint
2) background check and interview
Once you've checked in, your passport will be stamped and you can then collect your luggage and proceed to customs.
If you plan to stay in the United States for more than 30 days, you will be scheduled for an interview with the Department of Homeland Security after 40 days in the country.
According to the rules at customs, when entering the United States, you must present a completed customs declaration and, if requested by a customs inspector, your luggage.
There is a ban on the import of meat products and restrictions on the import of alcohol, cigarettes, cigars and tobacco into the United States. When entering the United States, you must declare cash amounts exceeding $10,000.
How to apply for a visa to Mexico
The undoubted advantage of Mexico is its easy visa regime for citizens of the post-Soviet space.
Instead of obtaining a visa, Russians and Ukrainians only need to obtain a special electronic entry permit. To do this, you need to fill out an online form posted on the website of the Mexican Embassy.
The electronic permit is free and allows a single entry into the country for up to 6 months. The permit is valid for 30 days, during which you need to get into Mexico. It should be taken into account that with an electronic permit you can only enter Mexico through air travel. The confirmation received must be printed and presented at the airport.
In addition, you will need to fill out a Mexican migration card on the plane.
A negative response to an electronic permit is quite rare. This happens mainly due to gross errors when filling out the application form, a criminal record, and also in cases where the applicant’s last and first name seemed suspicious for some reason. For example, a person with the same last name found himself on the international wanted list.
If a refusal is received, then you need to contact the consular department to obtain a visa. It will cost $36 and take 5-15 days.
Citizens of other republics of the former Soviet Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, etc.) will have to visit the Mexican consulate to obtain a visa. Personal presence is required, because Fingerprints are taken.
The percentage of visa refusals is minimal.
If you have a visa, which can be valid for up to 10 years, you can enter and leave Mexico an unlimited number of times.
Important points
During passport control, you may be asked a couple of questions about the purpose of your trip, whether you have been to the USA, who you are visiting, etc. Then they will check your documents that you submitted for the visa. You must then show Form I-94 to a Department of Homeland Security officer. If you do not know English, you can ask for a free translator.
You should be aware that a visa does not provide any guarantee of being in the United States. It only provides the right to enter the United States to obtain this right. The length of your visa does not indicate the amount of time you are allowed to stay in the United States, but rather the period during which you can enter and leave.
It is important to know that the visa you received from the US Embassy does not guarantee your entry into the US. It only allows you to get to the point of entry, that is, to the airport.
Permission to enter the country, as well as a decision on the length of stay, is made by an officer of the Department of Homeland Security during an initial inspection. The visa is valid for 1 year multi, which means that you can enter the United States several times during the year, but does not give you the right to stay in the United States for as long as the visa is valid, that is, a year.
Once you arrive at the airport, you will need to provide Form I-94 to a US Department of Homeland Security inspector. After which he can ask a couple of questions and give you the treasured document. If he has any doubts, he will call an inspector of a higher rank.
It's worth noting that you should not stay longer than what is allowed on Form I-94. If you have stayed in the United States for more than the permitted period, you automatically become an illegal immigrant, as a result of which you may have a lot of problems.
How to correctly fill out the FMM immigration form upon arrival in Mexico
Every foreign citizen, including temporary and permanent residents of Mexico, must present a completed immigration form upon arrival in Mexico at passport control. It is also called a tourist visa or FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple).
The information in this publication applies only to foreigners entering Mexico as a tourist.
If you are a temporary or permanent resident of Mexico, the procedure for completing the FMM will be slightly different - read this article.
It is important that this document, and only this document, will indicate how many days you have the right to stay in Mexico as a tourist. The immigration form must not be lost. If you lose it, you will not be able to leave Mexico until you receive a new FMM.
The FMM immigration form can be obtained and completed in three ways:
- on an airplane by hand;
- on the website of the National Institute of Migration (INM);
- at self-service terminals at major airports in Mexico.
Fill out the immigration form by hand
You can obtain an immigration form on the plane on the way to Mexico (from the flight attendant) or at the airport in Mexico (at the counters in the arrivals hall before going through passport control). All data must be entered by hand in Latin letters.
The fields to fill out are as follows:
Mexico Immigration Form (FMM) Sample
Top part
Fields 1 and 2. First and last name as they appear in your passport.
Fields 3 and 7. Your citizenship, or more precisely, the country of issue of the passport with which you will go through passport control upon arrival in Mexico.
Field 4. Date of birth.
Field 5. Your gender.
Field 6. Passport number.
Field 8. Not filled out if you are entering Mexico as a tourist.
Field 9. Purpose of coming to Mexico (tourism, business or other).
Field 10. The type of transport you used to arrive in Mexico (air, sea or land).
Field 11. Name of the airline or ship on which you arrived in Mexico.
Field 12. Flight number on which you arrived in Mexico.
Field 13. Name of the state and city in Mexico you are traveling to. Abbreviations are allowed.
Field 14: Name of the hotel you will be staying at and address in Mexico. You can indicate only the name of the hotel or only the address if you will not be staying at the hotel. The immigration officer may ask what address you provided. Abbreviations are allowed.
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Bottom part
The data should match the same at the top of the form.
Fields 1 and 2. First and last name.
Field 3. Your nationality.
Field 4. Date of birth.
Field 5. Gender.
Field 6. Passport number.
Field 7. Purpose of coming to Mexico.
Field 8. The type of transport you used to arrive in Mexico.
Fields 9 and 10. Name of airline or vessel and flight number.
Corrections are not allowed. If you made a mistake, please fill out a new form.
Fill out the immigration form in advance online
You can fill out the immigration form online on the INM website before you start your trip to Mexico, but not earlier than six months before your arrival.
The form is different for arrivals by air and by land. It contains all the same information as on the paper FMM immigration form. If you don't know the airline name and flight number, you can write them in by hand at any time later.
The completed form must be printed and presented to the immigration officer upon arrival in Mexico. The date of completion will be the date on the stamp that the immigration officer places on the form. The permitted period of stay in Mexico will be calculated from the date on the stamp.
Obtain an immigration form from self-service terminals
Some airports in Mexico, including Cancun, have self-service kiosks in their arrivals halls. They can also provide you with a completed immigration form after scanning your passport and typing in your location in Mexico.
However, even at Cancun Airport, self-service terminals are not installed everywhere, they may be disabled or you will be sent to another queue... Therefore, we recommend using other specified methods to obtain and fill out the FMM immigration form.
Important! You can't lose your FMM form! If, upon departure from Mexico, you do not have it or you violate the permitted period of stay in the country, you will be sent to the office of the Mexican Migration Service to sort it out. After paying the fine, they will give you a new FMM. Only then will you be able to board the plane.
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Rules for staying in the United States
Americans are extremely scrupulous about immigration documents, so be careful: when the deadline specified in I-94 is close, start packing your bags. You need to leave the country no later than the specified date.
If you break this rule, the next time you will have problems when preparing documents to visit the United States. Perhaps, due to the violation, this next time will not come soon.
If circumstances require you to stay on the American continent, try to contact the migration service in advance. This issue can be resolved legally. If you do not do this, you will become an illegal immigrant after your designated departure date.
Illegal immigration to the United States is severely punished.
The United States is one of the few countries that can ban entry not for a certain time, but forever.
Moreover, such sanctions may also affect the success of obtaining visas to other countries.
