Do US immigration officers deny entry to pregnant women with a valid visa to avoid citizenship by birth to the future child?
Let's start by saying that, although I have traveled to and from the US several times, I'm not an US citizen and do not know personally any CBP or TSA officer. Therefore the following answer stems entirely from my guesswork. I honestly do not believe that there is any written law, rule or regulation stating that a foreign pregnant woman cannot enter the US territory under any circumstances, in order to prevent the birth of another "anchor baby" (that's the term some media employ to define children born in America from immigrant parents).Also, airlines are very reluctant to accept heavily pregnant women on board of their planes for obvious reasons regarding the comfort, health and safety of both the passenger and her unborn child (possible damages due to turbulence in flight, need to use the toilet often, possibility of going into labor in mid-flight, etc.), so that some of them require any evidently pregnant passenger to show a certificate from her ob-gyn stating her actual pregnancy week and her fitness to travel by air before letting them board one of their flights. All things considered, if an evidently pregnant woman shows up at any American border checkpoint (not necessarily just off an international flight), she could be eventually subject to extended questioning and extra scrutiny about her destination, the purpose of her travel, the intended length of her stay, her eventual relations or acquaintances in the US, etc., but I seriously doubt that she would be denied entry solely on the basis of her pregnancy.
What should one say to the US immigration officer in order to get a 6-month entry into the US?
You can’t say “you will work for a startup”. Or “plan to”.First question is: “Are you coming for business or pleasure”.If you claim “pleasure” and you do business, you are in violation of the law. No one will ever detect that, but regardless, you would be breaking the law. So, start with the truth, you are there for business. Because, while the visa is B1/B2, you are stamped as either B1(business) or B2 (pleasure) at entry. As a B2, you can’t do any business.Second question: How long are you planning to stay? That question should be consistent with your travel ticket days and travel planning. You can’t say “6 months” and have a 3 month ticket. And yes, they can ask you for your ticket to validate the dates.Third question: “What do you do/plan to do/your business is”. You need to state the motive of your business. “Working for” would get you kicked right away. If that’s your plan, you better think your plan again (they smell lies). These are some valid arguments:I’m a software developer and I’m visiting a customer.I’m looking forward to start a company here and I’m meeting with some potential partners.I have a corporation here and I need to meet with my partners.I’m meeting with some friends in order to start a company and do the development overseas with my team at home.I’m coming for a conference/seminar/trainingAdditional questions: There can additional questions from there. Some could be simple, like “which programming language do you program with?” to “Why do you need 6 months for something that could take 2 weeks / be discussed online?” And you better have a valid true answer. Getting nervous is really a bad indicator.Here’s the easiest interview I’ve had:Officer: “Are you here for business or pleasure?”Me: “Business”Officer: “How long do you plan to stay?”Me: “For 10 days”Officer: “What’s your business?”Me: “I’m a software developer, and I’m visiting one of my customers?”Officer: “Which language do you use for programming?”Me: “Mostly Java”Officer: “OK, go ahead” (I got 6 months)Depending on the airport you land, the immigration officers can be nice or rude. LAX is awful. Orlando is amazing. Austin is not the most friendly. Ft. Lauderdale is a delight.Good luck!
What questions will be asked in the port of entry for a B2 visa holder (tourist visa)? What documents are required?
Hi,Good question.I can only share my experience and what I’ve heard from my friends. It appears that officers randomly choose questions and don’t stick to a regular pattern or format. I guess they usually make up questions based on who you are or what information they have about you and use it to verify. Here goes.What’s your purpose of visit?How long is your stay?What is your itinerary like?Details of your friends/family in US.Apart from this, may be some odd ones too, like what movie you like etc. Depends on the officer.The officer who interviewed me kept making the “Meeow” sound at the end of every sentence. I got the “Super Troopers” movie reference luckily and we had a good laugh about it. But not everyone has such good memories. I know someone who was grilled for more than 15 minutes. That was probably because he appeared nervous and forgot some details he was supposed to (like address where he was living).Be cool, know what you have to.As for documents, your usual stuff like the visa itself (on your passport), some itinerary details if you have it like ticket booking info, hotel booking etc (even on mobile) should be enough.All the best.References:What are Most Frequently Asked B1/B2 US visa interview QuestionsTop H1B, B1/B2 Visa Interview Questions at Indian Consulates
How strict is the U.S. airport immigration?
I will answer this question bearing in mind that it’s a Nigerian(African) that requested I answer it.The CBP(Customs border Protection) Officer is there to protect the border of the United States of America from travelers who might not have the right intent to be in the US. One thing you must bear in mind is that entering the US as a visitor is not a right but a privilege. Having a Visa does not guarantee your entry into the U.S.A. You have to show your right intent in order for the CBP officer to allow you Entry. So if you consider this as Strict, then you are correct.You also have to be aware that the CBP Officer is aware of your case and what you declared on your visa application. If your plans changes, you should be ready to defend the change.As a genuine traveler you should be aware of your itinerary. You need to know how long you have booked your return for, your accommodation and how much you have available for the trip. There are cases where people have said they were staying for just 2–4weeks, whereas their return states that they will be staying for 6months.You need to know what you will be doing during your visit. One other point is that you should always make sure you declare any food item you may be carrying and any cash in excess of $10,000. Simple mistake can led you to secondary inspection and you can face the possibility of being sent back or fined.There is a case where a traveler who had a good job back home was joking with his friend via a Whatsapp chat saying he was going to get a job while he was in the US. When CBP officers checked through his phone, he had a lot of explaining to do. Please be aware that you are required not to work in the US while you are on a visiting visa. Doing this is automatically a direct violation of your visa and when you are caught your visa will be canceled and you will be barred from entering the US in the future.My answer is directed mainly towards Africans traveling to the US on a visiting visa. I hope this helps a little.
Could a British person buy a gun in America?
YES!!!!!! You must be a legal resident and it depends on the state. If you intend to move I suggest you move to a state such as Texas, Oklahoma or Florida that actually obeys the Second Amendment and allows their citizens their natural right to possesss firearms. The "redneck" states tend to have much lower crime rates. Oklahoma and Texas are also doing far better than our sophisticated cousins. The only downside to living in a redneck state is the property values are much lower and the traffic less congested.
Visiting the US: How can a person who speaks no English whatsoever enter the US through passport control? (The person speaks only German and French.)
This is a great question. First, for most (European) travelers, only basic English is usually needed to get through Customs. Does someone in 2015 who is fluent in French and German really not know any basic English? (I have to assume this person is elderly.)If they aren't traveling with anyone who knows any English and can help, then translation services can be provided. Depending on the airport in question, this may be quite a wait. At JFK or Newark, probably not such a huge wait. If arriving at another airport where most arrivals are from Asia, the wait could be longer. I am only guessing, but I would think the need for French and German translation services at, say, LAX is fairly low on the scale. Most travelers requiring language assistance don't come from Europe.If traveling alone, I would recommend befriending a bilingual seatmate or a flight attendant to ask for advice and assistance. As Tom Lewis says, learning a few phrases in English ("My name is..." "I am staying for ... days") would help. Most in-flight magazines have immigration forms translated into various languages, and using that translation as a guide could help. You could even tear that page out of the magazine and show the English version to the agent with your answers from the foreign-language version as a communicative guide.