Having an immigration application approved does not mean that the applicant can rest easy from then on. Before landing in the United States, applicants need to make a series of preparations and also understand the precautions during the process to prevent accidents. So, what preparations should prospective immigrants make before landing in the United States? What is the landing procedure?
(I) Make preparations before landing
Documents: Passport; visa (check the expiration date); chest X-ray; yellow envelope from the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou (do not open it)
Sufficient living expenses: Pay attention to the regulations of Chinese and U.S. customs on carrying cash (each person can carry up to 10,000 USD)
Original Chinese driver's license (both front and back copies are required), original Chinese ID card
Do not bring items prohibited by U.S. Customs: animals, plants, grains, food
(II) Understand the landing procedure
Foreigners arriving in the United States by plane must go through entry procedures at the first airport of landing, which means undergoing inspection by immigration and customs officers at the airport. The former checks the traveler's eligibility to come to the U.S., i.e., whether they can enter; the latter checks whether the traveler's luggage is subject to customs duties or contains prohibited items.
1. Entry Form
During the flight to the United States, flight attendants will distribute the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record Card and the 6059B Customs Declaration Form. Before the plane lands, every passenger must fill out the entry forms in English as required. If you do not understand English, you can ask the flight attendant for help or assistance in filling them out.
Aliens with Immigrant Visas entering for the first time do not need to fill out the I-94 card.
All persons entering, whether U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, must fill them out. If it is a family, only one form needs to be filled out.
2. Entry Procedures
After the plane arrives at the U.S. airport, passengers will be guided by airline personnel into the immigration inspection hall. Whether passengers have reached their final destination or have a connecting flight to another U.S. city, they must go through entry inspection procedures at the first U.S. Port-of-Entry.
Immigration verifies the entrant's status and documents.
Agriculture inspects relevant food, animals, and plants.
Customs inspects all items brought into the United States.
3. Inspection Lanes
In the immigration inspection hall, residents and non-residents must line up in different lanes, and passengers wait for inspection according to their entry status.
Aliens with Immigrant Visas entering for the first time use the Citizen/Residents lane to enter.
4. Entry Stamp
Foreign passengers entering the country should clip their passport, I-94 arrival/departure card, customs declaration form, and corresponding entry documents in order into the U.S. visa page and hand them to the immigration officer for inspection and questioning. Usually, the immigration officer will decide whether to allow you to enter within one minute. If you are allowed to enter, the immigration officer will stamp your passport after the inspection is completed.
Immigration Visa Holder: The applicant's passport will be stamped with an I-551 temporary proof of immigrant status and an entry record, including the immigration visa classification and the expiration date of the temporary immigrant status in the U.S. before the official Green Card is received.
