Arriving in the U.S.

A visa allows you to travel from your country to a port of entry in the United States. In many cases, that port of entry will be the airport where you land. On the airplane you will be asked to complete a short arrival/departure form.

When you deplane, follow directions for non-citizen entry. At the airport, a U.S. official will interview you and verify all of your paperwork. Once admitted, you will receive an immigration stamp and proceed to baggage claim and U.S. Customs.

In most cases, the consular officer in your home country will inform you if you should register when you arrive in the U.S. The fact that you are not notified in advance does not mean that you cannot be registered, however. An inspector from the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security, part of the Department of Homeland Security, also may ask you to register at the port of arrival.

By 2005, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is required by law to register all of the approximately 35 million visitors who enter and leave the United States each year.

Registration consists of a few basic steps.

First you will be directed to a private workstation in the arrivals hall of the airport or border crossing. Registration, photos and electronic (non-inking) fingerprints will be taken there in private, and an interview and verification process covering basic biographical data will be conducted by a border officer.

During the registration process you may be temporarily separated from your family. They will be guided to wait for you in an adjoining area. Depending on individual circumstances, some or all of your family may also be asked to follow registration procedures.

The average processing time for the registration process is 18 minutes. Every effort is made to ensure that the process is efficient, straightforward and respectful.

Following registration, you will receive an immigration stamp and then proceed to baggage claim and U.S. Customs. See registration for more information.