I would be truthful (obvs) and succinct: "I'm going to the International Underwater Basket Weavers' Conference in Incontinence, Indiana." Have info about the conference, hotel reservation, return ticket, invitation e-mail, and so on printed out & readily available.
In that case, I'd just add on, "and then going down to Shitkick, Nebrahoma for 5 days to visit my brother and his family." And of course have their contact info handy just in case they decide to call your bluff
When I studied abroad in Paris (pre-dual citizenship), I didn't need a student visa as it was <90 days' duration. They asked me a few questions about where I'd be studying, living, & when I'd be leaving. Didn't need to show them my itinerary or receipts but I had em handy just in case.
We met a Turkish one with a sense of humour
We got passport photos taken professionally but they were AWFUL
Wrong lens- made our noses look twice the size they were
The guard worked through the family, eyebrows slowly rising, got to our youngest (pretty girl & worst photo) & corpsed
As did we all
All the Eastern European checkpoints (many) that I have gone through always seemed less enforced than US checkpoints and a little less "serious" in that you can push and shove to get to the front
The UK also has a rather serious border from my experience
Yeah Anglo countries tend to be the worst in terms of trying to interrogate you. I only had a Schengen border guard question me extensively once (in A Coruña, Spain of all places).
US Immigration lacks sense of humor I'm sure not everyone globally does. Emily's talking about US border security. Nothing is funny to them. They're humorless. It's weird.
Points second and third: this is only valid for a US citizen. A foreigner will have to comply otherwise they might not let you in. So don’t bring anything on your phone or other electronic devices that you are not willing to be “given” to border control.
If you're not going to Disney, don't say that you're going to Disney, it's actually quite expensive these days and thus a more suspicious answer than whatever the truth is.
Eleventh: If you’re one of these people you probably don’t need this thread, but if you do have to travel to complex places, like certain countries in MENA, or countries in conflict with each other, then you can get a second provisional passport.
Twelfth: your answers are as short and simple and factual as they can be. Border agents can and will try to trick you. I’ve had a UK Border Force agent page through my passport and ask, “first time in the UK?”
I know for a fact he saw the stamp in there from 3 weeks prior when I was last there.
US CBP and Canadian CBSA agents test you and some will try to trick or trip you up, too, at Canadian-US border crossings.
But with them, at times the way to get through without a hassle is to BORE them with a long, droning, too-detailed explanation or description of things/people/events.
I’ve had them ask, “you live in Germany, so you speak German?” There’s no sense in lying here but even when my German was rusty I’d say “I’m learning it.” They’ll start looking a little sideways if you’ve lived somewhere for years and aren’t at least trying to learn the local language.
This point in particular is good advice for basically anyone interacting with any enforcement officer, in any domain, under any circumstances, anywhere.
Comments
“What’s your purpose?”
“Attending a business meeting.”
“Are you planning to work?”
You want to say yes to this! Attending a meeting is work, right? Wrong answer.
“Just attending the meeting for my job.”
If I say it was for “research,” they ask questions.
If I say “for a conference,” they have questions.
Vacation? They rarely ask anything.
I do often go to a conference and end up visiting a friend for a few days.
Curious how you’d answer this.
I once was stripped searched in Dallas cause the agent said: "Oh, you live in Hawaii, I visited there once, horrible weather"
My response: "Yeah, it can't compare to Dallas just the worst ever, all sunshine and rainbows in Hawaii"
Bingo
We got passport photos taken professionally but they were AWFUL
Wrong lens- made our noses look twice the size they were
The guard worked through the family, eyebrows slowly rising, got to our youngest (pretty girl & worst photo) & corpsed
As did we all
The UK also has a rather serious border from my experience
“Visiting my family. They live in Wichita. This is their address.”
“Just doing some sightseeing. I’m planning to visit XYZ National Park.”
Again: documentation. If you say you’re going to Disney have tickets to Disney handy.
I know for a fact he saw the stamp in there from 3 weeks prior when I was last there.
But with them, at times the way to get through without a hassle is to BORE them with a long, droning, too-detailed explanation or description of things/people/events.