Having a visa or an ESTA doesn't guarantee entry into the United States. The final decision is made at the airport by an officer from CBP, US Customs and Border Protection, in a conversation that lasts a minute or two. The immigration questions are almost always the same: why you're coming, how long you'll stay, where you'll sleep, what you do for a living. What changes is how you answer. In fiscal year 2025, CBP processed 419 million travelers and sent 3% of them to a more detailed inspection. This guide explains what US immigration asks, what to have on hand, what happens in secondary inspection and whether they can search your phone. Last checked September 28, 2026.
Key points before you land
- Who decides: the CBP officer, not the visa. A visa only allows you to request entry.
- What they ask: the purpose of your trip, how long, where you're staying, your job and sometimes how much money you're carrying.
- Photo on entry: since December 2025, CBP photographs every foreign national, of any age.
- Secondary inspection: happens to 3% of travelers and doesn't mean you'll be refused entry.
- Your phone: CBP can search it, but it happens in fewer than 0.01% of cases.
- Never lie. A lie can cost you entry and your visa forever.
Arriving at the airport, step by step
- Get off the plane and follow the "Arrivals" or "Immigration" signs. Foreign nationals go to the visitors line, not the citizens line.
- Your turn at the booth. Hand over your passport with your visa or, if you have an ESTA, just your passport.
- Photo and fingerprints. Since December 26, 2025, CBP takes a facial photo of every foreign national on entry and exit, without the age exemptions that existed before. Fingerprints still follow their own age rules.
- The questions. A couple of minutes, in English or another language depending on the officer.
- Admission. If everything is fine, the officer hands your passport back. Your entry record, the I-94, is electronic and you can look it up online.
- Baggage and customs. Collect your bags and go through the customs check, where you declare food and money.
The immigration questions you'll hear most
CBP doesn't publish a list, but during inspection the officer has to confirm your identity, your nationality, that you're admissible and what you're bringing. Almost every question comes from that.
- What is the purpose of your trip? "Tourism" or "vacation," and if they ask for more, your actual plan.
- How long will you stay? A number, not "I don't know."
- Where will you be staying? The name of the hotel or the address of whoever is hosting you.
- What do you do back home? Your job or studies, in one sentence.
- Are you traveling alone or with others?
- How much money are you bringing, or how will you pay for the trip?
- Are you bringing any food, fruit or plants?
- Have you been to the United States before?
Answer briefly, with facts, and consistently with what you said when you applied for your visa. If you're on a tourist visa, don't say you're coming to "look for opportunities" or "do a few jobs," even as a figure of speech. To the officer, that means working without authorization.
Documents to have ready at immigration
What's mandatory is your passport and visa, or an approved ESTA. What's recommended is having, on your phone or printed, whatever backs up your answers.
- Your return ticket. For ESTA travelers, it's an explicit requirement of the program.
- Your hotel reservation or the address where you're staying.
- Proof of your job or studies, in case they ask.
- Cards or money to cover your stay.
The official I-94 page notes that the officer may ask for proof of residence, employment and travel plans. You don't need to carry a folder, but you should be able to show your reservation if the question comes up.
Secondary inspection: what it is and what happens there
Sometimes the officer asks you to follow them to a separate room. That's secondary inspection, and in fiscal year 2025 it happened to 11.6 million travelers, 3% of the total. It can be triggered by a detail that doesn't match, a name similar to another one in a database, a random check or an answer that didn't convince. There they ask more questions and review documents, which can take anywhere from minutes to hours.
It's not a refusal. Most people leave secondary and continue their trip. Stay calm, give the same answers as at the booth and, if you have a connecting flight, contact the airline afterward.
If the officer decides you're not admissible, in some cases they offer to let you withdraw your application for admission and return on the next flight, at CBP's discretion. That's very different from a formal removal, and it's worth asking whether that option exists before signing anything.
Can they search my phone at immigration?
Yes. CBP can search phones, computers and other devices at the border. But it's much less common than people think. In fiscal year 2025 it carried out 55,318 device searches, 50,922 basic and 4,396 advanced, out of 419 million travelers: fewer than 0.01%. An advanced search, which copies or analyzes the content, requires reasonable suspicion and a supervisor's approval.
If you're a foreign national and you refuse to unlock your device, CBP can take that into account when deciding whether to admit you. The sensible approach is to travel with nothing on your phone you wouldn't want to explain.
Food, medicine and money
You must declare all food, including fruit, meat, seeds and plants. Declaring isn't a problem, because anything that can't come in is discarded and you move on. Not declaring is, because the fine can reach $1,000 for a first offense. If you're carrying more than $10,000, it must be declared too; see how much money to bring to the US.
Mobile Passport Control: who can use it
CBP's free app lets you speed up the process at some airports. It can be used by US citizens and residents, Canadian visitors and ESTA travelers who have already entered once on that same ESTA. Travelers on a B1/B2 tourist visa can't use it.
What never to do in front of the officer
- Lie. A false statement makes you permanently inadmissible under immigration law and can cancel your visa on the spot.
- Joke about weapons, drugs or staying to live. They take it seriously.
- Contradict what you said in your visa application. The officer can see your history.
- Overstay your authorized time. More than 180 days of unlawful presence bars you from returning for 3 years, and more than a year, for 10.
Once you're through, a few practical things help from day one: an eSIM for mobile data and knowing how much to tip.
Frequently asked questions
What does US immigration ask when you arrive?
The purpose of your trip, how long you'll stay, where you're staying, what you do for a living and sometimes how much money you're carrying or whether you have food.
Does a visa guarantee I'll be let in?
No. A visa allows you to request entry. The final decision is made by the CBP officer at the airport.
What is secondary inspection?
A more detailed review in a separate room. In 2025 it happened to 3% of travelers, and most continue their trip afterward.
Can they search my phone when I enter the US?
Yes, CBP can, but it happens to fewer than 0.01% of travelers. An advanced search requires reasonable suspicion and a supervisor's approval.
Do they take my photo when I enter the US?
Yes. Since December 26, 2025, CBP photographs every foreign national on entry and exit, including children and people over 79.