Noorah101

How else will you get it to her?

Rene

Pulaski

I did. It's arguably not a good idea. I couldn't think of an alternative given that Mrs P wanted to have a British, hallmarked ring, which is what I wanted for her too.

tht

My younger brother brought his over to cycle from SF to NYC, he brought it in a cardboard box for free (on Virgin Atlantic), and packed in cloths to protect it. He had no issues, the biggest hassle was going around all the bike shops to find an empty box to take it home again. I think he did it in about 2 months so no visa waiver issues and he did not report any issues at immigration. I organised for a friend in Los Altos hills to pick him up and let him stay a night (he needed an address for the customs form).

zzrmark

Hi Tintin,
Like yourself I find myself bouncing to and from the US and, whilst it may be hard to do in the pre-flight run up, I find it best not to worry as they'll either let you in or they won't and there's not much we can do about if it's the latter!!
I'm on my 4th (sub-90 days, just!) trip to the US at the moment, this time I've returned in a shorter length of time than I last spent here which means that I'll have spent more time in the US over the last 12 months than out of it - awaits knock on door from IRS....

I too squirmed when I brought the ring across but encountered no problems.
This trip I paid for an extra bag and carried 1 x 23kg carry-on full of books, 1 x 24kg checked bag (which they didn't charge me extra for ) that was laden with ice climbing gear (ice axes, crampons and plastic boots!), specialist mountaineering jackets and a 9" hand held circular saw and a second 23kg checked 'bag' which comprised a steel cantilever toolbox stuffed with specialist vehicle repair tools!!!
Other than the jackets my holiday wardrobe consisted of 3 mountaineering jackets, a handful of undies and what I was wearing (previous trips having left me with a bountiful wardrobe in Florida and one for which I have little use in the UK )
Customs didn't even ask the usual 'purpose of visit' question, just looked at my passport and wished me a nice day - despite the fact that I can't perform work on a VWP and Podunk International, Tampa, Florida in summer is not the first destination that springs to mind for ice climbing

Chill and have a great trip

ian-mstm

I'm not surprised. Customs deals with stuff you bring into the US; immigration deals with people!

Ian

Pulaski

Anyhow, Customs didn't need to ask, they already knew. ...... Ice climbing!

zzrmark

I should have been more specific

...neither the officer at the first (immigration?) 'desk' nor the second (customs?) 'desk' had any more to say than 'have a nice day!

crg

It's been about a dozen years since Customs and Immigration merged into Customs and Border Protection. Theoretically the customs and immigration questions can be asked at any point in the process.

Enigma368

The customs guy(the last guy before entering the arrivals hall who you hand the customs form to) asked me what my profession was on my last trip to LAX. He seemed to be making conversation mostly but I got the impression if I said something stupid, that he could pursue further. I personally wouldn't assume I have entered the US successfully until after the customs check - although obviously by far the main checkpoint is the first CBP agent who you do fingerprints with etc.

zzrmark

Tampa has gone over to using the electronic entry system as I believe have many other international US airports. I got the impression that in order to make the desk officer feel less redundant they now have him collect customs form filled out on the plane

Amie06

Atlanta has the same system now, as long as you have visited the US previously you can use the electronic entry system.

Regards friend/girlfriend question, i was engaged prior to getting K1 and always said "visiting fiancee" when arriving in US, "when you getting married?" "when my divorce is through and K1 is issued" no problems encountered.

crg

That's a good assumption and it's backed up by the Correa v. Thornburgh court decision.

The person has to essentially pass the last possible checkpoint at the airport, even if the passport was already stamped, before entry has occurred.

BIA case law, synthesized in Matter of Pierre, 14 I & N Dec. 467 (BIA 1973), has led to the formulation of a more precise test of whether an entry into the United States for immigration purposes has occurred:
An entry involves: (1) a crossing into the territorial limits of the United States, i.e. physical presence; (2)(a) an inspection and admission by an immigration officer or (b) actual and intentional evasion of inspection at the nearest inspection point; and (3) freedom from official restraint.

...

In the instant case, Correa was never free from official restraint prior to her arrest on August 21, 1982 and thus never entered the United States. As Inspector Brown's uncontroverted affidavit makes clear, at all times during Correa's processing, she remained in a restricted area, known as the "Customs Enclosure", where access and egress were controlled by exit control officers, and by Customs, Immigration, and USDA officers assigned to the area.7 Had she attempted to leave the enclosure, she would have been prevented from doing so by Inspector Brown, other Immigration, Customs or USDA officers, or the exit control officer. Petitioner was thus never free to physically enter the United States or to go at large and mix with the general population. See Ex parte Chow Chok, 161 F. 627, 629, 632 (C.C.N.D.N.Y.), aff'd, 163 F. 1021 (2d Cir.1908); Lazarescu, 199 F.2d at 900; Vasilatos, 209 F.2d at 197.