American citizen traveling back to US with foreign friend
I am a US citizen living abroad. Soon I will return to the US on vacation, but I will be taking a friend with me who is not a US citizen.
There's no issues with visas, rather my question is in regards to the procedure during customs / immigration. Am I allowed to take them with me in the line for US citizens or will they need to separately go through the line designated for visitors?
Edit: Friend is a citizen of a country within the VWP.
Best Answer
The currently accepted answer depends on automated passport control (APC), but not all airports have APC.
I have traveled to the US with non-US-citizen companions on many occasions, beginning around 15 years ago. I've never used APC.
CBP officers have told me on several occasions to bring my non-US companions with me in the US citizens' line. More recently, I have used the diplomats' line because I was traveling with someone who was entitled to use that line.
From these experiences, I infer that the basic principle is for people traveling together to approach passport control together, and to pick whichever line they think is best as long as at least one person in the group is eligible for that line.
This obviously might not apply to APC, since APC can't process all travelers. Since I have never used APC, however, I am not in a position to offer any useful speculation about that.
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Can foreign citizens travel to the US right now?
As of 12:01AM ET on June 12, 2022, CDC will no longer require air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight.What does a U.S. citizen need to reenter the US?
All travelers entering the United States from all other countries need a passport upon arrival (regardless of their country of citizenship). Permanent residents and foreign nationals may also need a U.S. visa. You must apply for a visa before you start your trip.How long is a U.S. citizen allowed to be out of the country?
A US citizen may remain outside the USA forever if he/she so wishes and will never lose his/her US citizenship. All that citizen will need to do is walk into a US embassy every 10 years and simply apply for the renewal of his/her US passport.What does CDC say about traveling?
Do not travel until a full 5 days after your last close contact with the person with COVID-19. It is best to avoid travel for a full 10 days after your last exposure. If you must travel during days 6 through 10 after your last exposure: Get tested at least 5 days after your last close contact.Invitation Letters for USA Visiting Visas
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Answer 2
Your friend is definitely not allowed in the US line. Your better rights don't extend to them just because they're your friend.
The big question that I thought you'd be asking is; are you allowed in the non-US line with them? This one is hazier.
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