Experience of US CBP as solo traveler [closed]
I'm planning to go to NYC for a week in March for a holiday. This would be my first transatlantic solo trip and first time in the US in over six years. I am (by birth and through parents) a citizen of two VWP countries and (since late 2020) also naturalized British. I have been to the US several times (as a teenager/young adult with family in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2015, and alone on a J-1 visa in 2010-11) using either of my two "native" passports, and with an ESTA in 2009 and 2015. (Choice was made depending on passport validity/whether it was electronic etc.) During my latest trip in 2015 I flew in from Canada and could not use the automated kiosks as Montreal airport staff directed me immediately to a CBP agent, even if I was using the same passport I had used in 2008 and 2010.
As I will be flying to the US from the UK, I have applied for and received an ESTA using my new British passport. I have a couple of questions:
- Will I be able to use the self-kiosks? Or will I have to go through the finger-print etc. processing again as I'm flying with a new passport from a new country?
- Should I bring my previous passports at all?
- Do you think any of this (multiple citizenships, solo travel, etc.) would cause any further questioning from CBP staff? I am an anxiety-prone person and tend to imagine worst-case scenarios. I am a single man, in his late 20s, homeowner, studying full-time and receiving a grant in the UK. Never been in trouble with the law. Any chance of any of this causing extra scrutiny or any issues for my solo trip? Thanks!
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Why do I get stopped at customs?
Generally, customs officers may stop people at the border to determine whether they are admissible to the United States, and they may search people's belongings for contraband. This is true even if there is nothing suspicious about you or your luggage.What is traveler compliance check?
The Traveler Compliance Check is a tool to assist travelers in determining if they have violated their terms of admission. It is not a legally binding determination of inadmissibility.What questions do they ask at the US border?
Be Prepared for Questions From CBP Officials- Why are you visiting the United States? ...
- Where will you be staying? ...
- Who will you be visiting? ...
- How long will you be staying? ...
- How much money do you have available for this trip? ...
- Have you visited the United States before, and if so, how long did you stay?
What are customs looking for?
As you'll be carrying every piece of baggage that you're traveling with right there, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol will essentially do an audit of what you say you're bringing into the country. CBP Agents are primarily looking for anything taxable, illicit, illegal, prohibited or suspicious.FLYING ALONE INTERNATIONALLY FOR THE 1ST TIME (as a minor)
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