Travel to Colombia connecting through the USA [duplicate]

My cousin needs to a attend a conference in Cartagena very soon and he is very confused with planning his travel itinerary. The direct flights from India to Cartagena are very expensive and long.

He has a valid business US visa. He wants to travel from India via the USA to Cartagena. Can he return to the USA from Cartagena (JFK or EWR) and onward to India? Will there be any Immigration when he connects in JFK/EWR?

Since he has a valid visa, can he book the tickets via the USA, which saves him time and money?

Best Answer

Yes, your cousin's valid US business visa allows this (I presume it is a B-1 visa, or a combination B-1/B-2).

This is clear from the State Department's page on transit (C) visas:

If you already have a valid visitor (B) visa, you may be able to use it to transit the United States.

The reason they say "may" is because they have in mind the fact that no visa guarantees that the traveler will be admitted by the border officer.

When making the transit through the US, your cousin will need to pass through both immigration and customs controls. Before customs, he will need to retrieve his luggage, and after customs he will need to re-check it.