What am I supposed to declare when driving from Mexico to the United States, as a US lawful permanent resident?
I am confused regarding what I am supposed to declare when driving from Mexico to the United States, as a US lawful permanent resident and French citizen.
https://www.smartertravel.com/customs-duty-free-guide/, which is for airlines (unsure whether the same applies to entries by land), states:
You’ve been out of the country on a much-deserved vacation. About an hour before your plane lands, the flight attendant hands you a U.S. Customs declaration form. Chances are you purchased a few souvenirs or gifts during your travels—so which ones do you have to declare? The answer: Every item you didn’t have with you when you originally left the United States.
https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/what-do-i-have-to-declare-at-customs-when-entering-the-united-states-31665 states the same:
what items must you declare when entering the United States? In essence, you have to declare any items you purchased and/or are carrying with you upon your return to the United States that you did not have when you left.
I assume that I must also declare any agricultural products and any presence of >10kUSD of cash, regardless of where they come from.
However, a US immigration officer told me during a secondary inspection when I was driving from Mexico to the United States that I should have declared items that I were already in my car when I entered Mexico from the US. When I asked him what specifically I should declare, he mentioned as example that I should have declared my clothes present in my car's trunk as well as my electronics. I was advised that my Global Entry privilege would be revoked if I do the mistake again.
Who's right? The websites or the US immigration officer? If the latter (=meaning that when entering the US from Mexico, I must declare items that I had in my car when I entered Mexico from the US), do I have to declare all items, or just a few types of items?
Best Answer
It would assume that the custom's officer was wrong. I couldn't find any reference to declaring goods on exit, not even for sales tax refunds (which the US doesn't do). Form 6059B is clearly for arrival only and there doesn't appear to exist a departure customs form, so it's unclear HOW to declare it, even if you tried to.
Such a declaration rule would be exceedingly tedious and in all my departures from the US (land, air and sea), I have never seen it done or asked for. For a short period of time I crossed the US/Mexican land border daily and didn't see anything like this (but that's a while ago).
The only exemption that I'm aware of is a so called "Carnet" https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/ata-carnet-faqs which is used to temporarily import and re-export commercial goods without having to pay duty. I've used that once when travelling with expensive and unusual measurement equipment. It would NOT apply to clothes and personal electronics.
Who's right?
Unfortunately that isn't a useful question. There are plenty of customs, security and immigration officers that get things wrong and sometimes even do things that are blatantly illegal.
A traveler has little or no recourse, and in almost all cases your best course of action is to say "Yes, officer", "I'm sorry officer", "I didn't know, officer", "Won't happen again, officer" etc. a lot and hope for the best. As long as there is no permanent damage, that's the end of it. If there is real damage (entry denied, goods confiscated, record created, status revoked, etc.) you can consider complaining of fighting it. Results may be mixed.
In this particular case, I would just ignore it. If you feel nervous about it, you can prep a form 6059B and present it during your next land border departure, but chances are the officer will just say "what the heck do you want with that thing?"
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What documents are needed to cross from Mexico to US?
U.S. citizens must present a valid U.S. passport book or card, in addition to an entry permit (Forma Migratoria Multiple or FMM) issued by Instituto Nacional de Migraci\xf3n (INM). Travelers should be sure to enter Mexico with valid proof of automobile registration, even if remaining in the border zone.Can you cross the US border with permanent resident card?
Permanent residents of the United States (green card holders) must present their passports to enter the U.S. by air, but they only have to show their legal resident cards to cross the border by land or sea.What documentation do I need to cross the border?
When entering the United States, U.S. citizens are required to show passport, U.S. passport card, Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry or FAST) or an Enhanced Driver's License. Resident aliens must possess a green card.Can you cross the Mexican border with a green card?
They have the same rights as any US citizen, even when traveling outside the United States. Therefore any green card holder who plans to go to Mexico needs a valid passport from their country of origin. With your foreign passport plus the green card, you will be allowed to enter Mexico by air, sea or land.Which Countries Can You Visit with a US Green Card?
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