kdanson

Hi everyone! Hope I can get some advice from Americans that live abroad.

I've been working in Japan for the past year now and my company will be sending me back to the US for a week of training.

This will be my first time back to the States and I was wondering for the Customs Declaration Form, do I fill out the Visitors section then?

Meaning I only fill out the items that will remain in the US, not all the stuff that I've bought (e.g. suit, work clothes, company laptop, etc) since I'll be taking it back? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

jackal

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

The experts about US border clearance issues hang out in the Practical Travel Safety Issues forum, so I'll move your post there for better exposure to those who would know the answer.

Members responding, please note this thread originated in the flame-free Information Desk.

jackal
Moderator, Information Desk

GUWonder

US citizens may be either resident US citizens or non-resident US citizens for tax/customs duty purposes. The duty free allowance varies based on that. Ordinarily people declare the value of what they are going to leave in the US, and that is to be done regardless of citizenship or resident status. It is the resident status of the citizen/person that helps determine how much you can bring to the US for use/keeping in the US without paying duty.

The stuff you are taking out of the US after your visit to the US as a non-resident of the US doesn't count against your non-dutiable allowance/allowance amount as a visitor. If you are somehow still considered a resident of the US, then the assumption may be made that the stuff you have acquired abroad is subject to duty in the US. For clothes that you've used before and taking back to Japan? Commonly not an issue either way. Work laptop is obviously to go back to work abroad and sounds like you are just borrowing it for the period of your employment and have to take it back to Japan. I would expect more issues over food or cash/money stuff than the belongings you mentioned above.

STBCypriot

I always say that I am a visitor because I am a permanent resident of Cyprus now. I do this because if the IRS ever gets a hold of the form (who knows these days?) there will be no confusion over what country I am a resident of. It never occurred to me to be concerned about the customs aspect of the matter because I never have more than $100 worth of items that I am bringing into the US (gifts for family).

GUWonder

It's possible to be a resident in more than one country at the same time; and some who are dual residents don't even know that until the taxation authorities come around. That said, ordinarily it makes sense to be consistent between claims of residence on IRS/Treasury filings and on other documents submitted to the same government.

STBCypriot

I'm intrigued. How is one a resident of more than one country at a time at any given moment? I'm not talking about being a part-year resident in one country and then moving to another country later that same year. Are you referring to being a tax resident, which is not necessarily the same as being a physical resident?

GUWonder

Some people are both tax and physical residents in multiple countries at the same time and live, say, one/two weeks here and one/two weeks there and repeat the cycle each 1/2 weeks; and they do that just about the entire year. Some of these people even have families in each country and routinely physically participate in family and work activities in both countries on a regular basis each and every month throughout the year.

Firebug4

More information would be needed to answer your question definitively. How long will you be working in Japan? Do you have the Japanese equivalent of permanent residency in Japan?

These situations are usually deal with case by case. It really only determines what customs exemptions that you are entitled to. If you have Japanese permanent residency you would be considered by US Customs as a non-resident for your weeklong trip for training.

FB

kdanson

Sorry for the late reply! Thank you everyone for your help, that cleared things up tremendously.

Yup, I have a permanent residency visa in Japan and I'll be here for the foreseeable future.