US Immigration as a student
Dec 5, 2016, 6:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 2
Student
Hi guys,
I am new to this forum and hoping that someone can help me with my problem. I know that I may sound a little paranoid but I am stressing a lot about my upcoming trip to the USA and hoping that you may have some informations that can reassure me.
I am new to this forum and hoping that someone can help me with my problem. I know that I may sound a little paranoid but I am stressing a lot about my upcoming trip to the USA and hoping that you may have some informations that can reassure me.
Last edited by AnnaLowe33; Jan 19, 2017 at 5:08 pm
Dec 5, 2016, 6:29 am
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2001
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Posts: 102,095
Hi guys,
I am new to this forum and hoping that someone can help me with my problem. I know that I may sound a little paranoid but I am stressing a lot about my upcoming trip to the USA and hoping that you may have some informations that can reassure me.
I am flying to Miami at the end of January with my mother, my boyfriend and two other relatives. We are all swiss citizens and we are traveling as part of the visa waiver program. We are staying in Miami just one night and then flying to Mexico for a ten days vacation. We are getting back home via Miami but not stopping (basically landing in Miami and boarding the plane back to Zurich a couple of hours later). I have been reading a lot of bad reviews about the immigration process in Miami and starting to get really scared. I have been to the States previously with my mother (Miami, Washington DC, New york and Boston) and did not have any problem at immigration (the officer barely looked at us). I study at the univesity (therefore I am jobless) but since I always passed immigration with my mom they never investigated about my financial situation. This time my boyfriend is coming with us on the trip and he is currently studying law at a university in Switzerland (he is also a swiss citizen and no criminal record). I am scared that we may be separated at immigration and that they give him problems because he has no job back in Switzerland. My mother is paying entirely for his trip (even though he is got savings so he could pay for himself without problems). Which documents should he bring with him? I was thinking about writing a letter signed by my mom where she states that she is covering the entire cost of the trip and also having him print his bank account informations to show that he has got some savings. We already have our plane tickets and have already paid for the hotel. Therefore we wont be actual needing a lot of money once in states besides some cash to go shopping. I should also add that he understands english but is not fluent at speaking it. He can speak fluently italian, german and french though.
If you have had some experiences with the us immigration and could advise me on the documents that we should bring I will be extremely grateful
Anna
I am new to this forum and hoping that someone can help me with my problem. I know that I may sound a little paranoid but I am stressing a lot about my upcoming trip to the USA and hoping that you may have some informations that can reassure me.
I am flying to Miami at the end of January with my mother, my boyfriend and two other relatives. We are all swiss citizens and we are traveling as part of the visa waiver program. We are staying in Miami just one night and then flying to Mexico for a ten days vacation. We are getting back home via Miami but not stopping (basically landing in Miami and boarding the plane back to Zurich a couple of hours later). I have been reading a lot of bad reviews about the immigration process in Miami and starting to get really scared. I have been to the States previously with my mother (Miami, Washington DC, New york and Boston) and did not have any problem at immigration (the officer barely looked at us). I study at the univesity (therefore I am jobless) but since I always passed immigration with my mom they never investigated about my financial situation. This time my boyfriend is coming with us on the trip and he is currently studying law at a university in Switzerland (he is also a swiss citizen and no criminal record). I am scared that we may be separated at immigration and that they give him problems because he has no job back in Switzerland. My mother is paying entirely for his trip (even though he is got savings so he could pay for himself without problems). Which documents should he bring with him? I was thinking about writing a letter signed by my mom where she states that she is covering the entire cost of the trip and also having him print his bank account informations to show that he has got some savings. We already have our plane tickets and have already paid for the hotel. Therefore we wont be actual needing a lot of money once in states besides some cash to go shopping. I should also add that he understands english but is not fluent at speaking it. He can speak fluently italian, german and french though.
If you have had some experiences with the us immigration and could advise me on the documents that we should bring I will be extremely grateful
Anna
If he gets an ESTA, then material problems are unlikely.
His university law school ID and online bank account statement is probably enough to address proof of ties to Switzerland. It's not like a Swiss law school student would be more employable in the US than in Europe.
With an ESTA, he and you shouldn't worry if you are following all the rules. Enjoy your trip.
Dec 5, 2016, 10:53 am
#3
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
Moderator's Note:
I moved this thread to the USA forum as passport control and immigration questions for particular countries and territories are generally discussed in the Destinations forums.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Dec 5, 2016, 11:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: GE
Posts: 247
I study at the univesity (therefore I am jobless) but since I always passed immigration with my mom they never investigated about my financial situation. This time my boyfriend is coming with us on the trip and he is currently studying law at a university in Switzerland (he is also a swiss citizen and no criminal record).
I am scared that we may be separated at immigration and that they give him problems because he has no job back in Switzerland. My mother is paying entirely for his trip (even though he is got savings so he could pay for himself without problems). Which documents should he bring with him? I was thinking about writing a letter signed by my mom where she states that she is covering the entire cost of the trip and also having him print his bank account informations to show that he has got some savings.
If it helps anxiety, being prepared with bank statements and letter of support might make it easier to handle any question that might come up.
We already have our plane tickets and have already paid for the hotel. Therefore we wont be actual needing a lot of money once in states besides some cash to go shopping. I should also add that he understands english but is not fluent at speaking it. He can speak fluently italian, german and french though.
Dec 6, 2016, 2:34 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 2
Thank You! You're both right and I am probably worrying too much. The two times I went to New York the officers were extremely nice. I guess that I am worried because my experience at Miami was not really good. I was with two relatives in their 60s that did not speak english. They went before me to the officer and he asked something that they did not understand.Therefore they turned to me asking for help. The officer got up and started screaming "NO NO NO" and made them go back in line. Everyone in the room started looking at us and for the first time in my life I felt like I was a criminal. That's probably why I am scared that I won't be able to help him if necessary. I guess I am too young and inexperienced 
I will probably laugh at this situation in a couple of years. Thank You again
I will probably laugh at this situation in a couple of years. Thank You again
Dec 6, 2016, 3:31 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Thank You! You're both right and I am probably worrying too much. The two times I went to New York the officers were extremely nice. I guess that I am worried because my experience at Miami was not really good. I was with two relatives in their 60s that did not speak english. They went before me to the officer and he asked something that they did not understand.Therefore they turned to me asking for help. The officer got up and started screaming "NO NO NO" and made them go back in line. Everyone in the room started looking at us and for the first time in my life I felt like I was a criminal. That's probably why I am scared that I won't be able to help him if necessary. I guess I am too young and inexperienced I will probably laugh at this situation in a couple of years. Thank You again
I will probably laugh at this situation in a couple of years. Thank You again