lzr

When entering the US in LAX, are CBP still taking customs declarations? I would be entering on a non-immigrant work visa and prefer if I did not have to bring an inventory of shirts and underpants with me...

TWA884

Welcome to FlyerTalk lzr,

I doubt that anyone is interested in your clothes and underwear. In any event, U.S. residents receive a duty-free allowance of $800. Visitors only have to declare the value of all articles that will remain in the United States after they depart.

cbn42

I'm not sure I understand your question... if you don't want to bring clothing with you, then you don't need to. What does this have to do with customs?

garykung

Yes and no - You will be still be asked to declare the value. But you need not to itemize.

I believe CBP would be lenient in this situation. Even technically you are not an immigrant, because work visa is generally dual-purpose, CBP would treat you similarly as new immigrants. But just keep in mind - be reasonable, i.e. CBP should not expect the baggage is full of new clothes and stuffs...

lzr

Oh, I guess I would be a visitor to CBP and that would simplify everything. I don't intend to leave much of my stuff in the US.

It is not about not wanting to bring clothing, it is about not wanting to bring a detailed list of what clothing I bring with me, in what amount and in what value.
I expect to arrive with some of my personal valuable electronics. Some of it fairly new. Smartphone, one or two tablets, headphones. No intent to sell or leave them in the US however. Reasonable amount of clothing for the first days, most of it not new, but in good state so it could be insinuated it is new.

cbn42

I think you are completely overthinking this. Unless you are bringing very large amounts of expensive designer-brand clothing, CBP is not going to care.

GUWonder

As you're coming to the country as a visiting non-immigrant and it's a reasonable presumption that most all of what you're bringing to the US -- including used clothes and commonly used day-to-day used electronics -- will leave with you from the US when you leave, most commonly you won't be expected to have declared the value of the used clothes and other used items which you're going to leave with when you leave the US too.

Even as a returning American at US ports of entry a huge number of times, I too have to declare some items at times at US ports of entry. But I've never had used clothes be the issue at US ports of entry. Nor even used consumer electronics at US ports of entry, although I can see electronics being an issue for some people at times.

lzr

Thanks. I am starting to think I really am overthinking this.