Well, well... Here we are!
Orlando, my fellow world traveler!
Now what?
Can you just take a taxi a go to the hotel?
Actually, it might take at least an hour from landing to actually leave the airport.
But before anything else, even before baggage claim,
you need to go through immigration.
They're the ones who'll allow you into the country.
Now, some countries like the US
require that you apply for a visa before flying.
Once you have the visa, you probably think that you're safe
from being denied entry, right?
Not really!
The first thing we need to understand is the following:
Some countries, like the US,
require an entry visa depending on your nationality.
This is the visa you apply for in your country.
But what grants you the right to stay in a country for a certain period of time
is the visa stamp you get at the Immigration Office in the US.
And that is why the content of this video is so important,
we're talking about the moment you go through immigration at the airport.
Now, visa requirements will depend on the diplomatic agreements between countries.
As we're talking about Orlando,
let's see the type of visa they have in the United States.
Among these visas, there are several different categories for athletes,
people travelling on business, temporary workers,
military officers and so on.
Do you know what this means?
It means that the purpose of your trip must be clear,
because if you have a tourist visa, but you're travelling on business,
then you might run into a problem.
Make sure you do your research right and apply for the visa you really need.
Ok?
Visas are usually valid for 5 to 10 years, depending on the country,
and they're kind of costly.
But you don't need to get one too often.
So, a few things you need to do before travelling,
or even before buying your ticket are:
Some of these documents are:
Bear in mind that if your visa is in an expired passport,
you should take both passports with you.
The expired one with the visa and the valid one.
Also,
your passport must be valid for at least six months past the entry date.
For example:
If you enter the US on May 12th,
your passport must be until November 12th, otherwise you won't be allowed in.
Important, remember that!
This will assure that you're travelling legally.
It's also desirable that you take your travel insurance certificate with you.
The health system in the US is mostly private and expensive.
So, travel insurance is required because it covers:
Nothing too nice there, right? But believe it,
having travel insurance will save you some occasional trouble.
As I usually say,
insurance is the kind of thing we should have but never need to use.
You'll probably need to present it, because they want to make sure
you won't stay past the date you're scheduled to return.
You'll also need to show:
Now, don't wait until you're in the country to find an accommodation
or you might not even leave the airport!
And last, but not least:
The officer might need to check how much money you're bringing in
to be sure you won't stay past the date you're scheduled to return,
or cause any problems.
In the US, the Department of Homeland Security
is represented at the airport by CBP.
Which stands for Customs and Border Protection.
CBP is responsible for the immigration service,
you'll most definitely talk to some officers and this is a very important moment.
So, pay attention!
Some good advice to prepare for the immigration control interview is:
First of all,
have all the documents you need at hand.
As you wait in line, keep them together so you can present them when requested.
When you're called to the counter, be natural and hand your passport.
Don't forget to greet the officer!
Smile!
Some questions they may ask are:
This is to know the origin of your flight, and at this moment,
you need to inform the last country you have been in,
in case you had a connecting flight.
As I've said before, you might answer:
Be honest and tell the truth.
Also,
bear in mind they'll cross what you say with the type of visa you have.
You'll also answer the following question:
You'll answer this question stating the period you'll be in the country.
Whether it's one week, ten days, two weeks or one month, for example.
You usually cannot stay in a country for more than 6 months under a tourist visa.
You may also be asked:
If you plan to travel around the country,
you'll only face immigration when you get to the airport
after an international flight.
Domestic flights don't usually involve immigration,
but it's advisable to keep your passport with you at all times.
It is important to tell them the cities you'll be visiting,
and remember to have all hotel reservations and tickets at hand.
See, this is the question
after you'll probably have to show proof of your hotel reservation.
You might hear some other specific questions, such as:
Or, about alcoholic beverages.
By asking these questions, the agents want to check
if you really know about your trip and are not proving false information.
The immigration interview is a pretty serious thing,
so you must be honest in all your answers.
Everyone gets a bit nervous about it...
Well, being questioned is not the most comfortable situation in the world, right?
But there's nothing to fear,
if you get nervous because of the language, you can ask for a translator.
And you can do that by asking:
By the end of the interview,
you'll be asked to get your fingerprint scanned,
and your picture taken.
And that's it about immigration! See?
It could be a bit nerve wrecking, I'll give you that.
But it's not the end of the world.
Don't forget to do the follow up activities!
And on the next video,
we'll talk about baggage claim.
See you soon!