What do they ask at the border on first entry?

Usually simple things: the purpose of the trip, who you will work for and where, where you will live. Answer briefly, honestly and consistently with your visa. A long "interrogation" is rare; a calm short answer beats a rehearsed speech.

What is the I-94 and why check it?

The I-94 is the electronic record of your admission: the status class and the authorized stay. It, not the visa, defines your status in the US. After entry, check it at cbp.gov/i94: errors in class or date happen and are corrected through CBP (deferred inspection).

When does the green card arrive after entry?

After the USCIS Immigrant Fee is paid, the card is produced and mailed to your US address - usually within weeks, sometimes longer. Until then the stamp/visa in your passport serves as a temporary green card (typically up to a year). Keep your address current (AR-11 if you move).

Can I enter later than planned?

You must enter within the visa validity - the date is on the visa itself (for an immigrant visa it is often tied to the medical exam validity). You cannot enter after that date; if you cannot make it, contact the consulate in advance.

What should I do in the first weeks after first entry on an immigrant visa?

Check your electronic I-94 record at cbp.gov/i94 and correct any errors through CBP. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee if you did not do it before entry - the plastic green card is not produced without it. Keep the US mailing address for the card current (form AR-11 if you move); until it arrives, the stamp/visa in your passport serves as a temporary green card. The SSN often arrives automatically if the DS-260 checkbox was ticked; otherwise request it at an SSA office.

Must the first entry be to "my" state?

No. You can enter through any US port of entry and live where you plan to. What matters is that the green-card mailing address is current and your plans are consistent with what you said during the process.

After the visa

US port of entry in 2026: CBP questions and the I-94 check

Updated: September 30, 2026Author: Alina Kanametova

Key answer

Admission is granted by the CBP officer: the questions are simple - answer briefly, honestly and consistently with your visa. After entry, check your electronic I-94 record at cbp.gov/i94. With an immigrant visa you are a permanent resident from admission: pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee and the plastic green card arrives by mail to your US address.

Visa in hand - one last step remains, and it is the one many fear: the border. A frequent chat question: "what do I answer at entry if questioned?" The short answer: calmly, briefly and consistently with your visa. Below is how admission works, what to check after entry (the I-94) and what happens with the green card. Reference, not legal advice.

The border: the CBP officer decides, the questions are simple

Admission to the US is granted by the CBP officer at the port of entry. The questions are usually simple: purpose of the trip, where you will work and live. Answer briefly, honestly and consistently with your visa type - no rehearsed speeches. The visa in your passport gets you to the border; admission is granted on the spot, and in the vast majority of cases it is routine.

O-1: papers at hand and the I-94 check

On O-1, keep your passport with the visa and a copy of the I-797 approval handy. Admission is usually to the petition validity (plus up to 10 days). After entry, CHECK your electronic I-94 record at cbp.gov/i94: errors in class or date happen, and they are worth correcting (via deferred inspection or a CBP office) before they cause status problems.

Immigrant visa: you are a resident from admission

With an immigrant visa, permanent-resident status begins FROM admission. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee (before or after entry) - the card is not produced without it. The stamp/visa in your passport works as a temporary green card (typically up to a year), and the plastic card arrives by mail to your US address - keep the address current (form AR-11 if you move). The SSN often arrives automatically if the DS-260 checkbox was ticked, or can be requested later at an SSA office.

What not to do

Do not embellish or invent - misrepresentation at the border hurts future cases more than any awkward answer. Do not argue with the officer. If you are sent to secondary inspection, it is routine, not an accusation: the same questions in more detail, a closer look at documents.

An immigrant visa at the border and the first months: from embassy handouts and the USCIS guide

From the US Consulate General Sydney handout on what happens after the visa is issued (August 2024) and the USCIS guide for new immigrants M-618 in Russian, both shared in the chats; checked Sep 30, 2026 against travel.state.gov, uscis.gov and cbp.gov.

Check the visa before travelling. The name, date of birth and passport number on the visa must match the passport; the consulate fixes errors, so tell it at once. If the passport has expired but the visa in it is valid, show the old passport with the visa together with the new one - provided the names and nationality are the same.
A sealed packet or "IV DOCS IN CCD". Some get a sealed packet of documents for CBP: it stays closed and is handed to the officer at the port of entry; a slightly worn packet is fine, an opened one must go back to the consulate for resealing. If the visa is annotated "IV DOCS IN CCD", the packet is electronic and only the passport is needed. The CBP officer may inspect the person, baggage and belongings (19 CFR 162.6).
The green card address. The card delivery address can be corrected with the CBP officer at entry; after that, in a USCIS online account or on form AR-11. Any move inside the US must be reported to USCIS within 10 days.
Who does not pay the Immigrant Fee. The fee is paid online, preferably before travel; it can be paid after entry too - USCIS then sends a notice, and no card is made until it is paid. K visa holders (fiancé(e)s and their children), returning residents (SB-1), orphan and Hague adoptees and Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants are exempt.
A marriage under two years - conditional status. If a spouse-based immigrant (CR1, CR2) enters before the second wedding anniversary, residence is conditional. The joint I-751 is filed in the 90 days before the second anniversary of admission; without it the status ends automatically.
A resident's obligations. The USCIS guide M-618 lists: carry proof of status at all times, file tax returns as a resident (declaring yourself a nonresident can be read as abandoning status), men aged 18 through 25 register with Selective Service, report moves within 10 days. For absences over a year, get a reentry permit first (Form I-131, valid up to 2 years); without it such a trip may require a returning resident (SB-1) visa.

Documents: US Consulate General Sydney: "What happens after my visa is issued", August 2024 (from the chats); USCIS: "Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants", M-618-R, rev. 09/15 (from the chats); State Department: DV "After the Interview"; USCIS: Immigrant Fee, AR-11, travel as a permanent resident; CBP: search authority - checked Sep 30, 2026.

FAQ

What do they ask at the border on first entry?: Usually simple things: the purpose of the trip, who you will work for and where, where you will live. Answer briefly, honestly and consistently with your visa. A long "interrogation" is rare; a calm short answer beats a rehearsed speech.
What is the I-94 and why check it?: The I-94 is the electronic record of your admission: the status class and the authorized stay. It, not the visa, defines your status in the US. After entry, check it at cbp.gov/i94: errors in class or date happen and are corrected through CBP (deferred inspection).
When does the green card arrive after entry?: After the USCIS Immigrant Fee is paid, the card is produced and mailed to your US address - usually within weeks, sometimes longer. Until then the stamp/visa in your passport serves as a temporary green card (typically up to a year). Keep your address current (AR-11 if you move).
Can I enter later than planned?: You must enter within the visa validity - the date is on the visa itself (for an immigrant visa it is often tied to the medical exam validity). You cannot enter after that date; if you cannot make it, contact the consulate in advance.
What should I do in the first weeks after first entry on an immigrant visa?: Check your electronic I-94 record at cbp.gov/i94 and correct any errors through CBP. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee if you did not do it before entry - the plastic green card is not produced without it. Keep the US mailing address for the card current (form AR-11 if you move); until it arrives, the stamp/visa in your passport serves as a temporary green card. The SSN often arrives automatically if the DS-260 checkbox was ticked; otherwise request it at an SSA office.
Must the first entry be to "my" state?: No. You can enter through any US port of entry and live where you plan to. What matters is that the green-card mailing address is current and your plans are consistent with what you said during the process.

From community discussions

«Based on YC you can prove the other criteria: Membership - show the low acceptance rate; Awards - $500k of investment; Media - get PR publications about your startup; Original Contributions - if there's traction, show how important it is for the industry (testimonials, LoIs, MRR); Critical Employment - show the key role; High remuneration - depends on the startup.»
Egor · from public community chats
«When I filed my EB-1A case on my own, I included materials for Leading or Critical Role, but by mistake I merged them with Original Contributions and didn't break them out separately. Only after getting the RFE did I realize this was wrong. Can I add this criterion separately when responding to the RFE?»
Ainur · from public community chats
«For the EB it's all the same as for the O-1, but with increased weight. For developers you need major projects where you were indispensable and can prove it; work at very large and well-known companies; talks at specialized conferences; judging at IT contests; several interviews about you in media at the RBC level; recommendation letters from weighty figures; a job offer in the US.»
Sergey · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

What the I-94 is and how to check it Consular process Family: O-3 & children Green-card path

Sources

Reference information and community experience, not legal advice. The admission decision is made by the CBP officer; verify rules and your I-94 on cbp.gov/i94 and uscis.gov.

What the chats ask about entry and the border

1×When entering on an immigration visa, is the I-94 provided at the border?
1×How long after entering on O-1 can one apply for EB-1A?
1×Discuss the risks 1. Applying for O-1 from abroad 2. Obtaining a visa at the consulate 3. Entering the USA 4. Immediate submission of I-140 5. After final relocation to the USA, submit I-485
1×Discuss the risks 1. Entering the USA on B1/B2 2. Immediately after entry, applying for O-1 3. After obtaining the O-1, immediately submit I-140
1×If there is no I-94 form.
1×If there is approval for I-140, can an officer deny entry on a tourist visa?

Community answers

Do you need to get a new F-1 visa if a person is already in the United States and wants to study?: If a person is already in the United States, in some cases they can change status inside the United States instead of getting a visa at a consulate, but study usually requires an I-20 and compliance with status requirements. A visa in the passport and status inside the United States are different things, so it is important not to confuse them and to account for I-94/status timelines.

Where people go wrong - from the chats

mistakeIf the I-94 for a child or another family member shows no record, you should not ignore it. The data should be rechecked by name spelling, passport, and date of birth, and if needed, you should request a correction.

Myths and reality

Myth: Advance parole guarantees entry into the U.S.

In reality: Advance parole allows you to arrive at a port of entry and request admission, but it does not guarantee actual entry. The final decision is made by the officer at the border.

Myth: I-94 is always issued only up to the expiration date of the visa stamp.

In reality: The period of authorized stay on the I-94 and the validity period of the visa stamp are different things. The visa is needed for entry, while the I-94 determines the authorized period of stay; in some categories, the I-94 may extend beyond the visa validity period.

Rules and tips from the chats

ruleAfter entering the United States, it is important to check the I-94: the status expiration date may differ from the visa expiration date in the passport, and errors are best corrected in advance, especially if the I-94 will be needed for future documents.
ruleI-94 is usually not updated on its own inside the country; a change in the record is often tied to a new entry or a separate status change procedure.
tipFor F-1 status, status is usually maintained with a valid I-20 and compliance with the academic program. The I-94 often states duration of status, so an extension depends on continuing the studies and updating the documents.
ruleStatus in the United States can be obtained by entering on the appropriate visa or by changing status inside the country; upon departure, the current status effectively ends, and the current data is recorded in I-94.
ruleAfter immigrant entry, an I-94 is usually not issued. Instead, a temporary I-551 stamp is placed, which confirms permanent resident status until the physical green card is received.
common questionBefore entry, applicants often gather experiences about border inspection at a specific airport because officers' questions and the length of secondary inspection can vary depending on the port of entry.

Questions and answers on the site

Distilled from the public community chats, anonymised; corpus as of June 2026. These are participants' observations, not legal advice and not USCIS statistics.