What NOT to say during border check

[OldUser 9,885]

4 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Put it on my work phone.  Actually installed it upon landing while transiting to the immigration arrivals hall.

Wise move! Do you remember whether it asked for camera access, file access etc?

Edited Saturday at 03:16 PM by OldUser

[Dashinka 25,848]

5 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Wise move! Do you remember whether it asked for camera access, file access etc?

Yes to camera, no to file access.  I don’t have anything on my work phone anyway, but it did need camera access to take a picture.

[johnsnow1234 7]

Hey all thanks for the helpful advice so far! I told her to adjust her plans so that while her first trip may be 60 days, her subsequent trips should be a month or less at a time, and she was OK with that.

 

We do have an accountant and an immigration lawyer who assisted my wife on her options to go visit the kids etc., which is how we ended up at filing the I-130. Since I also make a decent chunk from a passive business in the US, I have been simultaneously paying both federal and state taxes, as well as Japanese taxes here, for over the past decade.  I have had to deal with foreign earned income/tax credits, so that's definitely on my radar.

 

Re my wife's ties to Japan, well she's got several million (in US value) in her name here, including the house we currently live in and a separate "vacation home" that we go to for fishing. It also has a farm attached to it that sells produce and cute little bonsai trees.  Literally all of her family is here as well, as well as her dogs.  She, as the eldest child, also stands to inherit a lot from her parents. No job though, since she's retired and doesn't need the money.  I told her to take documentation and photos with her just in case they ask.

 

Just to rant a bit, my wife actually gives me a lot of ####### for being a US citizen lol. She says we wouldn't have "lost our kids" to America if I wasn't a citizen, and blames me for putting her in this position. Believe it or not, a lot of Japanese believe Japan is the greatest county in the world, absolutely refuse to learn any English, and so few consider emigrating to the US to be a good option, which is probably why so few Japanese end up in America. So while I do get the skepticsm here that we may be trying to skirt some rules, trust me, my wife really doesn't want to go to America or become a US citizen lol.  But as I said, we're doing this to be closer to the kids and not end up as empty nesters. And I don't want my wife to blame me even more if she ends up being mistreated in secondary or denied entry, which is why I'm here trying to come up with a script for her to memorize and practice before she goes!  

[S2N 313]

21 minutes ago, johnsnow1234 said:

Hey all thanks for the helpful advice so far! I told her to adjust her plans so that while her first trip may be 60 days, her subsequent trips should be a month or less at a time, and she was OK with that.

 

We do have an accountant and an immigration lawyer who assisted my wife on her options to go visit the kids etc., which is how we ended up at filing the I-130. Since I also make a decent chunk from a passive business in the US, I have been simultaneously paying both federal and state taxes, as well as Japanese taxes here, for over the past decade.  I have had to deal with foreign earned income/tax credits, so that's definitely on my radar.

 

Re my wife's ties to Japan, well she's got several million (in US value) in her name here, including the house we currently live in and a separate "vacation home" that we go to for fishing. It also has a farm attached to it that sells produce and cute little bonsai trees.  Literally all of her family is here as well, as well as her dogs.  She, as the eldest child, also stands to inherit a lot from her parents. No job though, since she's retired and doesn't need the money.  I told her to take documentation and photos with her just in case they ask.

 

Just to rant a bit, my wife actually gives me a lot of ####### for being a US citizen lol. She says we wouldn't have "lost our kids" to America if I wasn't a citizen, and blames me for putting her in this position. Believe it or not, a lot of Japanese believe Japan is the greatest county in the world, absolutely refuse to learn any English, and so few consider emigrating to the US to be a good option, which is probably why so few Japanese end up in America. So while I do get the skepticsm here that we may be trying to skirt some rules, trust me, my wife really doesn't want to go to America or become a US citizen lol.  But as I said, we're doing this to be closer to the kids and not end up as empty nesters. And I don't want my wife to blame me even more if she ends up being mistreated in secondary or denied entry, which is why I'm here trying to come up with a script for her to memorize and practice before she goes!  

Sounds like you’re doing everything right and have competent professional advice. Go with what they say.

 

Sorry you faced a lot of skepticism initially here. Your circumstances aren’t cookie cutter but what you’re doing is clearly allowed within the current U.S. immigration system. It’s just not all that common for someone to file an I-130 and let it sit at NVC for a long time in order to reunite with your kids in the U.S. once you’re ready to retire (or whenever, but you get my point.)

 

Its a super smart strategy though that will significantly shorten the time once/if you guys are ready, and it seems like you’re getting a lawyer who is planning for your long-term success, which is good.

 

Best of luck. If you have any questions about more practical stuff that it wouldn’t make sense to check with the lawyer about, we’re here. Also if you just want to check in overall  

If you take one piece of our advice here: have her apply for global entry now and do enrollment on arrival on her first trip. It’ll make the future trips much easier.

Edited Saturday at 06:20 PM by S2N

[Aquabac 8]

23 hours ago, johnsnow1234 said:

Hey all thanks for the helpful advice so far! I told her to adjust her plans so that while her first trip may be 60 days, her subsequent trips should be a month or less at a time, and she was OK with that.

 

We do have an accountant and an immigration lawyer who assisted my wife on her options to go visit the kids etc., which is how we ended up at filing the I-130. Since I also make a decent chunk from a passive business in the US, I have been simultaneously paying both federal and state taxes, as well as Japanese taxes here, for over the past decade.  I have had to deal with foreign earned income/tax credits, so that's definitely on my radar.

 

Re my wife's ties to Japan, well she's got several million (in US value) in her name here, including the house we currently live in and a separate "vacation home" that we go to for fishing. It also has a farm attached to it that sells produce and cute little bonsai trees.  Literally all of her family is here as well, as well as her dogs.  She, as the eldest child, also stands to inherit a lot from her parents. No job though, since she's retired and doesn't need the money.  I told her to take documentation and photos with her just in case they ask.

 

Just to rant a bit, my wife actually gives me a lot of ####### for being a US citizen lol. She says we wouldn't have "lost our kids" to America if I wasn't a citizen, and blames me for putting her in this position. Believe it or not, a lot of Japanese believe Japan is the greatest county in the world, absolutely refuse to learn any English, and so few consider emigrating to the US to be a good option, which is probably why so few Japanese end up in America. So while I do get the skepticsm here that we may be trying to skirt some rules, trust me, my wife really doesn't want to go to America or become a US citizen lol.  But as I said, we're doing this to be closer to the kids and not end up as empty nesters. And I don't want my wife to blame me even more if she ends up being mistreated in secondary or denied entry, which is why I'm here trying to come up with a script for her to memorize and practice before she goes!  

Nothing wrong withsomeone loving their country.

Japan is a wonderful country too.

 To each his own.

I am no visa expert but I have experience as an intel officer in the marines and understand  interrogation.

Others have said " Don't lie"

because  telling the truth is easier.

 Just like cops they are trained to pick up on odd responses, body language etc.

People understand wanting to do everything for your kids.

You said you have an immigration attorney so I'd certainly ask him what's the best thing to do.

Seems to me others have said to stagger the time away  versus in the US and that seems like a good idea but your attorney should know for sure.

My suggestion is to answer simply the questions when she comes into the US:

"Purpose of your visit?"

" My kids are American citizens and are  going to go  to school in America so I want to help them settle in and visit with my in laws."

Period.

 

 

 

 

[appleblossom 4,408]

On 7/19/2025 at 11:04 AM, OldUser said:

Did you install the app on your main phone? I'd have privacy concerns about the app. I'm sure it can scan contents of my phone in the background and determine I'm all clear, but not sure I'd be a fan.

Does it ask for any permissions? 

 

I don't have the app, but I do have GE. I use the scanning machine then pass straight through, normally just get a 'anything to declare' question and waived straight through without showing my passport/GC etc. So have never bothered getting the app! 

[Boiler 47,460]

I think the most questions I was asked were 3, I do remember being asked how much I had on me, it was less that $20 in cash.

[OldUser 9,885]

13 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

I don't have the app, but I do have GE. I use the scanning machine then pass straight through, normally just get a 'anything to declare' question and waived straight through without showing my passport/GC etc. So have never bothered getting the app! 

I have GE too, never used the app. Kudos to @Dashinka for sharing 

[S2N 313]

At MIA when I declare the wine I bring back they look confused and wave me through.

 

At DFW they yell at me and get mad at me for declaring and tell me to move to keep the GE line moving.

 

Always declare, but I find the reactions funny.

[OldUser 9,885]

1 hour ago, S2N said:

At MIA when I declare the wine I bring back they look confused and wave me through.

 

At DFW they yell at me and get mad at me for declaring and tell me to move to keep the GE line moving.

 

Always declare, but I find the reactions funny.

How many bottles were you bringing? I assume Chilean wine? I love it 😀

[S2N 313]

36 minutes ago, OldUser said:

How many bottles were you bringing? I assume Chilean wine? I love it 😀

I prefer Argentine wine, oddly enough, but I usually bring a few Chilean países back since they’re next to impossible to find here and some of the cabs that are harder to find that I like as well. I do bring pisco back as well because I am a huge fan of Chilean piscos.

 

The conversation in MIA always goes like:

 

Me: I’m bringing back 4 bottles of wine and 2 piscos. 3 liters of wine and 2 of pisco. Worth around $100 total.

MIA CBP officer in the GE line: [blank stare for 10 seconds trying to process that I’m talking and not walking], okay.

DFW GE line is:

 

Me: [Same as above]
DFW CBP Officer: I SAID YOU’RE GOOD TO GO. YOU NEED TO KEEP WALKING (actual quote.)

Those quantities are technically taxable but they’re never going to charge you duty on them since it’d be too much work for like $7. Still have to declare though because if you don’t they could revoke global entry for not declaring a taxable amount of alcohol.

Edited 20 hours ago by S2N

[johnsnow1234 7]

On 7/20/2025 at 3:14 AM, S2N said:

Sounds like you’re doing everything right and have competent professional advice. Go with what they say.

 

Sorry you faced a lot of skepticism initially here. Your circumstances aren’t cookie cutter but what you’re doing is clearly allowed within the current U.S. immigration system. It’s just not all that common for someone to file an I-130 and let it sit at NVC for a long time in order to reunite with your kids in the U.S. once you’re ready to retire (or whenever, but you get my point.)

 

Its a super smart strategy though that will significantly shorten the time once/if you guys are ready, and it seems like you’re getting a lawyer who is planning for your long-term success, which is good.

 

Best of luck. If you have any questions about more practical stuff that it wouldn’t make sense to check with the lawyer about, we’re here. Also if you just want to check in overall  

If you take one piece of our advice here: have her apply for global entry now and do enrollment on arrival on her first trip. It’ll make the future trips much easier.

 

We are considering global entry, but again my wife is balking that it requires an interview lol. Like I said she is super introverted. 

 

Our immigration lawyer said not to worry about a thing. He actually suggested 60 days in US, 60 days out, 60 days in, etc., and that it will be a breeze. But I am skeptical so I am here asking questions! 

[S2N 313]

43 minutes ago, johnsnow1234 said:

We are considering global entry, but again my wife is balking that it requires an interview lol. Like I said she is super introverted.

The “interview” is handing them her passport and getting fingerprinted. There’s no actual interview.

[Dashinka 25,848]

29 minutes ago, S2N said:

The “interview” is handing them her passport and getting fingerprinted. There’s no actual interview.

Actually, there is an interview when applying for GE the first time, or at least there was when my wife and I first applied about six years ago.  The renewal did not require an interview.

[S2N 313]

5 hours ago, Dashinka said:

Actually, there is an interview when applying for GE the first time, or at least there was when my wife and I first applied about six years ago.  The renewal did not require an interview.

Unless it’s changed since when I did it (could have), there’s an in-person enrollment that they call an interview, but they don’t really ask any questions and they scan your passport, take your picture, and take your fingerprints. I was under the impression that was most people’s experience. Did they actually ask you guys questions?