A checklist for anyone visiting the US on B1 or L1 or H1 Visa

Hi,

For last one month, I am in the US on B1 Visa. Couple of days before my travel date, I felt a strong need for an exhaustive checklist which I could tick-mark against and be confident that I was well prepared for the trip to the US. The information available was piecemeal and every person I spoke to gave his/her own interpretation. So, I decided that I will come up with an exhaustive DOs and DON’Ts that can be a good source of information especially to the first timers traveling to the so-called “land that sells dreams”. I know it's your company's job to educate you on all these, but it's always good to be well aware and informed about things...right!

Let me run you through the check-list:

These are the ‘MUST HAVES’ for your travel. If you miss any of these, you are likely to be screwed!!

• Passport: This is the mother of all. This is the most important document that you will be carrying to the US. Please make sure that the passport and Visa are valid during your date of travel i.e. the passport and visa expiry date should be beyond your return date of the travel. Please note you cannot afford to lose it while you are in the US.

• Travel Insurance: The second most important document that you will be carrying. Please note this point as a gospel truth that “DON’T VISIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IF YOU DON”T HAVE AN INSURANCE”. This is because the cost of healthcare in the US is so high that you might have to mortgage your house in case you met with an unfortunate incident and you did not have a valid insurance. Please double check that your insurance is valid throughout your travel dates.

• Client Invitation Letter: Please make sure you have a letter, duly signed by your client, which clearly states the purpose of your visit. Please make sure the letter is elaborate and should be in sync with the permission granted by your Visa e.g. you cannot work on a B1 Visa. So, make sure your client letter states your actual purpose of visit as per the type of Visa granted to you. Also, please take a colored and legible print out of the client letter. This letter should be in the letterhead of your client and it should have his/her phone number and address of the client company you are visiting.

•Forex Card/Cash: Please make sure you have at least $300 cash during your onward travel to the US. Also, make sure your Forex Card is activated and loaded with enough money. One thing funny about these Forex Cards is that you cannot do online transactions with these cards. This is because for online transaction you need a valid billing address which you don’t have while the card is activated for you. So, you can only use this card at the site of the merchant (in simple terms, you can only swipe it at a store when you make a purchase).

• Confirmation of your stay in the US: In case you are going to stay in a hotel then it is advisable to get a print out of the reservation that clearly states the dates of your stay and the address of the hotel. In case, you are planning to stay with your friends/colleagues, then have their address handy along with their phone numbers. This may be required during the immigration check at the port of entry (in simple terms, when you land at the destination airport, you need to meet an immigration officer who will check if you have all valid documents and ask some questions)

• Mobile number of your client: At times you may be asked to provide the cell number of your client at the immigration check. Sometimes, the immigration officer may want to speak to your client to authenticate the purpose of your visit.

• Copy of your offer letter: It is good to carry the offer letter of the company you work for. This is more important if you are traveling on L1 Visa. The immigration officer may want to check the offer letter of the company that has sponsored your L1 Visa.  Also, don't forget to carry the ID of your company.

• Tickets: I know you are not so dumb to forget to carry your tickets while you travel to the US. But, I am just doing my due diligence :) In case you are traveling on a B1 Visa, please make sure you have the return tickets with you. This gives a confidence to the immigration officer that you have no intentions to stay there beyond the permitted tenure as per your Visa.

Now, let’s move on to the ‘GOOD TO HAVE’ items. If you follow these, it may avoid some possible inconvenience during your visit to the US:

• Mobile Phone: Please activate the international roaming on your cell phone. I am sure you would like to inform your near and dear ones once you reach safely to the US. You would not like to run around looking for coins to make a call to your home in India. Also, in case you have a GSM phone, you can continue to use that phone. All you need is to buy a SIM card and activate it. So, you don’t need to buy a new phone in the US.

• 3 Pin US travel adapter pin: In order to use your laptop/mobile phone charger in the US, you need to the flat 2 pin (INPUT) to 3 pin (OUTPUT) adapter. Carrying this may save a couple of days of inconvenience caused due to you not having a charge in your laptop/phone. Please check on the net for specifications.

• First Aid Box: Because of the jet lag, it is very normal you may have a slight fever/cold once you land in the US. So, it’s a good idea to carry some OTC pills, Vicks and off course our Munni’s Zamdu Balm :)

• Some Ready to Eat Items: It’s good to carry some ready to eat items along with you so that you can survive for a couple of days before you get acclimatized to the new place. Maggi, off course tops the list in these items.

Now, here are some miscellaneous DO’s and DON’Ts which may be helpful to you:

• Check the baggage limits of you aircraft: Typically, the airlines allow 2 baggages of 23 kgs each for check-in. However, few airlines have limited it to just one baggage and you need to pay for the extra baggage. So, please check the weight/size specifications from the website of the airline and plan your packing accordingly.

• Carry extra pair of clothes in the carry on baggage: In the carry-on baggage (one that you can carry in the aircraft cabin along with you), please carry an extra pair of formals/shoes etc. This will be extremely handy, in case your checked-in luggage is lost / delayed at the airport.

• Etiquettes at the immigration: Please DO NOT argue with the immigration officer in case he/she asks you questions. Please note he is just doing his due diligence and you are liable to provide him all the information he asks to ensure your safe entry to the US. Please be very formal and professional with the officer and answer only what is asked for.

• Letter for your company laptop: Please carry a letter from your company which states that you are carrying a company laptop. This will help you at the customs during your return to India in case you buy any electronic items such as an extra laptop, Ipad, Iphone etc in the US.

• Carry your driver’s license, PAN Card: Please carry your IDs which have the date of birth information. You may be asked to show these when you enter a pub or buy liquor etc.

I hope this information helps you. All the best and have a great time in the US.

Cheers,

Vijay

Disclaimer: These are my personal (and not legal) views and are solely written based on my own experience. Please refer to the US Visa norms as laid out by US Department of State for exact information.