Arriving in the United States means passing through a port of entry — an airport, seaport, or land crossing — where a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer inspects each traveler and decides whether to admit them. A visa or an approved ESTA lets a person travel to a port of entry and request entry, but it does not guarantee admission: the CBP officer makes the final decision. When a traveler is admitted, the terms — their status and how long they may stay — are recorded on Form I-94, the arrival/departure record.
Status as of July 2026. Several entry-related fees rose in late 2025 under the 2025 budget law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). The ESTA fee increased to $40, and travelers who apply for a Form I-94 at a land border now pay $30 — a $6 base fee plus a $24 surcharge; there is still no I-94 fee for arrivals by air or sea. In January 2026, CBP issued an updated directive (No. 3340-049B) on searches of electronic devices at the border. Entry scrutiny has tightened broadly, and the newer fees adjust annually for inflation.
What happens at a U.S. port of entry
Every traveler seeking to enter, regardless of citizenship, is first sent to primary inspection. There, a CBP officer checks identity, citizenship or immigration status, eligibility to enter, and whether any goods are prohibited or dutiable. Officers have broad discretion: most travelers are admitted in moments, while anyone whose case needs more time or scrutiny can be referred to secondary inspection. Admission is a decision made at the border, not something a visa alone secures — a traveler with valid documents can still be refused if the officer finds a problem with admissibility or the stated purpose of the trip.
Visas, ESTA, and who can enter
A visa is issued by a U.S. consulate abroad and allows the holder to travel to a port of entry and apply for admission in a specific category. Citizens of countries in the Visa Waiver Program can travel for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa, provided they have an approved ESTA (now $40); the parallel EVUS system, used by Chinese B-1/B-2 visa holders, carries a $30 fee. Lawful permanent residents return using their green card. In every case, the CBP officer at the port of entry — not the consulate that issued the document — decides whether the person is admitted. The visa category a traveler enters under determines what they may do in the U.S.; the full range is covered under nonimmigrant visas.
Form I-94 is the official record of a nonimmigrant's admission. It shows the class of admission (for example F-1, J-1, or H-1B) and how long the person may stay — either a specific date or "duration of status" (D/S) for certain students and exchange visitors. Travelers arriving by air or sea receive an electronic I-94 automatically and can view and print it for free on the CBP I-94 website. Those entering at a land border must apply for the form and, since September 30, 2025, pay a $30 fee. The I-94 is a core document afterward: it is used to confirm status and to support processes such as getting a Social Security number or a work permit — see work authorization.
Secondary inspection
Being sent to secondary inspection means a traveler's processing continues in a separate area, where officers take more time to verify documents, ask about the purpose of the trip, or resolve a question flagged at primary. A referral is not by itself a finding of wrongdoing — many are routine. Depending on what the review shows, the outcome can be admission, a request to withdraw the application for admission, a referral to deferred inspection to bring missing documents later, or a refusal of entry. The process is administrative and generally happens without the traveler being formally arrested.
Can CBP search a phone or laptop at the border?
CBP has long-standing authority to search electronic devices at ports of entry, and a January 2026 directive (No. 3340-049B) sets out how. A basic search — an officer manually reviewing what is on the device — can be done at the officer's discretion, without suspicion. An advanced search, which uses external equipment to copy or analyze data, requires reasonable suspicion of a violation of a law CBP enforces, or a national security concern, plus supervisory approval. These searches are uncommon: in fiscal year 2025, fewer than 0.01% of arriving travelers had a device searched. CBP policy says officers focus on data stored on the device itself and do not intentionally access cloud-only content, so devices are typically placed in airplane mode first. Officers may ask for a passcode; the consequences of declining differ by status — U.S. citizens must still be admitted but may have a device detained, while non-citizens can risk delay or denial of entry.
How do I find my I-94 record?
The most recent I-94 and a travel history are available for free on the CBP I-94 website (i94.cbp.dhs.gov). Travelers who arrived by air or sea can look up, view, and print the record there using their passport details. Those who applied and paid for an I-94 at a land border can also retrieve it from the same site. Checking the I-94 after each entry helps confirm that the class of admission and the "admit until" date were recorded correctly.
What is secondary inspection at the airport?
Secondary inspection is an additional review that CBP conducts away from the primary booth when a case needs more time or verification. Officers may re-check documents, ask further questions about the trip, or confirm status. A referral does not automatically mean a problem — many travelers are admitted after a short wait — though the review can also lead to deferred inspection or, in some cases, refusal of entry.
Can a traveler be denied entry with a valid visa?
Yes. A visa or ESTA authorizes travel to a port of entry and a request for admission, but the CBP officer there makes the actual admission decision. If the officer finds the traveler inadmissible, or concludes that the trip does not match the visa category, entry can be refused even when the documents are valid. This is why admission and the visa itself are treated as separate steps.
Can CBP search my phone at the border?
CBP can inspect electronic devices at a port of entry without a warrant. A basic manual search requires no suspicion, while a forensic "advanced" search requires reasonable suspicion or a national security concern and supervisory approval. Such searches are rare, and CBP policy is not to intentionally search cloud-only data. Travelers may decline to provide a passcode, but the effect varies: citizens cannot be denied entry, while non-citizens may face additional consequences.
It depends on how a traveler enters. There is no I-94 fee for arrivals by air or sea, where the record is issued electronically. Travelers who apply for an I-94 at a land border pay $30 — the long-standing $6 fee plus a $24 surcharge added on September 30, 2025 under the 2025 budget law. The surcharge cannot be waived and adjusts for inflation.
What is ESTA and who needs one?
ESTA — the Electronic System for Travel Authorization — is the online approval that travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries obtain before flying to the U.S. for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days, in place of a visa. The fee is $40, and approval should be secured before travel. An approved ESTA still leads to a CBP admission decision at the port of entry.
Sources we track: USCIS, DHS, EOIR, the Federal Register, and federal courts.