Embassy of the United States Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S. A visa allows a foreign citizen coming from abroad, to travel to a U.S. port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authority to permit or deny admission to the U.S.

Upon arrival, your airline personnel will show you to the inspection and customs areas. You will queue up in the inspection line marked "Non-Citizens".  You may be asked to proceed to a second screening point with your belongings for additional questioning by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers. Secondary inspection allows inspectors to conduct additional research in order to verify information.  Verifications are done apart from the primary inspection lines so that an individual case will not cause delays for other arriving passengers.

You will then proceed to the Customs area. The CBP Officer must determine why you are coming to the United States, what documents you may require, if you have those documents, and how long you should be allowed to initially stay in the United States. These determinations usually take less than one minute to make. If you are allowed to proceed, the officer will stamp your passport and customs declaration form and issue a completed Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) to you. A completed Form I-94 will show what immigration classification you were given and how long you are allowed to stay.  The I-94 must be turned in to a CBP Officer or airline representative when you exit the U.S.  If it is not turned in you may be considered an "overstay" and may be denied entry if you attempt to reenter the United States in the future.

CBP Officers may also decide that you should not be permitted to enter the United States. There are many reasons why this might happen (see INA § 212(a)). You will either be placed in detention, or temporarily held until return flight arrangements can be made. If you have a visa, it may be cancelled. In certain instances, Officer(s) may not be able to decide if you should be allowed into the United States. In this case, your inspection may be deferred (postponed), and you will be instructed to go to another office located near your intended destination in the United States for further processing.

Detailed information about traveling to the United States; international traveler rules and regulations, list of prohibited items for travelers, arrival procedures for students or exchange visitors, etc.; are available on the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) websites.

Other Useful Websites:

• Department of Homeland Security - DHS   
• DHS-USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service)
• DHS-US-VISIT (Port-of-Entry Biometric Indentification)
• DHS-ICE (National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) also known as Special Registration)