Every individual, both returning natives and aliens entering the U.S., will first be screened at the port of entry (POE). The United States has at least approximately 300 ports of entry, which consist of three routes, including international airports, seaports, and railway or highway crossings at land borders.
There will be officers in each POE unit who will carry out examinations. So, what is a POE officer, and what are their duties? Let’s discover it below!
About POE Officer
A port of entry (POE) officer is the one who works for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the largest federal agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They’re sometimes called customs officers or CBP officers.
POE officers operate at and around POE within the United States. To keep border security, they’re responsible for performing inspections on every individual to verify their identity and travel documents.
In addition to conducting visitors’ identification, the POE officers will also inspect any sealed packets upon first arrival in the United States, commercial motor vehicles, and imported cargo.
What Will an Officer Do at POE?
Whether or not a person is accepted to enter the United States will depend on the POE officers, unless in certain cases. If there is something that POE officers cannot decide, then the visitor inspection may be postponed, and they will ask the visitors to go to another office for further processing.
For U.S. citizens, they will automatically be accepted, as long as there’s no obstacle in the citizenship verification process.
But foreign visitors, either immigrants or non-immigrants, will be interviewed first for identification. They should provide any required documents as proof of citizenship, such as a passport, visa, permanent resident card, etc.
After verification, the POE officers will also determine how long the visitors will stay. If there’s something wrong with them, the officers can determine that they’re not permitted to enter the United States.
What is the Process for Accepting Visitors at a POE?
While still on their way to the United States, the airline will provide several documents to all visitors to complete; a Customs Declaration Form 6059B is mandatory.
If the visitor is not a U.S. citizen and will enter the United States with a visa, they must fill out the Form I-94 (white), Arrival/Departure Record. For visitors traveling through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, they do not need to complete any additional forms.
Upon arrival, visitors will be escorted to the inspection area where the POE officers are located, and they will queue there.
If necessary, you can find a port of entry in each state or U.S. territory by using the map available on the POE search tool here. https://www.cbp.gov/about/contact/ports
From the map, you can only select a state, and the new page will bring up the list of POE units in that state.
The acceptance of visitors at a POE starts when they pass through the CBP station. Here, the POE officers will ask them to provide all their travel documents. The officers will then check these and interview them with several questions.
For a U.S. citizen
For U.S. citizens, the POE officers will ask for their passport and Customs Declaration forms. If the citizenship verification passes, they must continue to a second checkpoint along with their items. The officers will do further investigation and proceed to the customs inspection area.
For foreign visitors
If you’re a foreign visitor, the POE officers will ask them why they visit the United States and what they’ll do—it might be a business trip, study, or holiday. And they’re also asked to provide their citizenship documents.
If they’re accepted, the POE officers will take their photo, scan their fingerprints, take a customs declaration form, and lastly, stamp their passport with the date of entry and length of stay. This determination usually takes less than one minute.
Then, the officers will issue Form I-94, which has been completed. The form will demonstrate the classification of immigration that they assigned to the visitors.
If foreign visitors are not allowed to enter the United States, of course, there are several reasons behind it. If this happens, they may be placed in a designated place until a return flight can be made. Their visa may also be cancelled.
How Long Does the POE Officer Perform the Acceptance of the Visitor Process?
POE officers may only need a few minutes to verify identity and accept visitors.
However, each visitor may have to wait up to several hours for the entire process. Additionally, they will also be asked to pass through security, which can add another 45 minutes to their time.
That’s why, if you have a plan to fly to the United States, it is best not to do so during a tight connecting flight session. To avoid waiting a very long time, you can try to give yourself at least a few hours, maybe 4 or 5 hours, because the flight delay may last longer.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
