Below are the list of ‘MUST HAVES’ for your travel to US in your first trip to remember. If you miss any of these, you are likely to be in trouble!!
Passport: This is the most important document that you should carry to the US. 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.
Travel Insurance: This is an important document that you will be carrying. Remember the gospel “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 do not have a valid insurance. Ensure that your insurance is valid throughout your travel dates.
Client Invitation Letter: Ensure that you have a letter, duly signed by your client, which clearly states the purpose of your visit. Make sure that the letter is elaborate and should be in sync with the permission granted by your Visa. Make sure your client letter states that your actual purpose of visit is as per the type of Visa granted to you. 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: Make sure you have at least $300 cash during your onward travel to the US. Ensure your Forex Card is activated and loaded with enough money. 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.
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 advised to carry the offer letter of the company you work for. This is 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, carry the ID of your company.
Tickets: 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 beyond the permitted tenure as per your Visa.
By Premji
