Customs

[billinchina68]

Hi

 

I am an expat in China and my Chinese wife was granted her IR1 Visa.We will be coming to America in a few weeks . I was looking over the customs declaration form 6059B which I have filled out before when traveling.When you are just bringing back to the U.S. a few gifts customs isn't a big deal. However, you are required to declare everything you have bought overseas that will stay in America. That pretty much means everything my wife is bringing over since it was all bought in China. Quite a few things for me too. Does this mean we have to provide pages and pages of lists of items and their estimated values. We figure we can group some items together like clothes. I just have this feeling because she is an immigrant she will be scrutinized more. What experiences has anyone had with their foreign spouses and customs. Have they been pulled aside and had bags inspected. Did you have to pay much in duty taxes? I realize older household goods may be exempt but you still need to declare everything. I have actually found in my travels that U.S. customs is stricter and individuals scrutinized more than China which just uses the red/green lane system.

 

Thanks, William

[dnoblett]

You are not bringing stuff to resell it is all personal items, you have nothing to declare.

 

No one has ever reported any issues when immigrating to the USA with personal belongings.

 

Only serious thing that does need to be declared is cash or monetary instruments such as a check valued over $10,000

[Greg.D.]

We shipped some stuff: it had to be packaged by the shipper so they could get a manifest. It was mostly clothes, books and small things. Duty, if any, was insignificant

 

Similarly, the extra checked bag listed many things but, as it's all used, it is if little value.

 

I know you don't need a lecture but I did see people fail to declare something and get handed a $300 (?) fine on the spot or not leave with their passport. So, I would say declare even if it means a long list.

 

I declared a bunch of stuff including seeds I was trying to take back - which they took from me. They noticed my wife's wedding dress and said I should have declared that too (a common item to declare - or forget to declare) and they waived it off - while the couple next to me were busted for not declaring anything but bringing a package of dried apricots back from Turkey.

 

So, I think I got the benefit of the doubt because I was trying to comply.

[dnoblett]

Here is what CBP has on this...

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/sample-declaration-form

 

Declare the total value of what your are bringing in as less than $800 Exception would be cash or monetary instruments.