When entering the USA, you have to know the following about your rights.

I have valid travel documents. Can customs officials stop and search me?

Yes. US customs officers can stop at entry points to assess whether they can come to the USA. According to the Pennsylvania ACLU, you can search the belongings of travelers for smuggling goods.

What about my cell phone?

The government claims that its authority to search for travelers without an individual suspicion also includes the search for electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops. Nevertheless, this claim remains “a controversial legal problem,” said the ACLU. Customs officers have temporarily asked the travelers to give them their telephone or laptop passwords if they went to or from the USA.

What if I refuse to unlock my devices?

The citizens of the United States cannot be refused if they refuse to provide passwords or unlock their devices. However, if you refuse, this could lead to a delay, even more survey and customs officials who take your phone for further inspection.

If my country is in the Visa reference program, can I enter?

In general, the Visa reference program enables citizens of around four dozen countries to enter up to 90 days without a visa for tourism or business. The citizens of the United States can again drive up to 90 days in program countries.

However, travelers from the countries of the Waiver program still need a valid electronic system for approval for travel liability (ESTA) before they come here at least 72 hours before the flight, explains the New York Times.

I have an ESTA. Does that mean I can work?

Visitors who come to the United States with an ESTA are likely to study permanent work or study. ESTA visitors also give up many rights, such as the right to combat deportation – which means that people who travel with an ESTA could be confronted with an “mandatory detention”, said the Times.

Does a visa allow me to work?

In the United States there are three types of visas for non-immigrant visitors. There is a visitor that enables a temporary entry for business purposes, a tourism visa and a visa for economy and trips.

The three visas last until a decade, but visitors with these visas can stay in the United States for a maximum of six months. Among other things, visitors with these visas may not study permanent work or studies or, according to the New York Times, get involved in paid services.

What happens when I am detained?

Civil rights representatives now suggest that visitors in the United States, especially people who are not citizens, bring information to call a lawyer for immigration lawyers or emergency contact if they encounter problems. “The stories are definitely worrying,” said Noor Zafar, head of the ACLU immigration law project, the Washington Post.

So what rights do I actually have?

Visitors to the United States have the right to remain silent. The decision to do this at an entry point could endanger the entry.

If a customs agent asks a visitor with a tourist visa whether he would go to work during his stay and this person does not answer, this can lead to the entry.

If a visitor is not allowed to enter the USA, he can “withdraw” his intention and return home. Usually your visa is canceled and you fly back immediately.

How does it work?

“If you are a foreign national, first understand that you are not affected, even though you are physically on US floor until you are properly approved,” said lawyer Michael Wildes, businessman of Wildes and Weinberg and Professor at the Cardozo School of Law.

“It is an art duration when they are completely included in the United States,” he said. If a person lands on the US floor but is not technically approved, they are regarded as a “incoming alien”.