Immigrating to the United States, how should I prepare my luggage before landing? The customs entry inspection in the United States is very strict. When preparing your luggage, you should pay attention to what you can and cannot bring. Come and take a look with me.

What items do you need to bring when entering the United States?

1 Graduation certificate, degree certificate, work experience certificate, etc.

2. Passport, various notarial certificates.

3. Electrical appliances The voltage in the United States is 110V, which is different from that in China. When using electrical appliances, you must know in detail whether the voltage of the electrical appliance is suitable.

4. Mobile phone The frequency band of domestic mobile phones is GSM900/1800, while the network segment used in the communication network field in North America is PCS850/1900. Non-tri-band mobile phones are not applicable in the United States. 4. Accommodation and airport pick-up issues.

5. Quarantine: You can get vaccinated and undergo a physical examination at some designated hospitals in China, or you can process it after arriving in the United States.

6. Medicines: Bring daily necessary medicines, such as cold medicines, stomach medicines, anti-inflammatory medicines, etc. Medicines in the United States are divided and medicine charges are very high.

7. Before going abroad, it is best to go to an ophthalmologist or dentist to get your glasses, teeth, etc. in order. The cost of ophthalmology and dentistry in the United States is expensive, and most of the costs are not covered by insurance.

8. Driver’s License Each state in the United States has different test requirements and standards for driver’s licenses. Those who already have a driver's license in China can apply for an international driver's license and then go to the United States to use it for a short period of time, and then take the driver's license test there; those who don't have a driver's license can contact the country to drive first, and then take the test after going to the United States.

9. Approved remittance Approved remittance refers to the remittance used by individuals to go abroad for private purposes. Simply put, it means that RMB can be directly exchanged for foreign currency at designated domestic banks. You only need to carry one to two thousand in cash to avoid losing it.

10. Customs clearance The state stipulates that the maximum amount of US dollars in cash that can be carried abroad must not exceed 5,000, otherwise it may be confiscated, but there is no limit on money orders and traveler's checks.

11. Open a U.S. bank account After arriving in the United States, you should open an account at a nearby bank as soon as possible. When opening an account, you can deposit personal money orders and cash such as money orders and traveler's checks that you carry with you into the account for safety. After opening an account, please ask the bank to provide your personal account details for future remittances from your family.

12. A small amount of cash: You should carry a small amount of cash with you in case you cannot swipe your bank card; you can also apply for a money order at a domestic bank and deposit it in the bank after arriving in the United States. Cash exceeding US$10,000 must be declared to the customs when entering the country. You can use your passport to apply for a bank card at a local bank and deposit the cash you bring with you. This card can be used for both consumption and cash withdrawal (there is no handling fee).

List of essential items

Clothing: Mainly casual wear, plus a set of formal wear and leather shoes.

Daily necessities: If you wear eyes, it is best to bring a spare pair of eyes and the English version of the eye-matching materials.

Bedding: You can put quilts and pillows in compression bags and vacuum them before bringing them, or you can simply buy them there. When preparing quilts and sheets, be sure to buy larger ones, because there are only four sizes of beds in the United States. Except for the TWIN SIZE, which is narrow and equivalent to a single bed, the FULL SIZE is already equivalent to a domestic double bed, while the QUEEN SIZE and KING SIZE are even larger. .

Medicines: It is more appropriate to bring commonly used small medicines from China (such as cold medicines, antipyretics, antidiarrheal medicines, band-aids, thermometers, safflower oil, analgesics, eye drops, etc., because in It’s very expensive to buy in the United States.) But pay attention to the shelf life of the medicine.

On the contrary, expensive domestic drugs can be purchased in the United States because they generally have medical insurance and can be reimbursed.

If you have prescription drugs that you take regularly, it is best to bring a sufficient amount of the medicine and the prescription in English.

Kitchen supplies: Don’t bring rice cookers and the like. The voltage in the United States is 110V, so you can’t use them if you take them. Besides, the American ones are not expensive. It should be noted that the three-hole socket in China is three long sockets at 120° to each other, while in the United States, it is a circle plus two parallel long sockets. For example, if you take an electrical appliance to the United States, it will have a three-prong plug. , it is recommended to buy a plug converter.

Electronic products: large computers and TVs are cheaper in the United States than in China. However, small electrical appliances (such as computer accessories, mice, cameras, mobile hard drives, etc. are much more expensive in the United States.) Need to be reminded: Never bring pirated CDs, especially CD covers with English operating systems and other software. If they are randomly inspected by customs , the fine will be heavier than you imagine.

Cultural necessities: You may consider bringing a bilingual dictionary or an electronic dictionary. Books are relatively heavy, so it is recommended not to bring too many, otherwise airport fines for overweight luggage will be expensive. Moreover, a lot of information can be found online, and libraries in the United States are quite well stocked with books. If you really need to bring them, you might as well wait until you return to your country next time to bring some more, because you may not be able to use many professional books in the first year.

Appropriate amount of cash: (Generally speaking, you need to wait 2 months from the date of entry to get your social security card. The first paycheck will not be issued until 2 weeks after you get it, so you need to bring The money should be enough to cover your expenses for two and a half months or even three months, preferably $3,000, and have $5 or $10 in change.

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Address book: especially the phone number of the person who receives you in the United States, the phone number of the department, the phone numbers of relatives and friends in the United States, the specific addresses of the school and dormitory, zip code and phone number, the luggage and mailbox Password etc. Also, there are ways to make calls in different areas.

Glasses: In the United States, wearing glasses requires a doctor’s examination and a certificate. Contact lenses also require an examination and a certificate. The whole set is a bit troublesome and requires extra money. So bring 1-2 pairs of glasses. If you need contact lenses, you can also consider it. Note: The second pair of glasses is for emergency use. In the United States, it takes at least four or five days to get an optometry plus glasses, and it takes more than seven or eight days.

Obtaining a driver’s license: Except in big cities such as New York and Chicago, being able to drive and not being able to drive are two completely different lives. It is strongly recommended to get your driver's license before going abroad. It is easier to get a driver's license directly in the United States, but driving skills in China will be more secure.

Do you need to prepare a credit card?

When studying abroad, money is naturally indispensable. Many students who have obtained a visa will have questions: Do they need to apply for a credit card in China and bring it to the United States? The answer is no, even if you bring it, try to use it as little as possible.

The first main reason is that when an international credit card or debit card issued in China is used abroad, even if the handling fee is very low, the cardholder must bear the loss of the foreign exchange difference in each transaction. . Second, opening your own bank account and applying for your own credit card earlier after arriving in the United States will be beneficial to your future life and even work.

Opening a bank account is very simple

The main materials required to open a bank account in the United States are: two documents, which can be a passport, a U.S. driver's license, a student ID (and I20), and a bank card. Work card, U.S. ID card (available at DMV), etc., valid legal visa or residence certificate, place of residence, contact number, workplace or school, etc., and of course money.

There are two types of bank accounts

There are two main types of bank accounts commonly used by international students and new immigrants, savings account (SavingAccount) and checking account (CheckingAccount). If you live in the United States for a long time in the future, Then you can consider various types of investment accounts. A checking account is equivalent to a domestic current account, which can be accessed and withdrawn at any time. Interest-bearing checking accounts generally require the account to be maintained above a certain amount, otherwise an account maintenance fee of dozens of dollars will be charged every month. It is recommended that international students open an interest-free checking account. This kind of account generally has no account balance requirements or very low requirements.

There are many places where checks are used in the United States. Checks can also be used as cash when buying things in shopping malls or supermarkets, so you can buy a few check books as a backup when opening an account (you can also order them later). Many banks offer free checks. If you want to choose a check with a personalized pattern, you need to pay extra. When opening an account, try to choose an account that suits your financial conditions and is easy to use. After opening an account, you will be given an ATM card (equivalent to a domestic debit card). The ATM card requires a password when swiping the card for consumption.

What I like most is that when I pay with an ATM card for shopping in the supermarket, I can ask for CashBack, which means that in addition to paying for the goods, I also need some cash, which is deducted from my card. In this way, I no longer need to run out to find an ATM to withdraw cash. The merchant is equivalent to transferring the cash to the mall's account, which is very convenient for both parties, and there is no need to pay a handling fee.

A summary of items prohibited from entering the United States is as follows:

1. Anyone carrying more than 10,000 U.S. dollars or its equivalent must fill in the U.S. customs declaration form truthfully, otherwise it will be detained . Don’t worry, you won’t be charged taxes when reporting, it’s just a matter of registration. The United States is a country without foreign exchange controls. Gold used to have restrictions, but now there are no restrictions. All kinds of gold coins and gold bars are acceptable, and there is no quantity limit.

2. Pirated American books, audio and video tapes, and counterfeit goods, including counterfeit American brand-name clothing, shoes and hats, electronic products and other commodities, are strictly prohibited. Once discovered, the fine can be as high as thousands or even thousands. It's tens of thousands of dollars, and there may even be a lawsuit.

3. The size of liquid, aerosol or hair spray containers in carry-on luggage must be equal to or less than 100 ml. All containers must be sealed in clear one-liter plastic bags, and each person is limited to one plastic bag. The capacity of plastic bags must not exceed 1 liter, which is approximately 20X20 cm or 15X25 cm. When you arrive at the security checkpoint, you must hand over any liquids, sprays and hairsprays in excess of 100ml that you still have with you, including these duty-free items. Containers exceeding 100ml should be packed in checked baggage or not taken with you. Half-full containers with a capacity of more than 100 ml are not allowed. The new regulations will also add random body searches to the security inspection process.

4. Each adult can bring 0.95 liters of wine into the United States duty-free, and can also bring 300 cigarettes or 50 cigars, or 1.35 kilograms of tobacco leaves (not produced in Cuba) duty-free. If these items enter the country in quantities exceeding the quota, excess duties must be paid.

5. All kinds of meat, unprocessed leather or animal skins cannot be brought into the country without permission.

All chicken, duck, goose, pig, beef, sheep, deer and horse meat are not allowed. It doesn’t matter whether it is sealed, vacuum-packed, or wrapped in dozens of plastic bags, and it doesn’t matter whether it is meat floss, intestines, moon cakes, or biscuit folders. ham, canned meat, cured meat, sauced meat, fresh meat, bacon, dried meat, meat pie, meat dumplings, instant noodles containing meat, non-canned or pickled and smoked fish and roe, eggs, etc., None are allowed to be brought in.

6. Do not bring any kind of fresh fruits, vegetables, vegetation, seeds or plant products into the country. Special needs must be obtained. The rationale for such regulations is that efforts are being made not just in the United States but in many countries around the world to prevent the spread of insect and plant pests and diseases from one country to another. Therefore, insects other than specimens are not allowed into the United States.

7. Commonly used prescription Chinese and Western medicines can be carried through the security checkpoint, but sometimes you may be asked to show proof of need. Traditional Chinese medicine products must be free of parasitic plants. Precious Chinese medicinal materials such as snake gallbladder, leopard bone, tiger skin, deer antlers, etc. are protected animals and are strictly prohibited from being brought into the United States. Parasitic plants such as rabbit silk seeds, dendrobium, etc. are also prohibited from being brought into the United States. Those containing cocaine are also prohibited. Tangerine peel, which is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, is also prohibited. Among the prohibited.

8. Products from certain countries sanctioned by the United States, including products from North Korea or Cuba, cannot be brought into the United States.

Of course, all kinds of drugs, arms and ammunition, and all kinds of flammable and explosive dangerous goods are also prohibited.

If you don’t know the situation and bring in contraband, if you bring something illegal, as long as you report it, it will usually be confiscated and rarely fined. If you don't report it and they find you, you may be in trouble or even go to jail. I would also like to remind everyone that the entry requirements of the United States will also change. For example, the Transportation Security Administration recently allowed passengers to carry small knives with a length of no more than 2.36 inches and a width of no more than 0.5 inches on an airplane for the first time since the 9/11 incident.

Customs regulations for inbound items are constantly increasing. They usually conduct inspections based on confiscated items. If there are any problems, they will be added and prohibited from entry.