USA Entry Requirements on Australian Passport

[dalereardon]

Hi,

My wife and I are considering travelling to JFK from Europe and we are both on Australian passports - this is just part of a trip aen returning to Australia from the USA.

Do we need to have return flights booked when we enter the US or if necessary can we just show we have sufficient funds and means to return home?

I want to take advantage of last minute F awards on EK and seeing we want to stay in the US for around 2 weeks we won't have our booking secured when get to the USA. We are quite flexible with our travel arrangements which is why we can do this.

I guess worst comes to worse we can get an economy award ticket and upgrade when it comes up but would prefer not to do that to avoid change fees.

Thanks,
Dale.

 

[JohnM]

I've never been asked whether I have an exit or return ticket booked on the many times I've entered LOTFAP. I wouldn't bother about it. Just do your ESTA.

 

[Himeno]

On paper you do. It depends on what CBP agent you end up with. I've had to deal with some real shockers.

 

[N860CR]

I've been asked a few times... But only by the LAX Sanchez's who are generally the worst of them. JFK isn't wonderful though either. I wouldn't personally be too keen on arriving in the US without an exit ticket

 

[BAM1748]

I think it would be smart to have the departure ticket.

 

[Boca68]

I've entered the USA, perhaps 20 times over the years and have only ever been asked to show a return ticket once. That was at MIA a few years ago. But, there was also other factors at play on that day as I was entering from Colombia and I was singled out for some of US Immigration and Customs finest "VIP Treatment"

So, whilst it's unlikely you'll be asked, I would have the flight booked, just in case.

 

[Himeno]

I've entered the US 1-2 times a year since 2005. Dealt with CBP at SFO, LAX, DFW, JFK, BOS, YVR and YYZ (and ground crossings [train and bus] at Blaine, WA). I've only had real issues with them twice, at BOS and JFK T7. I've had other times where they've just stamped the passport and waved me through.

At BOS (July 2008), I was flying in from AMS with BA. There was an agent going along the front part of the non US queue checking people had their docs ready and filled in and asking some questions. My first US stop that trip was my friends wedding (who was waiting for me outside with another friend who had flown in from Canada), when I couldn't produce the invitation on the spot, the agent took my docs, pulled me to the front of the line and went and spoke to the agent at the desk. At the desk, more questions asked, didn't stamp passport, didn't process through USVISIT and sent to secondary. In secondary, they got pissed off that they had sent me down there for no reason and hadn't even done the things they were meant to.

At JFK (August 2010) coming from HKG on CX. Agent asked to see my ticket, then for some reason could not understand what a 6 digit number followed by JPY was. After explaining that I had gotten the ticket in Japan and paid in Yen, she spent the next 10 minutes asking me the same 5 questions repeatedly and looking through all my travel paperwork trying to find any reason not to let me in. The moment I said "credit card", she backed down and let me through.

Next major issue I had was this year at LHR. For some reason "in transit" and "collecting baggage from storage" sent the UK Border Force agent into full blown paranoia.

 

[drron]

If you have entered the US with your current ESTA and have an E passport you can use the kiosks which would mean unlikely to be asked that question.
However Terminals7,8 at JFK earlier this year didn't have the kiosks so arriving on BA,AA no kiosks.Unsure whether that has changed.

 

[Himeno]

If you have entered the US with your current ESTA and have an E passport you can use the kiosks which would mean unlikely to be asked that question.

You still need to see an agent once you get the slip for, at least, the passport stamp. They can ask questions. You could also get asked questions by the agent running the customs point.

However Terminals7,8 at JFK earlier this year didn't have the kiosks so arriving on BA,AA no kiosks.Unsure whether that has changed.

I used a kiosk at JFK 7 in October.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi,

My wife and I are considering travelling to JFK from Europe and we are both on Australian passports - this is just part of a trip aen returning to Australia from the USA.

Do we need to have return flights booked when we enter the US or if necessary can we just show we have sufficient funds and means to return home?

I want to take advantage of last minute F awards on EK and seeing we want to stay in the US for around 2 weeks we won't have our booking secured when get to the USA. We are quite flexible with our travel arrangements which is why we can do this.

I guess worst comes to worse we can get an economy award ticket and upgrade when it comes up but would prefer not to do that to avoid change fees.

Thanks,
Dale.

Per TIMATIC - note the two bolded requirements (my bolding):

- Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to
cover their stay and documents required for their next
destination.

- The following applies to those traveling under the US Visa
Waiver Program:
- Each passenger must hold own passport (incl. biometric
Emergency/Temporary passport) and be traveling as a
tourist, on business or in transit.
- A return/onward ticket (or electronic ticket record) must

be to a final destination country other than Canada, Mexico

or contiguous (adjacent) countries or territories situated

in or bordering the Caribbean Sea For details, click here . If
passenger holds proof of residence in, or is transiting the

USA to such a country or territory, an onward/return ticket

to that country or territory is accepted.
- Passenger can make side trips to Canada, Mexico or
Caribbean countries/islands, provided first entering the
USA on a carrier participating in the VWP. No additional

time is given (extension) based on the departure to

contiguous (adjacent) territory For details, click here .

Without both of those, it is unlikely you'll be allowed to board the aircraft in Europe - so immigration itself on arrival isn't the primary concern.

Also note that without onward or return tickets, there is no real way to prove that you'll be staying less than 90 days in the USA, which would then require a visa rather than ESTA.

 

[NoName]

Why don't you just buy another award ticket to some other destination with the intention of changing/cancelling it when your last minute EK F award becomes available?


Edit: apologies. I saw that you addressed not wanting to do this at the end of your OP. For a max of 5k pt cancelation fee it is definitely what I would do though.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's not a question of whether or not US CBP will ask you if you have a return ticket it's whether the CSA at checkin asks to see your return or onwaard ticket out of the USA and most of the time they do.

I don't think it's advisable to enter any foreign country on a one way ticket unless you have citizenship, residence or some kind of work permit for that country.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

If you have the room on a credit card why not buy fully refundable tickets for the return leg for entry purposes then cancel them and book the award seats when they're available?
If your timing is good you should be able to avoid any interest charges.

 

[clazman]

Flew Ottawa - Toronto - LAX - Vegas - LAX - HK - Perth in April this year. I got pinged at Toronto by US customs as they only saw a one way ticket to LAX from Toronto. Showed them the CX flight booking out of LAX and was allowed to proceed.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Flew Ottawa - Toronto - LAX - Vegas - LAX - HK - Perth in April this year. I got pinged at Toronto by US customs as they only saw a one way ticket to LAX from Toronto. Showed them the CX flight booking out of LAX and was allowed to proceed.

Did checkin at YOW ask to see your onward tickets ex USA?

 

[dalereardon]

I like the idea of fully refundable tickets which card no problems.

But given the rules that now aware of will definitely make sure have an onward ticket.

Dale.

 

[JohnM]

It's not a question of whether or not US CBP will ask you if you have a return ticket it's whether the CSA at checkin asks to see your return or onwaard ticket out of the USA and most of the time they do.

I don't think it's advisable to enter any foreign country on a one way ticket unless you have citizenship, residence or some kind of work permit for that country.

Aahhh, I think this explains why I have never had any issues. While the check-in agent has never asked, that I can recall, I think it must have been obvious to them from the info on their screen that I had an exit ticket.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Expect to see SSSS on your boarding pass if you only have a one way ticket booked.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Expect to see SSSS on your boarding pass if you only have a one way ticket booked.

This could happen if you hold a return/onward ticket in a separate booking as they would only be looking at the pnr containing your flight into the USA when making the SSSS decision.

 

[QF029]

If you have the room on a credit card why not buy fully refundable tickets for the return leg for entry purposes then cancel them and book the award seats when they're available?
If your timing is good you should be able to avoid any interest charges.

+1 on this. It's now my preferred method as it saves 5k points cancelling an award. I've never been asked by why take the risk.