Business trip to USA - advice please

**sasguru** · 7 July 2008, 13:32

An intimate inspection of your backside is de rigeur at US customs nowadays.
Don't be surprised by this.

**lilelvis2000** · 7 July 2008, 13:33

How long do you need to stay. If its only a few days it should be okay to say you are there for client meetings.

Be sure to bleach your skin. Any olive tones will get you a free holiday in cuba.

**Charles Foster Kane** · 7 July 2008, 13:33

Originally posted by dmini View Post

OK - I'm going over to Boston next week business trip - advice please.
One person here has said I should say Im on holiday - saves lots of hassles apparently on entry. What are other people's opinion / experiences of this?
Also any other advice - its my first time out of the country this kind of distance since 1983. Sad I know but true.
Touristy stuff isnt very applicable - I have almost NO free time
Thanks

Buy a travel adapter far your UK plugs.

**Platypus** · 7 July 2008, 13:35

Originally posted by dmini View Post

OK - I'm going over to Boston next week business trip - advice please.
One person here has said I should say Im on holiday - saves lots of hassles apparently on entry. What are other people's opinion / experiences of this?
Also any other advice - its my first time out of the country this kind of distance since 1983. Sad I know but true.
Touristy stuff isnt very applicable - I have almost NO free time
Thanks

First time I went, I said I was there for work. The beggars nearly put me on the first plane home, accusing me of stealing American jobs. They really are a-holes.

Another time I said for holiday, they asked me lots of questions about my "vacation" and asked why I had a laptop etc.

These days I say I'm there for business meetings or training. They seem to like the idea that "head office" is in the US of A and us stupid Brits have to come over to get clued up.

Morons.

**Platypus** · 7 July 2008, 13:39

Originally posted by lilelvis2000 View Post

How long do you need to stay. If its only a few days it should be okay to say you are there for client meetings.

Personally I wouldn't mention the "C" word.

**HairyArsedBloke** · 7 July 2008, 13:39

Don’t try and be helpful, but just respond to instructions or questions in the simplest way.

Take you laptop out of your case and place it on top of your baggage for scanning.

Don’t smile at immigration. Just like all dogs, if you show your teeth it will be taken as a sign of aggression.

Do not claim to be on holiday when there is any evidence of you attending meetings.

**BoredBloke** · 7 July 2008, 13:47

Tell them that you really need to get through customs quickly as you don't know how long you have till your shoes blow up. That should get you through the gate pretty quickly. They really don't have any sort of sense of humour.

I used to do the meetings thing.

**Zippy** · 7 July 2008, 13:57

Originally posted by TonyEnglish View Post

Tell them that you really need to get through customs quickly as you don't know how long you have till your shoes blow up. That should get you through the gate pretty quickly. They really don't have any sort of sense of humour.

I used to do the meetings thing.

Rawhide!

**dmini** · 7 July 2008, 14:23

I'll be there just under 2 weeks
I'm not sure the holiday idea would work well anyway - female on her own travelling to non-major holiday destination (and I'm not that good at lying anyway)

Business trip to USA - advice please