What happens at immigration at MCO airport

fillippe wrote:

Hi, I'm a UK NHS Doctor. An anaesthetist (anaesthesiologist - USA speak). My wife and I are snowbirds! We travel to Florida twice a year for 3 weeks at a time, June and December. We have just been successful in obtaining a B1/B2 visa. We hope to buy a small property in Florida and spend more time there when i retire within the next 2 years. I'm interested in finding out what happens at immigration at MCO airport (Orlando International) if you have a B2 visa. Do you join the big queue (line) still? Do you have to have a return flight booked? Do you get asked any difficult questions?

There are usually two lines (areas)
1. Visitors (which you are)
2. Legal Permanent Residents and Citizens

Some questions of visitors may include:
1. Where are you going? Which places do you plan to visit? How long is the whole trip going to last?
2. Where are you going to stay on each place? family/friends? hotel? Can you show me hotel reservations? Itineraries from A to B? Domestic plane reservations or return flight? Car reservations?
3. How do you plan to pay for all that? How much money do you have available? Credit cards? Cash?

If you buy a property and you're staying there, or you're taking regular trips, you'll possibly be refused entry as it would appear you are living there, which doesn't conform to a B2 visa.

Keep in mind that visitors are treated as intending immigrants, you must prove that you are not.

Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team