# Customs English: 12 Common Immigration Questions, Sample Answers and How to Declare Items > Nervous at passport control? The 12 most common immigration questions with sample answers, immigration vs customs, and how to declare food and medicine. - URL: https://ambitious-learner.com/en/resources/customs-immigration-english-questions-answers - Author: Ambitious Learner Editorial Team（Ambitious Learner Ambitious Learner） - Published: 2026-11-01 - Last updated: 2026-11-01 - Category: Learning English ## Key points in 30 seconds The questions you get at the border are surprisingly predictable. This guide covers the 12 most common immigration questions with sample answers, the difference between immigration and customs, how to declare food and medicine, what to say when you don't understand the officer, and how to practise before you fly. - **Two checkpoints**: Immigration checks who you are and why you're visiting; after baggage claim, customs checks your bags and anything you need to declare. - **Most common questions**: Purpose of your visit, length of stay, where you're staying, your job, whether you have a return ticket, and whether you have anything to declare. - **How to answer**: Short, specific and honest, and consistent with your visa, booking and ticket. - **Declaring**: Most countries require you to declare food, plants and animal products; if you're not sure, declare it. - **Didn't catch it?**: Don't just say Yes. Check with Could you repeat that? or Do you mean…? ## Quick answer: what customs English do you need? You get off the plane, queue up, and when it's your turn the officer looks up and asks you something in English. For many travellers this is the most nerve-racking moment of the whole trip. The good news is that border questions are fairly predictable. Prepare a few short, honest answers that match your documents and you'll get through most situations without trouble. This guide covers the 12 most common immigration questions, sample answers, how to declare items, and what to say when you don't understand. - **There are two checkpoints**: first immigration (also called passport control), which checks your identity and reason for entry; then, after you collect your bags, customs, which checks your luggage and anything you need to declare. - **Most common questions**: the purpose of your visit, how long you're staying, where you're staying, whether it's your first visit, what you do, whether you have a return ticket, and whether you have anything to declare. - **How to answer**: short, specific and honest, and consistent with your visa, accommodation booking and flight ticket. - **Not sure whether to declare something?** Declare it. The official US and Australian websites both require travellers to declare food, plants and animal products. ## Immigration vs customs: what's the difference? People often lump the whole arrival process together as "going through customs", but the English terms refer to different things: | Term | English | What it covers | | --- | --- | --- | | Immigration / passport check | Immigration, Passport Control | Passport, visa, purpose of entry | | Immigration officer | immigration officer | Asks why you're entering and how long you'll stay | | Customs | Customs | Luggage, items to declare, duty | | Customs officer | customs officer | Checks bags and asks about declarations | | Declaring items | declare | Telling officers about certain items you're carrying | | Arrival / declaration forms | arrival card, customs declaration form | Name and format vary by country | > We need to go through immigration first, then pick up our bags and clear customs. ## The 12 most common immigration questions (with sample answers) ### Identity and purpose: what the officer cares about most **1. What's the purpose of your visit?** Just state your purpose: - I'm here on vacation. (use the purpose that matches your visa) - I'm here for a business meeting. - I'm visiting my sister. **2. How long will you be staying?** - I'll be staying for ten days. - Ten days. I'm leaving on November 20th. **3. Where will you be staying?** - At a hotel near Union Square. Here's my booking confirmation. - With a friend. Here's her address. **4. Is this your first time here?** - Yes, it's my first time. - No, I was here two years ago. **5. Are you traveling alone?** - No, I'm traveling with my husband. - Yes, I'm traveling alone. ### Trip and background: checking you'll leave as planned **6. What do you do?** - I'm an engineer at a semiconductor company. (it's asking about your job) - I'm a university student. **7. Do you have a return ticket?** - Yes, here's my return flight itinerary. **8. What are your plans while you're here?** - I'll spend three days in Los Angeles and then go to San Francisco. **9. Who are you visiting?** - I'm visiting a friend from college. **10. How much cash are you carrying?** - About 500 US dollars, plus my credit cards. ### Customs and luggage: questions you'll hear after baggage claim **11. Do you have anything to declare?** - No, I have nothing to declare. - Yes, I have some packaged snacks and dried mushrooms. (name the items specifically) **12. Is this your bag? Did you pack it yourself?** - Yes, it's mine. I packed it myself. ## Declaring items at customs: what to declare and what to say Rules differ from country to country. Here is what the official sources say for two popular destinations (always check your destination's official website before you travel): - **United States**: [U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)](https://www.cbp.gov/travel/clearing-cbp/bringing-agricultural-products-united-states) says travellers must declare meat, fruit, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil and animal or plant products. Undeclared prohibited items may be seized, and civil penalties may apply. The actual amount varies by item and circumstances, so check CBP's latest rules before you leave. - **Australia**: The Australian Government's [Study Australia website](https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-move/what-can-i-bring-to-australia) says all food, plant and animal products must be declared on your Incoming Passenger Card, and advises that if you're unsure, you should declare it or simply not bring it. According to the [Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)](https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/policy/legislation/compliance/infringement-notice-scheme/infringement-notices-at-the-airport), one penalty unit has been A$364 since 1 July 2026. An airport infringement notice for failing to declare or making a false declaration starts at 2 penalty units (A$728); for high biosecurity risk goods it is 6 or 12 units (A$2,184 / A$4,368); and concealing conditionally non-prohibited goods can mean 20 units (A$7,280). Visa holders may also be referred to the Australian Border Force (ABF) for visa cancellation. ### Useful phrases for declaring items - I'd like to declare this. - Do I need to declare this? (ask this whenever you're unsure) - This is my prescription medication. Here's my doctor's note. - I wasn't sure, so I declared it. **Related vocabulary**: prohibited items (items you can't bring in), restricted items (items allowed only under conditions), duty-free allowance (the amount you can bring in without paying tax), receipt, agricultural products. ## What if you don't understand the immigration officer? When you don't understand, the most important thing is **not to just say Yes**. Politely ask the officer to repeat or rephrase: - Sorry, could you repeat that, please? - Could you speak a little more slowly, please? - Do you mean my hotel address? (repeat back the part you think you heard) - Sorry, I don't understand. Could you say it another way? Checking with "Do you mean…?" is much safer than guessing and giving the wrong answer. To make checking questions like these automatic, see our [everyday English conversation tips](https://ambitious-learner.com/resources/everyday-english-conversation-tips) and practise asking people to repeat or rephrase in daily conversation. ## Common customs English mistakes and how to fix them ### 1. Answers that are too long or sound memorised Officers usually only want the key information. Fix: answer in one sentence, add details only if asked, and show your documents when relevant. ### 2. A vague purpose or the wrong word For example, saying I'm here to work. when you're actually a tourist can make the officer question your entry status. Fix: answer truthfully according to the visa or entry status you actually hold. If it's a business meeting, say business meeting. ### 3. Mishearing the tense How long will you be staying? (how long you plan to stay) and How long have you been here? (how long you've already been here) mean different things. Fix: will is asking about the future, have been is asking about the past. If you're not sure, check with Do you mean…? ### 4. Assuming food "doesn't count" Snacks, dried goods and jerky may also need to be declared. Fix: if in doubt, declare it. ### 5. What you say doesn't match your documents Saying you're staying at a hotel but having no booking to show, or saying you're staying a week when your return flight is a month later. Fix: before you leave, organise your ticket, booking and itinerary on your phone or on paper. ## How to practise customs English before you travel: 3 steps 1. **Write your own answer card**: based on your real trip, write short English answers for five things: purpose, length of stay, accommodation, job and return flight. Read it aloud for a few minutes every day. 2. **Have someone ask random and follow-up questions**: real officers won't go in order, so practise answering when you're interrupted or asked a follow-up like "Which hotel?" 3. **Get used to different accents**: American, British and Australian accents differ quite a lot, so use videos or real conversations to get used to the speed. After customs come hotel check-in, ordering food and asking for directions. Prepare for all of them with our [travel English guide for airports, hotels and restaurants](https://ambitious-learner.com/resources/travel-english-practical-guide). ## Want to rehearse an arrival conversation before you fly? If you'd like someone to role-play the whole arrival conversation with you before you leave and correct your pronunciation and word choice on the spot, Ambitious Learner's online one-to-one English lessons can build practice around your itinerary, covering immigration, hotels and restaurants in one go. 👉 [Learn about one-to-one everyday English lessons](https://ambitious-learner.com/programs/life-english) 👉 [Add our official LINE account to book a free level assessment and consultation](https://lin.ee/R3GZRrW) ## Sources - [U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Bringing Agricultural Products into the United States](https://www.cbp.gov/travel/clearing-cbp/bringing-agricultural-products-united-states) - [Study Australia (Australian Government) | What can you bring to Australia?](https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-move/what-can-i-bring-to-australia) - [Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia) | Infringement notices at the airport](https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/policy/legislation/compliance/infringement-notice-scheme/infringement-notices-at-the-airport) Entry and declaration rules can change at any time. This article is for preparation only; always follow your destination government's official website and the instructions of officers on site. ## FAQ ### Do you go through immigration or customs first? At most international airports you go through immigration first, then collect your bags, and then go through customs. Follow the signs and instructions at the airport. ### Can I be refused entry because my English isn't good? Whether you're allowed in depends on each country's rules and the officer's judgement. What usually matters is your travel documents, your purpose of entry and whether your answers are consistent. If your English isn't fluent, answer in short sentences and show your documents. If you don't understand, ask the officer to repeat the question instead of guessing. ### Is there a difference between "Nothing to declare" and "I have nothing to declare"? They mean the same thing: you have nothing to declare. The second is a full sentence and slightly more formal. ### Do I need to declare my personal medication? It depends on your destination. For example, the official Australian website lists some medicines that must be declared. Keep medicines in their original packaging, bring your prescription or a doctor's letter in English, and check your destination's official rules before you travel. ### Do I have to fill in the arrival card in English? Most countries' arrival cards or online forms are mainly in English, and some offer other languages or online versions. Check your destination's official guidance.