Pittsburgh, Ohio - As the summer travel season begins in earnest, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) urges all international visitors to ensure they possess the appropriate U.S. travel visa for the purpose of their visit.
Two women learned that lesson this weekend at Pittsburgh International Airport after being charged as U.S. immigration law violators.
On Friday, a 26-year-old Lithuanian woman applied for admission to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. During her inspection, CBP officers determined that she overstayed her visit in 2016. She also admitted that she worked in the U.S. without permission during 2017. She will need a U.S. travel visa for future visits to the United States.
On Saturday, a 46-year-old Ukrainian woman presented a U.S. travel visa and applied for admission to the United States to attend a jewelry workshop in San Francisco. During her inspection, CBP officers identified numerous misspellings in a workshop invitation letter and she subsequently admitted that she altered a letter from the previous year. CBP officers confirmed with the workshop host that the workshop invitation letter was not authentic and that he was not holding any workshops in San Francisco during June. Additionally, CBP officers discovered numerous personal certificates and diplomas in the Ukrainian woman’s baggage.
CBP officers determined that both women were intending immigrants not in possession of an immigrant visa and allowed them to withdrawal their application for admission. The women were returned to their last point of embarkation.
“Identifying two immigration violations in Pittsburgh is unusual and we urge all foreign visitors to ensure they have the correct travel visa, if necessary, for their visit” said Susan Anderson, CBP Port Director, Port of Pittsburgh.
CBP's Office of Field Operations lead’s the agency’s border security mission at 328 air, land and sea ports of entry. Field Operations officers enforce all applicable U.S. laws, including illegal immigration, narcotics smuggling and illegal importation, and by CBP agriculture specialists, who protect U.S. agriculture from the introduction of pests or disease from overseas sources. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about CBP’s Office of Field Operations.
“The United States is a welcoming nation, and we expect foreign visitors to respect and comply with our nation’s laws,” said Casey Durst, CBP Director, Baltimore Field Office. “Customs and Border Protection remains committed to enforcing all U.S. laws and regulations, including our nation’s immigration laws.”
Almost a million times each day, CBP officers welcome international travelers into the U.S. In screening both foreign visitors and returning U.S. citizens, CBP uses a variety of techniques to intercept narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products, and to assure that global tourism remains safe and strong. CBP’s Travel section offers rules and tips for clearing CBP inspection during travel to and from the United States.
