US CBP secondary inspection

Upvote:5

This will be difficult: you are staying for a long time with your boyfriend who will provide most of your support and you are bringing your daughter. This can easily interpreted immigration intent and be grounds for refusing entry.

Will they stop me again?

No one knows but it's likely to happen: You have been stopped before and this time your situation is way worse.

Any suggestions?

I think your best bet is to apply for a B2 visa and don't travel with an ESTA. This way you can proof your "non-immigration intent" before you actually travel and the risk of being turned around at the airport is a lot lower.

You can try to shorten your stay, bring more money, leave your daughter at home, etc. but no one can tell you whether this will help or be "good enough". Unfortunately each CBP officers can make up their own criteria within a fairly large range.

I thought tourist visa and ESTA was the same thing

They are decidedly not. An ESTA is an electronic travel authorization whereas a B2 is an actual Visa which gives you significantly more legal rights at the border. If this is important to you, I would read up on the details and not just assume.

Edit: if I went through secondary inspection once, will I have to go through it everytime I go to the US?

No. It's up to the primary officer to decide.

Upvote:8

if I went through secondary inspection once, will I have to go through it everytime I go to the US?

No, you won't have to.

Will they stop me again?

They might. From what you've described, your visit is even more suspicious than before. This time you're also bringing your daughter. You already told them that your boyfriend supports you, and you are showing by your actions (especially by bringing your daughter with you) that there's nothing much tying you to Italy.

If I was a CBP officer - I'd assume you're not going to leave this time and would deny entry.

What an actual CBP officer would do - we don't know, but it does seem risky. You're very likely, in this situation, to end up in the secondary inspection again. You're at high risk of being denied entry.

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