It is important that you have all your documents in order at the port of entry to avoid being asked to go for secondary inspection. But please note that the Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers have the right to do random secondary inspections, and that it is a common occurrence. Students who have gone through secondary inspection before may be at higher risk for it happening again. Because we do not have the full scope of someone’s immigration history beyond the information provided to our office to obtain the Lesley I-20, we cannot predict the outcome of a secondary inspection. If you feel you need to discuss any aspects of your case with an attorney, we will be happy to provide you with an immigration resource list at your request. When asked to go into secondary inspection, be polite and honest during this process. CBP is doing this on many travelers, so the process can take a few hours. Under certain circumstances, F-1 students may be issued a Form I-515. If this happens, contact iss@lesley.edu immediately upon completing your entry process for additional follow-up which may require an immediate issuance of an updated I-20. Also contact us if you are ever in doubt if all was processed properly with your last entry to the US. We recommend you always review your most recent I-94 within 48 hours of each re-entry to the US to ensure that CBP processed your status correctly.
It is important to note that CBP officers have always had the legal authority to conduct a complete search of you and your belongings, including electronic devices, and they may request passwords to access locked devices. If a foreign national refuses to provide passwords, they may be prevented from entering the US. They can review files, data, and social media activity.
Please note that cannabis is still a federal offense. Immigration officials are known to ask individuals if they have ever possessed or used marijuana. If they answer yes, they can be found inadmissible and denied entry into the US or have any pending petition with USCIS denied, including an application for lawful status or naturalization. It does not matter if cannabis is permitted in the US state that you reside. Federal law always overrides state law. You may also review the Department of State information: What is Secondary Inspection? | Study in the States (dhs.gov).