In recent weeks, a flurry of international visitors attempting to enter the United States from other countries have been denied entry at border checkpoints, leading to either deportations to their home countries or days or weeks of detention.

最近几周，大批试图从其他国家进入美国的国际旅客在边境检查站被拒绝入境，他们要么被遣返回本国，要么被拘留数天或数周。

A 28-year-old British woman arrived in Britain earlier this week after she was held at an immigration detention center in Washington State for three weeks. She had attempted to enter the United States from Canada, and questions arose at the land-border crossing whether she had the correct visa.

本周早些时候，一名28岁英国女子在华盛顿州的一个移民拘留中心关押三周后回到了英国。她此前试图从加拿大进入美国，在陆路边境口岸，关于她是否持有正确签证的问题引起了怀疑。

Her ordeal came shortly after two German tourists in separate incidents were deported after trying to enter the United States from Mexico. Both had spent weeks in a detention center in San Diego, and both said they were unclear as to why they had been detained and deported.

在她经历这场磨难不久前，有两名德国游客在试图从墨西哥进入美国后被遣返。两人都在圣地亚哥的一个拘留中心待了数周，他们都表示不清楚自己为何被拘留和遣返。

The incidents have sparked international concern over what travelers can expect at U.S. border crossings. Most citizens of most European countries have for years enjoyed visa-free travel, for up to 90 days, to the United States.

这些事件引发了国际社会对旅客在美国边境口岸可能遭遇情况的担忧。多年来，大多数欧洲国家的大多数公民都享有免签前往美国旅行的待遇，最长可达90天。

Here’s what to know about travel visas and rights for international visitors entering the United States.

以下是进入美国的国际旅客需要了解的旅行签证和权利方面的信息。

The basics of entering and exiting the U.S.

进出美国的基本要求

People seeking to enter the United States who are not U.S. citizens must have a valid passport that is not set to expire within six months. Additionally, most people need either a visa or, for citizens of countries participating in the visa-free travel agreement, an Electronic System for Travel Authorization, known as an ESTA.

非美国公民想要进入美国，必须持有在未来六个月内不会过期的有效护照。此外，大多数人需要签证，或者对于参与免签旅行协议国家的公民来说，需要申请旅行授权电子系统（简称ESTA）。

ESTAs are applied for online by submitting a photo (or computer scan) of a valid passport, as well as an email address, home address, phone number and emergency contact.

申请ESTA需要在线提交有效护照的照片（或电脑扫描件），以及一个电子邮件地址、家庭住址、电话号码和紧急联系人信息。

For citizens of countries that are not part of the visa-free program, most vetting for visas occurs at consulates in visitors’ home countries, said Jeff Joseph, an immigration lawyer in Denver. Consulate officials will look for signs that people plan to overstay their tourist visas, or intend to work, among other things.

丹佛的移民律师杰夫·约瑟夫表示，对于不属于免签计划国家的公民，大多数签证审核在旅客本国的领事馆进行。领事馆官员会留意是否有逾期滞留的意图，或者是否有工作的打算等情况。

The visa — or the authorization — is just an entry document to get people to the airport or a land border, Mr. Joseph said. It does not guarantee entry to the United States. Once a traveler arrives, they have to prove that they intend to use the visa as directed.

约瑟夫说，签证或授权仅仅是让人们到达机场或陆路边境的入境文件，并不保证能够进入美国。旅客抵达后必须证明自己打算按照签证的规定来使用签证。

Immigration officials will ask routine questions, usually regarding the purpose of the visit, the duration of the stay, where travelers plan to stay, and what they plan to do. Visitors can be taken for a second round of questioning, which is longer and more detailed.

移民官员会询问一些常规问题，通常涉及访问目的、停留时长、旅客计划的住宿地点以及他们打算做什么。旅客可能需要接受第二轮询问，询问的时间更长、更详细。

Most common visas for visitors

游客最常见的签证类型

The United States has three categories of visas for nonimmigrant visitors: a visitor visa for those who want to enter temporarily for business purposes, known as a B-1; a tourism visa, known as a B-2; and then a combination visa for both purposes — a B-1/B-2.

美国为非移民游客提供三类签证：一种是供那些因商务目的临时需要入境的人使用的访问签证，称为B-1签证；一种是旅游签证，称为B-2签证；还有一种是兼具两种目的的组合签证——B-1/B-2签证。

While the visas themselves are valid for up to a decade, visitors are only allowed to stay in the country for six months at most.

虽然这些签证本身的有效期最长可达十年，但游客最多只能在美国停留六个月。

Travelers with these tourist visas are not allowed to study, work a permanent job, do any paid performances, arrive as a member of a crew on an aircraft or ship, work in foreign press or take up permanent residence, according to the State Department.

据美国国务院规定，持有这些旅游签证的旅客不允许学习、从事长期工作、进行任何有偿演出、以飞机或船舶乘组人员身份入境、在外国媒体工作或取得永久居留权。

To obtain these visas, prospective visitors must complete an online application, provide required documents such as a passport and photo, and schedule a visa interview. The interviews cost $185.

为了获得这些签证，有意入境的人员必须完成在线申请，提供所需文件，如护照和照片，并预约签证面试。面试费用为185美元。

According to the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officials “have authority to permit or deny admission to the United States.”

美国国务院、国土安全部和美国海关与边境保护局规定，官员“有权允许或拒绝（旅客）进入美国”。

Countries with visa-waiver programs

实行免签计划的国家

当国际旅客抵达边境口岸时，移民官员会询问一些常规问题，通常涉及访问目的、停留时长、旅客计划的住宿地点以及他们打算做什么。

The visa-waiver program, which allows most citizens to travel to the United States for business or tourism purposes for up to 90 days, applies to 43 countries. In return, U.S. citizens can travel to those countries for a similar length of time without a visa.

免签计划允许大多数公民以商务或旅游目的前往美国旅行，最长可达90天，该计划适用于43个国家。作为回报，美国公民也可以在类似时长内免签前往这些国家旅行。

The program began in 1986 and is seen as a “security partnership” with U.S. allies.

该计划始于1986年，被视为美国与其盟友之间的一种“安全伙伴关系”。

Travelers still need a valid ESTA in order to enter the country. The applications cost $21 and the authorizations are active for two years. The ESTA must be obtained at least 72 hours before boarding a flight.

旅客仍然需要有效的ESTA才能进入美国。申请费用为21美元，授权有效期为两年。必须在登机前至少72小时获得ESTA。

There is fine print — for example, you cannot obtain an ESTA if you visited certain countries after certain times, such as Cuba on or after Jan. 12, 2021. If you are not eligible for the ESTA, you must obtain a tourist visa.

其中有一些细则——例如，如果你在特定时间之后访问过某些国家，就无法获得ESTA，比如在2021年1月12日及之后访问过古巴。如果你没有资格获得ESTA，就必须申请旅游签证。

Those entering the United States with an ESTA are not allowed to study or work a permanent job.

凭借ESTA进入美国的人不允许学习或从事长期工作。

In this process, visitors “waive” a lot of rights, Mr. Joseph said, including waiving the right to contest deportation. Because of that, people using this program can be subject to mandatory detention.

约瑟夫说，在这个过程中，旅行者“放弃”了很多权利，包括放弃对被遣返提出异议的权利。正因为如此，使用该计划的人可能遭到强制拘留。

What rights do visitors have?

游客有哪些权利？

U.S. federal law gives government agents the right to search people’s property, including their phones and laptops, at border entry points. They do not need to be suspected of wrongdoing in order to be searched, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

美国联邦法律赋予政府特工在边境入境点搜查他人财产的权利，包括他们的手机和笔记本电脑。根据美国公民自由联盟的说法，这样的搜查不需要首先存在不当行为的怀疑。

All visitors have the right to remain silent. But the burden of proof rests with visa holders. For example, if an officer asks if someone plans to work on their tourist visa, and that person remains silent, the officer is likely to deny them entry, Mr. Joseph said.

所有游客都有权保持沉默。但签证持有者负有举证责任。例如，约瑟夫说，如果一名官员询问某人是否打算持旅游签证工作，而那个人保持沉默，官员很可能会拒绝其入境。

If a person is found inadmissible during questioning, they can withdraw their intent to enter the country and may then be allowed to travel back to their home country. Their visa is canceled and they often get the next flight home. But an officer can deny the withdrawal, at which point the visitor is detained.

如果一个人在接受询问时被认定为不可入境，他们可以撤回入境意图，然后可能被允许返回自己的国家。他们的签证将被取消，通常会搭乘下一班航班回国。但官员可以拒绝他们的撤回，在这种情况下，游客就会被拘留。

Because these confrontations occur technically outside the country, the rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution do not apply, Mr. Joseph said, and detainees are not necessarily entitled to a lawyer. The government has about 90 days to deport people. That period can be extended if detainees don’t cooperate by providing the correct travel documents, at which point they can be subject to criminal proceedings. Following an order of removal, people are barred from entering the U.S. for five years.

约瑟夫说，因为这些状况严格来说发生在美国境外，美国宪法中规定的权利并不适用，被拘留者不一定有权请律师。政府有90天左右的时间来遣返这些人。如果被拘留者不配合提供正确的旅行文件，这一期限可以延长，届时他们可能会面临刑事诉讼。接到驱逐令的人未来五年不得进入美国。