What will customs do if you only have 500$ when coming into the US?

He should be OK since he doesn't need to stay at a hotel. He does need to have your address & phone number with him at passport control when entering the USA. The address also goes on the Customs form he will complete on the flight to the USA: http://www.immihelp.com/immigration/sample-us-customs-form-6059b.html Send this to him: Citizens of about 35 countries can travel to the USA for up to 90 days at a time as a tourist or for some business purposes by registering for ESTA > before < their trip begins. The cost is US$14, which is similar to the fee for the Australian ETA program. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=129 Registering is accomplished online, you don't need the details of your trip, and the confirmation is valid for multiple trips to the USA over two (2) years so don't wait until the last minute. Print the confirmation - or at least record the number - and keep the information with your passport. Having a return or onward ticket leaving North America is a requirement, so have a copy of your airline itinerary at passport control. Check with your health insurance to find out if it covers you in the USA. If yes then take proof of coverage with you. If no or not sure then get trip medical insurance, which is cheap and sold by airlines & travel agents. The USA has wonderful medical care but it isn't free or even cheap. Please do not skimp on this as an otherwise-silly accident could turn into a crisis if you don't have medical insurance. If you are planning a long visit then DON'T schedule your departure day for the 90th day (any part of a day in the USA counts as a whole day, so if you arrive at 23:59h on the 1st and leave at 00:01h on the 10th it is 10 days in the USA). Schedule your departure not later than the 88th day as there are no (zero) provisions in the Visa Waiver Program for someone to voluntarily extend their stay. If you miss your flight due to something Immigration might consider avoidable (ex. flat tire on the way to the airport) they may ban you from using the VWP in the future. ------------------------- The first answer is wrong and there is no fee or tax on money brought into the USA, regardless of amount. Cash/equivalent in excess of $10,000 has to be declared but that's all.

They will put him on death row!

He should be OK since he doesn't need to stay at a hotel. He does need to have your address & phone number with him at passport control when entering the USA. The address also goes on the Customs form he will complete on the flight to the USA: http://www.immihelp.com/immigration/sample-us-customs-form-6059b.html Send this to him: Citizens of about 35 countries can travel to the USA for up to 90 days at a time as a tourist or for some business purposes by registering for ESTA > before < their trip begins. The cost is US$14, which is similar to the fee for the Australian ETA program. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=129 Registering is accomplished online, you don't need the details of your trip, and the confirmation is valid for multiple trips to the USA over two (2) years so don't wait until the last minute. Print the confirmation - or at least record the number - and keep the information with your passport. Having a return or onward ticket leaving North America is a requirement, so have a copy of your airline itinerary at passport control. Check with your health insurance to find out if it covers you in the USA. If yes then take proof of coverage with you. If no or not sure then get trip medical insurance, which is cheap and sold by airlines & travel agents. The USA has wonderful medical care but it isn't free or even cheap. Please do not skimp on this as an otherwise-silly accident could turn into a crisis if you don't have medical insurance. If you are planning a long visit then DON'T schedule your departure day for the 90th day (any part of a day in the USA counts as a whole day, so if you arrive at 23:59h on the 1st and leave at 00:01h on the 10th it is 10 days in the USA). Schedule your departure not later than the 88th day as there are no (zero) provisions in the Visa Waiver Program for someone to voluntarily extend their stay. If you miss your flight due to something Immigration might consider avoidable (ex. flat tire on the way to the airport) they may ban you from using the VWP in the future. ------------------------- The first answer is wrong and there is no fee or tax on money brought into the USA, regardless of amount. Cash/equivalent in excess of $10,000 has to be declared but that's all.

They will put him on death row!

no, they won't do anything. If he has more than $10,000 USD they'll charge him a fee, but anything less than that and they don't care. I think last time I went to the US I had about $40 on me (and a bank card, and my mom was picking me up so I didn't need any cash anyway, aside from maybe picking up a beer or a sandwich or whatever during my travels).