Misrepresentation at the border

Under INA §212(a)(6)(C), any alien who willfully misrepresents a material fact in order to procure a visa or admission into the United States is inadmissible.  As an example, this would happen if you tell a CBP officer that you are going to the U.S. for pleasure when you are actually going to work.  It can also occur if you apply for a visa and intentionally provide false information.  If you are found inadmissible under this section, you would have a lifetime bar from entering the U.S.

At the border, this situation can arise when a CBP officer "knows" you have misrepresented a material fact.  At that point, the CBP officer will direct you to secondary inspection where they will question you about prior statements you made and attempt to determine your intent.  This process can take a long time (in some extreme cases up to eight hours), and often results in the alien admitting to prior misrepresentation.

Overcoming the lifetime bar is not impossible, but it can be very difficult.  Depending on the facts and circumstances in your case, you may be able to successfully file for a waiver of the bar which would allow you to return to the U.S.  If you have been barred for misrepresenting a material fact to an immigration officer and hope to return to the U.S. in the future, you should speak with an attorney to see if there are any remedies available in your case.