also called port of entry · POE
The airport, land crossing or seaport where you formally enter a country and clear immigration.
The specific place where you officially cross into a country and face an immigration officer: an airport arrivals hall, a land border, a seaport. It is the moment your entry is actually decided. The officer there can turn you away even with a valid visa, so how you answer their questions matters.
Someone flies in holding a valid visa but gives vague, nervous answers about how long they plan to stay and how they fund themselves. The officer at the desk is not satisfied and refuses entry on the spot, sending them back despite the visa in their passport.
Officers there have discretion to admit or refuse you regardless of your visa, so preparation for questions matters.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
These are the parts of clearing a border.
The point of entry is the airport or crossing where you formally enter, and the immigration checkpoint is the booth where an officer inspects your passport.
An entry stamp records the date and terms of your admission, and an exit stamp records that you left, which later proves you did not overstay.
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