nagany

Hi everyone. I have been to the US under the VWP in October, stayed for 4 weeks and left on the 26th. AT Philadelphia airport I was late for boarding, so I asked the hostess I they could wait for until I did the US visit exit. She told me that I shouldn't worry because it wasn't mandatory yet...so she took my I-94W and I left without doing the exit procedure. Today a friend of mine told me it IS mandatory....I am so worried, I will have to start a K3 visa next year and I seriously don't know what to do if they deny my visa because of this. Please someone give me some advice, I really don't know what to do.

J. J. Farrell

nagany wrote:
    > Hi everyone. I have been to the US under the VWP in October, stayed for
    > 4 weeks and left on the 26th. AT Philadelphia airport I was late for
    > boarding, so I asked the hostess I they could wait for until I did the
    > US visit exit. She told me that I shouldn't worry because it wasn't
    > mandatory yet...so she took my I-94W and I left without doing the exit
    > procedure. Today a friend of mine told me it IS mandatory....I am so
    > worried, I will have to start a K3 visa next year and I seriously don't
    > know what to do if they deny my visa because of this. Please someone
    > give me some advice, I really don't know what to do.

Homeland Security describe it as being "tested" at a small number of
ports. Doesn't sound like it's mandatory.

nagany

Thanks J.J.
My friend told me that it's mandatory if you leave from the airports who have the kiosks for this procedure. And Philadelphia has them. So now, I know that if you forget to give back the I-94 there's a place in Kentucky where you can send it together with additional evidences of your departure. Is there a place I can send proofs of my departure (boarding pass, receipts, ...) if I DID surrender the I-94 but I didn't do the US-visit exit registration? Thanks.

[email protected]

For all practical purposes, don't worry about it.

Nobody (USCIS or embassy) will check the US VISIT database, since they
know that most departures aren't recorded there, and those that are
should also be in the database that they check anyway (the one based on
the I-94).

If somebody broke the law (or more likely an agreement betweent the
airline and DHS), that is the hostess.
My guess is that if it is "mandatory", the airlines have an agreement
with DHS to check the US VISIT receipt in order to let people board the
plane. And therefore, it would be mandatory on the passagers to get the
receipt in order to be allowed boarding.



nagany wrote:
    > > nagany wrote:
    > > > Hi everyone. I have been to the US under the VWP in October, stayed
    > > > for
    > > > 4 weeks and left on the 26th. AT Philadelphia airport I was late for
    > > > boarding, so I asked the hostess I they could wait for until I did
    > > > the
    > > > US visit exit. She told me that I shouldn't worry because it wasn't
    > > > mandatory yet...so she took my I-94W and I left without doing the
    > > > exit
    > > > procedure. Today a friend of mine told me it IS mandatory....I am so
    > > > worried, I will have to start a K3 visa next year and I seriously
    > > > don't
    > > > know what to do if they deny my visa because of this. Please someone
    > > > give me some advice, I really don't know what to do.
    > >
    > > Homeland Security describe it as being "tested" at a small number of
    > > ports. Doesn't sound like it's mandatory.
    > Thanks J.J.
    > My friend told me that it's mandatory if you leave from the airports who
    > have the kiosks for this procedure. And Philadelphia has them. So now, I
    > know that if you forget to give back the I-94 there's a place in
    > Kentucky where you can send it together with additional evidences of
    > your departure. Is there a place I can send proofs of my departure
    > (boarding pass, receipts, ...) if I DID surrender the I-94 but I didn't
    > do the US-visit exit registration? Thanks.
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

nagany

I totally relied on what the hostess told me. And at the gate,they checked just the passport and I-94, and nobody of the airline people actually checked if we had this receipt or not. But why is everybody (on google...) saying that it is mandatory? I am kinda confused....Anyways, next year I will apply for a K3 visa and until then I'll keep everything that could be a good proof of evidence that I left. I hope everything will be fine. Thanks

ian-mstm

First, I don't believe it is *everybody*. Second, I'm told that there are many hot Russian women wanting to date me... but I don't believe everything I read when I'm online.

Ian

nagany

Fair enough...but maybe the hot Russian ladies are the same people who wrote that this procedure is mandatory...who knows...:-). However I hope you guys are right, because I am really really worried. Thanks!

[email protected]

But why is everybody (on google...) saying that it is mandatory?

Because both the airlines and USCIS wants you to believe so.
And depending on the definition of mandatory, it may be (I don't know,
I'm not an expert).

I don't know if it is:
1) Mandatory but unenforceable (i.e. already law)
2) A contract between the airlines (and/or airports) and DHS, of which
you wouldn't be part of.

In any case, failing to register your exit will not cause you to answer
"yes" to any of the illegibility questions on the DS-156.

Your exit has been recorded with the I-94. You don't have much to worry
about.

More info : http://joi.ito.com/archives/2005/07/04/usvisit.html



I am kinda confused....Anyways,
    > next year I will apply for a K3 visa and until then I'll keep everything
    > that could be a good proof of evidence that I left. I hope everything
    > will be fine. Thanks
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

nagany

Thank You Everyone.

CarlM

Ian,

Olga and Natalya both wanted to say "Hi, and thanks!"

CM