My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Hello, everyone!

I made it!

I arrived in the United States two Fridays ago, the 17th of November. I flew into Newark Airport, arriving at 7pm - it was the most turbulent flight I have ever been on, and a handful of the passengers (including the woman sat next to me) were vomiting for the final three hours in their entirety. :sick: Not the most pleasant way to make my exit from the UK, but I survived, guts intact, so mustn't complain!

Queues at border control were ridiculous - again, I'd never known anything like it - it took 1.5 hours to reach the front and be seen. People were fainting in the lines. :blink: I was seen by a friendly man who took my passport and my big white envelope - I told him I was travelling in for the first time on a new visa. He took my fingerprints, checked my passport, didn't ask anything in the way of questions, and then escorted me through to secondary processing where I was left sitting for another 1.5 hours. I'd gathered this might not be a 'normal' time-frame when I'd seen tens of people come in after me and leave before me, and I asked a couple of times how long I was likely to be sat there (I was developing a migraine and had had no contact with my husband, who I knew would be worrying, and after such an awful journey I just wanted it all to be over) and was informed that the paperwork that accompanies travellers on CR-1 visas can take a little bit longer to process than some of the other cases that come through secondary processing. And so I sat and waited still. It was a small waiting area with a long desk in the front, with around four or five POE officers sat at it, who were calling people up to answer questions relating to the purpose of their travel - I observed that a lot of my fellow travellers did not speak English as a first language, and I overheard many a conversation about overstays on ESTAs. The POE officers were quite abrupt in their nature, which I understand they probably have to be. It was quite interesting and a little intimidating to observe!

Long story short, it turned out somebody had misplaced my paperwork. I was eventually greeted by a nice man from the long desk in front, who came down to the seating area and said "Miss, I've noticed you've been sat here for quite a while - can I ask what you're waiting for?". I informed him that I'd entered for the first time on a new CR-1 visa, and just as we were chatting about it, a lady came out from another room, handed me my passport and my customs card, welcomed me to the country and sent me on my merry way. That was it! No questions, no paperwork. I stopped for a second and asked her if there were any forms I needed to fill in as I'd had some questions about the name that would be printed on my green card (maiden versus married), but she said that the only thing they needed to confirm was my postal address in the USA, which I advised is the same (she didn't check this with me until prompted), and then she told me that my green card would be sent to me soon. So I guess my green card will be in my maiden name, as per my visa, which is a shame but no big deal.

So that was POE!

Three hours after landing, I was reunited with my husband. Due to the length of time I'd been stuck upstairs in security, the airline had moved my luggage and nobody knew where it was, so we spent another half hour locating that (fortunately finding it, at the desk of another airline), and then we were in the car and on our way home. It is quite a different thing, travelling on American roads when suddenly they are on the ground where you live. I don't know why! Everything feels different somehow, even that early on.

I still haven't received my SSN (I called my local office today and learned that they have no record of me in the system, despite my having checked the SSN production application box on the DS-260, so I need to go to the field office in person next week and put in an application for an SSN), so it seems the paperwork isn't over quite yet, but it feels good to be here. Good, and surreal! 'Surreal' has been the overwhelming emotion so far - it usually hits me in weird places, like Wal-Mart, when I'm looking for an equivalent to Ryvitas - suddenly all the little differences are more noticeable because I live here now, and so those differences are permanent and make more of an impact (granted, the Ryvitas issue is subtle - I have discovered Wasa Multi Grain Crispbreads) and it's quite a fun adventure, familiarising myself with changes like those - but ultimately, above all else, it feels wonderful to be home.

I am reluctant to thank the boards because it feels like, in doing so, I'm saying my goodbyes. I have every intention to stick around to help others and enjoy the banter, and I will continue to seek advice where I need it in what I'm sure will be countless confusing and new situations in my near and distant future. But with that being said, I do just want so say a big thanks to the core members here especially (particularly Rete, Pulaski, Rene, Twinkle, Tom and the much-missed Ian), and also to the others who have been in the same boat as me and shared their wisdom - I know there will be many a piece of paperwork in my future, a couple of years from now and then again a year after that when I naturalise - but I think (hope?!) the getting here was the hardest part. So thank you, for making that less complicated, less daunting, and sometimes even fun. I hope to give that back to others who pass through here.

I've enjoyed my first ever Thanksgiving (and tried my first ever pumpkin pie - I'm a fan!), have revelled in being reunited with my cat, have inherited my first hideous Christmas decoration (it is a light-up snowman head made out of a gourd, and I love it) and it is such a novelty and a luxury to spend every single day with my husband, knowing that I never have to leave anymore. I feel incredibly lucky.

For now, the job-hunt continues! Not having an SSN is making that difficult (most job applications won't let me move forward without one) but I'm sure that will be fixed soon, and in the meantime I'll continue to enjoy this surreal, wonderful life I'm building. :)

Cheers! :drinkingwine:

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

OMG, what a flight and processing you went through. But it is over and done with and on to the next USCIS and SS adventure. Just think, 3 years, less 90 days, from November 17, 2020, you can apply for US Citizenship if you chose. Then you won't have to do anything other than update your SS records and continue to live your blissful life.

Welcome to America :welcome::drinkwine:

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Congratulations on finally making it, and I am sorry to hear that it took you so long to get through immigration. I hate that it happened to you, but you have provided a useful example of why you should clear immigration at your final destination whenever possible, and allow four hours if you have to catch an onward flight.

When so many clear immigration in a few minutes - I came through Newark on my CR-1 in about 20 minutes :) It is sometimes hard to persuade people that they need to leave plenty of time in case you get the "KK85 experience. :nod:

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Thank you both, very much!

It is easy to say this now that I'm no longer splattered with a stranger's vomit, but if someone needs to be a poster girl for what not to have happen, I'm glad to take the job. :rofl:

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Congratulations! Great write up!

Rene

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Pecan pie beats pumpkin pie.

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

I agree! My sister-in-law is a phenomenal baker - she made a pecan pie laced with chocolate chips, and served it at my 'welcome home' dinner - it was my first taste of pecan pie, too (perhaps not authentic, chocolate chips considered) and it was divine.

America = GOOD PIE. :thumb:

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Congratulations and welcome.

I thought my East Coast POE experience was bad (JFK) but yours beats it by a mile! The main thing is you had a safe flight and you're know with your partner :)

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Congratulations on your eventful and eventual arrival! Crikey what a time you've had! I flew on the same Friday as you, albeit into JFK a few hours earlier than you, but we had terrible turbulence too - the worst I've ever experienced.

I know exactly what you mean about seeing things differently once you're here as a LPR. Despite multiple visits to see Teresa over the past 15 months, that feeling you get when you walk out the airport, knowing that you're home for good as a resident, is very different and unbeatable.

I was lucky enough to have work lined up on arrival here and my SSC arrived last week. I'm now just awaiting my green card. But I guess in the mean time for you, just enjoy time with your cat and husband and have a fantastic Christmas!

Sean

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

I prefer sweet potato pie. Only have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas but love it over pumpkin. Pecan pie is good but is too sweet for my tastes.

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Improves the coffee. 😋

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Thank you all! :)

Bravo on your new job, Sean, and I'm glad (and surprised!) to hear you've already received your SSN - that's wonderful! Congratulations on making it across the sea, too, turbulence 'n' all.

I've a feeling I won't be working this side of Christmas, but am absolutely enjoying making myself at home and being a 1950s housewife in the meantime. It's a little easy to get used to! Probably for my husband, too, who's being sent off to work with fresh cooked meals in tupperware every night - we're both living the life a bit. But that's been long and well deserved, I'd say. :)

I should try my hand at a sweet potato pie while I have all this time. I've never had one! Husband says he doesn't like all the marshmallow bits in them, but it sounds lovely to me. I was a sucker for the loaded sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving - I think they had maple syrup in them.

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

Hey!!

Welcome finally! So happy for you! Enjoy every minute.

I've been here for 6 weeks now I can't believe it lol.. Finishing up my first week back at work in our Wall St office and settled into our apt.

I had the same issue with SS but it was solved pretty quick. Can't believe your POE! Mine literally took 2 minutes and was such a anti climax lol.

Good luck with the job hunt and stay in touch!

Re: My POE experience - CR-1 visa, Newark Airport
 

:thumbsup: Thank you so much!

I hope you're settling in well - glad to hear you're all sorted at work, and into your apartment! The job hunt is slow and fruitless for me thus far, but my SSN should be here next week, so hoping that'll open some doors and shuffle things along a little faster.

Take care, and good luck! Hope to see you around on these 'ere boards!