Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

Hi,

I am just about to enter the US, I have my marriage based visa and my wife (USC) is travelling with me. I know I will have to be processed and pass on my big white envelope.

My question is, do I go through the US section or the foreigners section at the airport. In the past one of the officials said that because we were married I could go through the US section with my wife but then when we did that the next time we got a lot of grief for it! Anyway, that was when I was travelling under the VWP.

In this instance I would tend to go through the foreigners section but the rules state that the sponsoring spouse should either be already in the US or travelling with you. If we don't go through at the same time how will they know she's travelling with me? Or even if they do might they want to ask her anything? Would appreciate people's experience of this part of the process.

Also people have said on here that you could be 20mins to 3hours in processing. What is people's experience of this please? We are getting picked up and I don't want them to wait around longer than necessary. We are coming through Boston, Logan. I would imagine that airport has a quite high number of people to process.

Appreciate any help.

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

In the absence of specific instructions from an officer sorting traffic, go through the foreigner line.


She can go through the foreigner line with you!


The experience is that it could take 20 minutes or 3 hours... or anywhere in between. The actual processing only takes 5 or 10 minutes - but you have no idea how many people are already waiting ahead of you to be processed... and that is what takes time.

Ian

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

It is perfectly acceptable for you to go through the US citizens' line with your wife. The line should be shorter, too.

As for processing, it's not a given that you will be sent to secondary. It depends on the officer at the desk. However, it's possible. With a busy airport like Logan that's processing a lot of international travelers, it could take time, but normally it's not too long.

Anyone who has ever picked someone up from an airport knows that it could take time to get through immigration and customs, so they should be well prepared for a wait.

For example, my last solo flight was delayed through bad weather and about five international flights arrived at Dulles (Washington D.C.) at the same time. I have dual nationality, so I was coming in with a US passport (no immigration issues), but it took over three hours to get through and I missed my connecting flight. It was rearranged fo the next day, so I had to find a hotel , but my wife was already almost an hour into the drive to pick me up. SHe had to turn around and come bact the following afternoon!

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

It's probably easier for them to get a taxi, and not have other folks waiting around.

Ian

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

Interesting. If OP had been my client I would have said that the initial immigrant admission ["activation" in the argot of this forum] would be sent to secondary. Out of idle curiosity, what makes you say otherwise?

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

Appreciate your help guys. A bit of conflicting advice, are these based on your experience when you entered with your visa? I think whatever we do we will go through together

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

I would just let the person directing traffic advise you on which line to join. IIRC, I went through the foreign line with my foreign fiance (I'm the USC) at JFK back in 2004. Took us a couple of hours, but my fiance had extra processing because he's Iranian.

Rene

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

When I immigrated through JFK in 2011 I was sent to a dedicated "new immigrants" area rather than "normal" secondary. There was only one person ahead of me, it being about 7pm on a Wednesday in early January, and I was done in about five minutes. At primary, my USC wife asked which line we should use and we were sent to the USC line.

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

+1 ask the person directing traffic. They are there to spread the load, not to enforce arbitrary rules.

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

FIFY

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

Thanks Guys, will seek the advice of the officer on duty in Boston. Sitting at Manchester airport waiting for our flight.
Many Thanks

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

At Boston, Logan they have a line for 'visa' so we both came through that one. Once processed there (5mins) we were escorted down to an office area, my wife was told she couldn't come in so she went to baggage reclaim.

I was in there about twenty minutes in total, two signatures, two fingerprints, no questions asked by me, just wanted to get in and out which I did no problem. Now sitting in our temporary home in New Hampshire.

Thanks guys your help has been invaluable.

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

WooHoo! :)

Ian

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

My own experience which, admittedly was in 1998, therefore pre 9/11.

I came through on a K1 and went straight through with no secondary at all (IIRC). However, I would bow to your superior knowledge here.

As for which line to go through, I was told (on a separate occasion) that if I was with a USC, we could go through either line together and there was no need to split up.

Re: Procedure at the Port of Entry
 

I went t in the early part of 2012 on a K-1 visa and didn't have to go to secondary, either. A bunch of us had to join the tail-end of the US line because it was so busy at the airport, but that wouldn't have made a difference.