Atlanta Airport
 

As suggested by someone who is always in the know on the USA thread, I am reposting here:

Hello all.

I am the wife of a regular BritishExpats forum member and enjoy reading posts each day.

I just have a quick question. My husband and I are moving over to the US in a couple of weeks and we are wondering how long it might take us to get through immigration in Atlanta. He's coming with a I-130 visa.

Any comments/experiences on processing time at ATL would be much appreciated--oh, and we know that as an airport in general it sucks,

Thanks so much.

Jenny

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

Hello there. My husband came with an I-30 from Turkey in May. It was a
very easy experience. When we landed, he got in the line for
non-citizens. Then they directed him to a green immigration room where
he put his visa in a folder with his name and such on it. They called
his name, and they took him back and opened his visa packet, asked him
some questions and got his prints and took pictures. He sat back down.
Then, they called him again, they asked him why he wanted to be in the
US (for ME, obviously :) and they stamped his passport, which was his
temporary worth authorization. The entire thing only took about half
an hour. There was a girl there, however, who was having some trouble.
They had goofed on her birthday somehow at whatever embassy she
applied at and recieved her visa (it did not match the one on her
birth certificate or whatever). I'm pretty sure they were going to
send her back to her country and at that point I got so nervous I
almost threw up! They were not really nice or really rude. Just did
their job without much fuss. Pretty good experience overall. I have
heard the same from many people who have came through Atlanta. I even
got stopped at customs because I was stupid enough to fill out a
customs form declaring EVERYTHING I brought with me back from Turkey.
Turns out, this was not necessary because I did not go over my
expemtion, but I had no idea and wanted to do everything right. The
customs guy was nice and asked me what Baklava was, and I told him it
was a kind of baked Turkish sweet, and he just let me go on my way.

Sarah

jenninberks <member18302@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > As suggested by someone who is always in the know on the USA thread, I
    > am reposting here:
    >
    >
    >
    > Hello all.
    >
    >
    >
    > I am the wife of a regular BritishExpats forum member and enjoy reading
    > posts each day.
    >
    >
    >
    > I just have a quick question. My husband and I are moving over to the US
    > in a couple of weeks and we are wondering how long it might take us to
    > get through immigration in Atlanta. He's coming with a I-130 visa.
    >
    >
    >
    > Any comments/experiences on processing time at ATL would be much appreciated--
    > oh, and we know that as an airport in general it sucks,
    >
    >
    >
    > Thanks so much.
    >
    >
    >
    > Jenny

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Some of the Immigration Officers can be nice and some can be Extremely rude. We just came back into the country with my husband traveling on Advance Parole(he is British). It took us about 30 minutes longer to get through Immigration. One guy behind the desk was a total asshole and I should have gotten his name and reported him. My DH has long complained about how they treated him when he came through before we were married. I have now seen it for myself. I don't want to scare you, but it's best to be prepared for anything.

Also be warned.......you will have to go through a Security checkpoint at Atlanta before you can collect your baggage. That can be either really quick or it can be a nightmare. It took us nearly an hour to get through it this last trip.

I personally would figure at least an hour and a half to get out of the airport.

Cheers,

Leslie

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

I meant I-130, the immigrant visa.

[email protected] (sarah) wrote in message news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > Hello there. My husband came with an I-30 from Turkey in May. It was a
    > very easy experience. When we landed, he got in the line for
    > non-citizens. Then they directed him to a green immigration room where
    > he put his visa in a folder with his name and such on it. They called
    > his name, and they took him back and opened his visa packet, asked him
    > some questions and got his prints and took pictures. He sat back down.
    > Then, they called him again, they asked him why he wanted to be in the
    > US (for ME, obviously :) and they stamped his passport, which was his
    > temporary worth authorization. The entire thing only took about half
    > an hour. There was a girl there, however, who was having some trouble.
    > They had goofed on her birthday somehow at whatever embassy she
    > applied at and recieved her visa (it did not match the one on her
    > birth certificate or whatever). I'm pretty sure they were going to
    > send her back to her country and at that point I got so nervous I
    > almost threw up! They were not really nice or really rude. Just did
    > their job without much fuss. Pretty good experience overall. I have
    > heard the same from many people who have came through Atlanta. I even
    > got stopped at customs because I was stupid enough to fill out a
    > customs form declaring EVERYTHING I brought with me back from Turkey.
    > Turns out, this was not necessary because I did not go over my
    > expemtion, but I had no idea and wanted to do everything right. The
    > customs guy was nice and asked me what Baklava was, and I told him it
    > was a kind of baked Turkish sweet, and he just let me go on my way.
    >
    > Sarah
    >
    > jenninberks <member18302@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > > As suggested by someone who is always in the know on the USA thread, I
    > > am reposting here:
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Hello all.
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > I am the wife of a regular BritishExpats forum member and enjoy reading
    > > posts each day.
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > I just have a quick question. My husband and I are moving over to the US
    > > in a couple of weeks and we are wondering how long it might take us to
    > > get through immigration in Atlanta. He's coming with a I-130 visa.
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Any comments/experiences on processing time at ATL would be much appreciated--
    > > oh, and we know that as an airport in general it sucks,
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Thanks so much.
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Jenny

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

I haven't entered through Atlanta immigration since my A2 visa expired, but whenever I did it took ages. Since I regularly got connections to Atlanta via various other airports I know that some can be a LOT faster. Whenever I have entered through Atlanta the lines would be "miles" long and you would definitely have to wait a good while.
Oh, and I can second the rudeness of many officers (speaking in general, not only Atlanta). They managed to make me feel like a criminal entering the country!!

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

That's it exactly! They act like you're a criminal. BTW, the guy at the Atlanta Immigration that was so rude to us and was also threatening a German guy in there as we waited is short, kind of chubby with gray hair and a mustache...........try and avoid the turd.

Sarah, as far as Atlanta is concerned, it doesn't matter what kind of visa you will be traveling on. You put the paperwork in a green folder and they serve whoever is next in line. If you ask a question about how long it will take, they will give you a snotty reply.

Cheers,

Leslie

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

When I came back on 8/31 the line was a mile long for non-citizens, the
officer working the crew line was even taking some of the slack and
processing people.

Usually it is pretty quick----I live here in Atlanta and have gone thru
Immigration so many times, there is one officer that remembers me and
she is a hoot (who likes to remind me of when I came back from Russia
sick as a dog and almost threw up in her line.) :)

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

Sounds like it could be the description of any immigration officer. *giggles*

I won't miss the day when I will get my GC or citizenship so that I don't have t go throuhg the visitor line anymore. Hopefully then they'll be nicer to me too. ;)

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

My wife came through Atlanta about 14 months ago on the I-130.
They treated her cordially and it took an hour or so longer than everyone else.....

Re: Atlanta Airport
 

When my wife came thru ATL in August, it took almost three hours in line, then 5 minutes to clear Immigration. As most international (European) flights land in the 3pm-6pm (local) window, the long lines are very common I hear.