Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

My wife and daughter are coming on Feb 11 through Detroit. ANyone who has gone through there recently, would you be willing to share your experiences.....including how long it took to be processed since they only have 90 mintues to catch the next flight.

Thanks
Dad of 3

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

While we're at it (POE stuff I mean). Can somebody tell me exactly how they are supposed to answer the question on the I94 about their residence. Is it the U.S. address or country of origin?

P.S. Dad, are you sure you left them enough time between flights. :scared:

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

I doubt they will make it to their next flight- I'd reschedule it for a minimum of 3 hours after arrival.

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

The impression that i got from the Immigration officer was that the K3 should go through the visitor lines, and that it was very much a "you're just visiting on this thing" impression that he gave. So i'd go for the country that one has been living in up until now.

HTH

Matt

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

Leslie66: I think they will put both addresses for residence and she can tell the customs officer that she is here on a K3. They will understand.

As for the time in between the flights...yes I agree 90 is too short but that is the way Northwest has their schedule set up and what they told me when I asked was if they miss their flight, they will be protected on the next flight to Tallahassee. The problem is that the next one is not until 5 PM so it may be a good idea to have the earlier booked if NW is guaranteeing them that they will be accomodated on the later flight if they miss the first one due to delays in immigration. If for some reason the 5PM is completely sold (which i doubt as this is off season and on a Wednesday) then Delta comes into my city as well and they fly more frequently than NW. As long as NW will handle it, I think it will be ok????

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

It's a tough one to call. That is less time than anybody will recommend. Your wife will have to understand that there is a 50/50 chance that she'll miss her flight due to possible POE delays. Some people blow through in 5 minutes but you have no control over lines, picky POE officers, etc. Expectation is everything if she expects to miss her flight, she'll be delighted if she doesn't.

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

Dad,

I'm sure that time spent in the immigration and custom's lines can vary greatly. But, based on my last experience in Sept '03 going through Detroit on my return from overseas, 90 minutes is not adequate. And this experience did not include the extra time that may be required for a K or immigrant visa entrant to be processed through immigration.

Detroit was a zoo and I will not use that airport for an international arrival again unless I have not other options.

Regards, JEff

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

Like Leslie said, it's all in the expectation. Also, don't forget it's not just the Customs checkpoint for the K3/mysterious brown envelope. You also have to collect and recheck your baggage if you have a connecting flight. If she's delayed for whatever reason in the Customs area, she'll have track down the baggage and recheck.

Patty

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

Patty,

Customs doesn't check the brown envelope - immigration does.

Customs comes between picking up and re-checking the luggage, after having passed through immigration.

Regards, JEff

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

Hey Dad,

Detroit used to be "my" airport when I was living in Detroit. If she flies on NWA, she will probably arrive at the "new" terminal (not the international terminal that is on its own, and which is not too convenient for connecting flights). That should make the connecting bit easier. I do agree that the immigration/customs can be a zoo at Detroit airport. It took roughly 1 hour to clear immigration when I entered on my AP in the middle of the week in May (and beware, their stamper was wrong, which was no big deal, but you might want to check the date they stamp in your passport). With it being February and the planes being emptier and to reassure DadOf3, I think that 90mins definitely is tight, but not too oulandish, especially since she won't have to change terminal (and maybe some nice airport employee with the little carts will help her to go faster to the gate of her next flight -not sure if you can set this up in advance).

Caroline

Re: Please Share Detroit POE Experiences
 

I immigrated from London to Atlanta via Detroit with Northwest Airlines on August 31st 2003 and I had no trouble what so ever! I believe I also had about 90 minutes to catch my next flight and I made it in good time. The lines through immigration were super short. I think I only had one person in front of me. I also didn't have any problems with the officer upon entering with my K1 visa. He just checked through my paperwork rather quickly and he was very nice (unlike so many previous times I've gone through immigration and felt like a criminal). It only took a few minutes and then I was on to collect my bags (he actually ran after me to write down my phone number that he had forgotten to take down or something). A customs officer did want to check some of my bags (no surprise as I had 3 gigantic bags!) and he was also very nice. He even asked me how long I had until my connection so that I wouldn't miss it. So all in all I had no problems with Detroit - I was VERY happy with the POE experience!