Tinyburst

My wife and I received our visa's last Thursday. Do we need to fill in any paperwork other than a customs form at our POE?

Thanks

Tiny

Conway7

If you are the same status as my wife and I, as appears to be the case, ie entering the US on six month IV's, you do not have to fill in any customs form (as handed out on the aircraft prior to arrival). at your POE.

Just stand in the USC line at Immigration, and you will then be directed to the USCIS office within the airport, where your hand carried sealed documentation will be examined, fingerprint etc taken, and your IV's date stamped to confirm your arrival date, which as it says at the bottom section of your IV's, "upon endorsment serves as temporary 1-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year.".

You are then immediately and technically a PR/GC holder, and your passport serves exactly the same purpose as the actual "Green Card," which we received in August 2005, approx 3 weeks after arrival at our POE.

Hope this helps, but for more information on our story including re-entry permit applications etc, please refer to;

www.about.com/immigration/forums and under 'Green Card & Fiancee Visa Issues,' find our posting entitled; "Can You Help A Couple Of Brit's?"

Good Luck!

meauxna

Yes, you'll both complete I-89s at the POE in Secondary Inspection. That's the form that orders your Green Cards, and the officer will do most of the work. Answer questions truthfully and give the fingerprint and autographs where requested
Welcome to America.

You do not have to fill out an I-94 on the plane. After thinking on it, I'm not positive you have to do a Customs declaration, but I'm reasonably certain that you do.

Conway7

Just to prevent any misconceptions, there was no actual form filling at the USCIS office within the airport at our POE, approx. two months ago.

What happens, is that you will sign the pre-printed form with your details on it(once) only, in the appropriate section, as directed by the duty USCIS official.

Another thing that we only became aware of at that time, is that they were not interested in the fact that we had also hand carried our chest x-rays with us, assuming that they in some way, also formed part of the immigration authentication process at the POE, along with our other documentation, so it is not necessary to present these for this particular exercise.

Additionally, there is no customs declaration whatsoever to fill-in, and unbelievably we had to explain this to both the cabin crew on the aircraft, and the unsure USCIS officer checking passports/IV's at the head of the US Citizen's line, because the customs form clearly states (among other things), that US Citizens and aliens entering the US for the first time, as permanent residents are exempt from having to complete any custom declarations.

Perhaps by now, you have already experienced this process first hand, but hopefully the above information may assist those about to follow.

Good Luck!